OCR Text |
Show 8-2 "You needn't worry, Annie. John is seeing to the house while you are all gone." "But I want to go home. I have to see Mother." "Honey, this is one of those times that you have to let your mother be. She has her hands full with your grandmother. And your grandfather is still not completely out of danger. Your parents can't be worried. That is why you are here with me." The heat danced in the air. My head began to hurt. "I know you're a bit worried about everything," Ruth said quietly. "Why not just help me in the yard today and maybe we'll go get ice cream this afternoon. The day was planned around me. I had to go along with her plans for today. I would try again tomorrow. The day passed slowly. Ruth and I weeded the tiny vegetable patch and ate fresh tomatoes for lunch. I thought about telling her about Andrew but decided not to. I didn't know what to say, how to explain. I wanted to be alone, to think about him. I half listened to Ruth, hoping she wouldn't notice how far away I felt. I felt cut in two, half of me here, the other half wanting to be away, to live in the new world I was exploring. I felt disloyal to Andrew, to be here and not with him. I felt dishonest to Ruth, to take her friendship without sharing the part of me that was most important. The day passed. In the afternoon, we walked to the corner drugstore for ice cream. I realized that Ruth was trying to get me to talk and I wondered if she was ldnely and wanted to talk to me or if she was just being polite. We talked about Father, how good it was to have him home, about my grandparents and how much they needed each other. Even though she was not a blood |