Idgie Threadgoode was not the thinking type. She was all about action. She got things done. Sitting around thinking always seemed like more of a waste of time than anything else. Why dream when you can live?
Even so, Idgie found herself lying on her back in the itchy grass of the Threadgoode backyard. Her eyes squinted as she watching the clouds float across the sky. The summer sun beat down on her and warmed her bare face, arms, feet. Familiar Southern humidity left her feeling sticky; her hair was plastered to her forehead and the back of her neck. Momma always got on Idgie for wearing her overalls without a shirt like the boys, but even she couldn't find the energy to argue about that on days like this. She felt a soft breeze cool her skin and let out an appreciative sigh. She watched an ant crawl over the hills and valleys of her hand. She turned her face back to the sun and closed her eyes. The ant left a tickling path up her arm. In a way, it was soothing. She felt herself drifting off, but she didn't fight it.
Idgie was almost snoring when she sensed someone approaching. She didn't want to be bothered today, but she was mostly dreading Momma or the girls coming to yell at her about something else she was doing wrong. Even as she noticed the intruder step within a foot of her body, she didn't move. She sensed the person crouching down and bending slightly over her face. When she picked up the faint sweet smell of honeysuckle and lavender, Idgie finally cracked an eye.
It was one of the girls she had seen around town with Buddy. She was wearing a light yellow sundress, and her dark hair was in a loose braid. This was one of the prettier ones. Still with only one eye half open, Idgie waited for the girl to say something.
"Hi," the girl said sweetly. A corner of her mouth turned up in a sort of half smile.
"Hey. What're you doin' here?"
"I'm lookin' for Buddy."
"He's out fishin' with Poppa," figuring this was the end of the conversation, Idgie closed her eye and settled back into the grass. When a few moments had passed and the girl hadn't moved, Idgie reopened her eye and waited to see what else she wanted. She noticed that the girl's face was not quite as bright as it was a few moments before, but the smile was still on her lips.
"Do you know when he'll be back?"
"No," Idgie's tone was much shorter than she had intended.
"Oh," the girl seemed a little taken aback by Idgie's shortness, "I guess I'll be going then." By this point, her smile had faded altogether.
The girl stood up, and Idgie was going to let her walk away, but her guilt got the best of her. She knew her momma had taught her better than to be so rude and would be disappointed to see her daughter acting that way. She couldn't let her own frustration with the heat get in the way of common courtesy.
She quickly sat up and grabbed the girl's arm before she could get too far away.
"I'm sorry. I'm Idgie, Buddy's sister," Idgie said with her famous Threadgoode grin. She stood and lightly took the girl's hand the way she'd always seen Buddy do it.
"I know. Buddy talks about you all the time," the girl said with a wide smile and a coy dip of her head, "I'm Ruth." She was surprised by just how similar Idgie was to her brother.
"Well, it's sure nice to meet you, Ruth. Can I get you somethin' to drink?"
"Oh, no thank you," Ruth said hastily, "I already interrupted your afternoon. I don't want to bother you anymore."
"Come on. Momma would be mad if you don't stay for a little while," Idgie chuckled, "Actually, she'll be mad if I don't invite you to supper after how rude I was just now."
Ruth knew better than to turn down an offer twice.
"Alright," she smiled politely, "I'll have some water."
Idgie's grin got just a little bit wider. She brushed the dirt off of herself and walked towards the house gesturing for Ruth to follow.
"Have a seat," Idgie said as she held the back door that opened to the kitchen.
It was warm even in the house, so Ruth found herself yearning for the water to quench her thirst and cool her heated skin. She sat in one of the chairs around the small wooden kitchen table and watched Idgie retrieve a pitcher of water. Realizing she had been staring, she decided to focus her attention on the rest of the room.
The kitchen was not very big at all. She wondered how the whole family could fit in there to eat until she saw a large rectangular table in the next room. She imagined that was the dining room. She focused her attention back on the kitchen. There was a stove, an ice box, and the table. The rest of the space was taken up by countertops and cabinets. There was a shelf on a wall opposite the table filled with what looked like cookbooks and knickknacks that the family had collected over the years. An old photograph of a young, good-looking couple in formal wear with the Threadgoode house in the background was framed on the wall next to the table. Ruth didn't recognize the couple, but she imagined it was Momma and Poppa on their wedding day.
From her seat at the table, Ruth could look out the window and see the backyard. She watched a granddaddy long legs creep across the window sill. Absently, she brushed her hand across the gnarls and scars of the table. When her fingers found a particularly deep cut in the side of the table, she examined it more closely.
I.T.
"Idgie Threadgoode," she whispered more to herself than anything else.
"That's me," Idgie set two tall glasses of water on the table and took a seat across from Ruth.
Not having much to say, they sat in awkward silence. Idgie leaned back in her chair and tried to subtly study Ruth. Unfortunately, Idgie Threadgoode has never subtly done anything in her life. Ruth was very aware of the attention, but chose to ignore it by focusing all of her attention on her water. She watched the sweat roll down the glass before Idgie broke the silence.
"Did Buddy forget about a date with you or somethin'?"
"No," Ruth met Idgie's eyes, "I just brought him some cookies for his birthday."
For the first time that afternoon, Idgie noticed the basket Ruth had been carrying.
Idgie leaned across the table on her elbows and whispered conspiratorially, "I hate to be the first to tell you, but his birthday was last weekend."
