So You Shall Reap

Ruth left Baker’s Bookstore, grousing silently about how poorly Mr. Baker had treated her today. But then, she thought, he’s not nice to me at any time.. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings as she walked. The big, black Cadillac sped down the darkened streets. As it turned left and rounded a corner, the headlights fell on Ruth stepping off the curb. The sound of screeching brakes and the thud of something hitting the car was followed by a thin wail and then sudden silence that left the man behind the wheel stunned. It seemed an eternity to before he could move. Jon Malcolm opened the car door and stepped out. He walked slowly, afraid of what he might find. He saw a body on the ground and almost panicked. He had an almost uncontrollable desire to get back into the car and drive away but then the figure on the ground moved. A sense of relief surged through him, leaving him trembling. “Jesus!” he said when he heard the person moan. “She’s alive!” Jon quickly composed himself and knelt beside the young woman on the ground. “Please let me help you. Can you move? No, don’t get up!” he exclaimed. “I’m all right,” she said, “just a little shaky.” “I was so scared. I thought I’d killed you.” “It was partly my fault,” she said. “I shouldn’t have stepped off the curb without looking. I think I walked into the side of your car just as it stopped moving.” He helped her to her feet but, when she tried to stand, her ankle buckled under her and she groaned at the sudden pain. He quickly swept her up into his arms to keep her from falling. “You are hurt,” he said. “I’d better take you to the hospital.” “No, please. It’s not necessary. I’m all right, really I am. It’s my ankle. I must have turned it as I fell. Please, put me down.” He became aware of her nearness. She was so small and slender, like a feather in his arms. He couldn’t see clearly in the dimness of the streetlight, but what he did see was lovely. Her hair appeared dark and was very long. He was close enough to smell the clean, sweet, scent of it. He could only guess at its color. Her lips were full, her voice soft, and he wondered what color her eyes were. “I said put me down, please!” she said adamantly. He set her down gently. For a moment they faced each other and their eyes met and held. Startled, he realized he had been staring. She looked away first. “Well, at least let me drive you home,” he said. “I can’t just leave you here.” He was sincere in his need to help this person. “I assure you I’m quite all right.” “Please, for my sake,” he said. “If you insist but you don’t know where I live,” she replied. “You’re going to tell me, aren’t you?” he said with a chuckle. Jon opened the car door and helped her sit down before he walked around and sat behind the wheel. “Now, where do you live?” he asked, as he started the engine. “I really don’t want you to trouble yourself. I’m perfectly all right, really I am.” “Look Miss…” He paused and smiled. “May I ask your name?” “Lawson, Ruth Lawson.” “Miss Lawson, I am prepared to sit here, all night if necessary, until you agree to let me see you safely home.” “All right, you win. I guess that would be best. My ankle is throbbing a little. I live at 25 Station Street.” As the big car moved slowly forward, she relaxed a little. Her ankle was quite painful but she tried to conceal her discomfort. “By the way, my name is Jon. Jon Malcolm.” “Pleased to meet you Mr. Malcolm,” she said. He looked at her, chuckled and shook his head. Ruth didn’t understand. “What’s so funny?” “It takes a stretch of the imagination to consider this a pleasant meeting, Miss Lawson. I did almost run you down. I think you’re being courageous and I like that about you.” “Oh, I see what you mean.” Then, she was laughing too. The uneasiness she felt disappeared as she relaxed. Ruth glanced around. Trying hard not to stare, using her peripheral vision, she studied the well-dressed young man beside her and the beautiful automobile. Instinctively, she assumed that he must live in Brandon Hill, the beautiful part of town with gorgeous homes and spacious grounds; a part of town inhabited exclusively by the wealthy. He didn’t seem to be at all snobbish, quite friendly in fact. The big car turned a corner and, as it continued down the street, Ruth began to feel uncomfortable again. The houses began to show signs of neglect, becoming shabbier and shabbier as they approached her neighborhood. The streets became darker and in her mind seemed to get narrower until she felt everything was closing in on her. Finally, Ruth told Jon to stop the car. They were in front of an old, brick, two-story building. It was just as shabby as the other houses on the block, with nothing to set it apart, except for the light in the hall tonight, which was very seldom lit because the light bulbs were always being stolen. It had become a game with Ruth to see how long each bulb would last. Just once, the same bulb remained in its socket for two whole weeks. The only other light available was a street light on the corner, which was almost in front of the house. It wasn’t very bright and colored everything yellow, but it was enough to make coming home at night a little less scary. As usual, feelings of depression surged through her the moment they reached the building where Ruth lived with her father. Tonight, the depression seemed much worse. Maybe it was the big beautiful automobile or the handsome man sitting beside her. He was so obviously used to the best of everything, to all the luxuries that life had to offer, things that Ruth could only dream about. Tonight, for a very short while, she had been in his world, at least in her mind. Now, Ruth was back in the world she despised, one in which she was ashamed to have to live. Jon was about to get out of the car but Ruth put a restraining hand on his arm. “There’s no need for you to get out. I can make it from here. Thank you for driving me home.” Before he could protest, she opened the door and climbed out as fast as she could. She limped quickly up the two steps leading to the front door and hurried into the hallway. She heard him call, “Ruth! Ruth, wait!” She quickly switched off the hall light so he wouldn’t try to follow her and leaned against the door. She didn’t want Jon to see the horrible conditions in which she was forced to live. A minute later, she heard the car pull away.