Ruth noticed the spark in Idgie's eye and couldn't help meeting the challenge. Her posture remained perfect in her seat, but she whispered back with a raised eyebrow, "I know. I was out of town last weekend."
Ruth saw a ladybug crawl out of Idgie's wild blonde hair. She reached out and grabbed it, holding it on a finger in front of her face.
"And this is why your Momma always tells you not to take naps in the grass," Ruth smiled and quirked an eyebrow slightly.
Idgie couldn't help but allow a toothy grin.
"Naw, a little ladybug never hurt no one. In fact, they're lucky."
"I don't think it counts if you find one in your hair."
"That's when they're luckiest. If there's one hidin' somewhere on your person, they're twice as lucky. If you find it by yourself you get twice as much good fortune, but if someone else finds it for you, you get to share with them," Ruth didn't think it was possible, but Idgie grinned wider, "It must be our lucky day."
"You're just as bad as Buddy," Ruth said with a giggle as she set the ladybug on the window sill and watched it wander a little before flying away outside.
"I think I'll take that as a compliment, Miss Ruth."
Ruth took a drink of her water to hide the blush that began creeping up her neck. Idgie was too charming for her own good, and she knew it. Ruth couldn't help but see Buddy's influence on his little sister. They were so similar, it was beginning to throw Ruth slightly off-balance. She glanced over the top of her glass and found Idgie staring again. Idgie caught her eye and started making funny faces at her. Ruth couldn't hide the smile that slid over her face as she set her glass back down.
Idgie had her tongue stuck out when they heard footsteps on the porch and saw the screen door swing open.
"Ruth!" Buddy ran in grasping a tackle box in one hand and holding his hat down on his head with the other. Buddy was a handsome, lightly-muscled nineteen year-old man. He had choppy blond hair that had started to grow past his eyebrows. He had recently decided to grow a mustache like Poppa, which left his upper lip covered by prickly, dark blonde hair. His white T-shirt had sweat stains and his blue jeans had grass stains. His boots were caked in mud.
"Hi, Buddy," Ruth hadn't moved from her seat, but Idgie jumped up as soon as she heard the door open.
"Don't stick your tongue out at a lady, Idge," Buddy said this with a glance at his little sister before he focused all of his attention back on Ruth, "What are you doing here?" He moved to grab her hand before he thought better of it.
"I brought you some cookies to make up for me missing your birthday," Ruth's smile was sweet as pie and her voice was light as cotton. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him.
"Well, hey, since you're already here, you wanna go out with me tonight? You can help me eat these cookies here."
Idgie didn't think it was possible, but Ruth's smile brightened even more as she talked to Buddy. They were staring at each other like lovesick puppies.
"I hope you don't expect her to go out with you smellin' like that, brother!" Idgie interrupted their moment with a rough clap on Buddy's back.
Buddy, now broken out of his trance, glared at his little sister behind him so that Ruth couldn't see the look. Idgie just smiled right back at him.
"She has a point, Buddy. You smell sort of like a swamp."
Buddy closed his eyes in frustration then turned back towards Ruth.
"You're right," Buddy smiled charmingly at her, "I can't go out with such a pretty lady lookin' like this. Let me get cleaned up first."
Buddy took off running towards the staircase, but he stopped halfway there and spun on his heel.
"Idgie, would you mind keepin' Ruth company while I'm gone?"
"I don't mind at all."
"Alright," he took off again and yelled down the stairs, "I'll be back down in ten minutes."
Idgie leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and studied Ruth. There was a table and about ten feet of space between the two of them, but Ruth could feel the blonde's presence right next to her. She glanced down at her feet to gather herself, still slightly embarrassed after being caught in such an intimate moment with this girl's brother. She looked up and caught Idgie's eye.
"He's a wild one," Ruth said softly with her crooked smile back on her lips.
"Yeah, he's a Threadgoode."
Ruth had nothing else to say and Idgie didn't either. Actually, Idgie had a lot she wanted to say to her, but she had no idea how to put them in words.
A few moments of silence passed. They avoided eye contact.
More silence.
Idgie could hear her brother stomping around upstairs and knew that was a sign that he would soon return. She knew Ruth could hear it too.
She watched Ruth stand up and start to pick up her basket of cookies. They heard footsteps running down the stairs, and they both looked up at the same time.
"Well then, Idgie-"
"Would you ever wanna go out with me?"
Idgie snapped her mouth closed almost as if she were trying to stop the words from escaping her lips, but it was too late. It was out there. Her face went beet red and her eyes were as wide as two blue moons in the summer sky.
Ruth froze. Her eyes were just as wide as Idgie's.
"I'm clean as a whistle. Is it alright for me to go out with Miss Ruth now?" Buddy entered the room as loud as he had the first time. He didn't notice the tension in the air.
His voice snapped Ruth completely out of her trance, but Idgie only barely moved, "Yeah."
"Alright! Let's go then." Buddy took the basket from Ruth and grasped Ruth's hand in his free one. He gently pulled her towards the door and pushed it open with his elbow. She paused.
"Don't be a stranger," Ruth squinted against the high afternoon sun and left Idgie with a small wave and a smile before she walked onto the porch.
"Bye, Idge," Buddy threw over his shoulder as he took up the rear.
Idgie still hadn't moved from her spot against the wall. A few moments of silence passed before a slow smile spread across her face.
"Funny," Idgie said to herself as she walked outside and retook her position on her back in the grass.
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander to a cooler place. The smell of honeysuckle and lavender lingered in her nostrils.