Ruthie peeked and watched Jennifer as she talked to her boyfriend.
"Yes. They have seven bratty kids," Jennifer said. She paused, he was speaking on the other line. "I'd like to wring the older girls by the neck and pull that little blonde boy's hair. Oh, and the little girl is a pain in my-- Yes I know it's the reverand's house. Thank you for catching me." Jennifer paused again. "She is, though. I tell you she's a clever one. She's onto me already. I've got to stop her. She's really close to the blonde boy and he's got something that I want and I'm not afraid to get." Ruthie gasped. She was being very still, listening to Jennifer who was-- at the time-- listening to her boyfriend. "That little girl is the one I'm going to worry about. The other kids hate me, but they're clueless. I heard her talking to the blonde boy about me." Pause. "I looked around his room-- and her's and there's no sign of it yet. I've got to do it while they're gone. But first, I'll have a little fun." Ruthie wondered what she was talking about. Ruthie was a very brave little seven year old. "I know I'm evil," Jennifer laughed. Ruthie had had it. She burst into the room with evil eyes and her arms crossed as she tapped the floor with house slippers.
"That's it! I've had it! What do you want from us, you, you, you-- I don't know what you are but whatever you want, you can't have because this is our house and I know you're up to something and whatever it is I'll do anything in my power to get you fired! I'll get mom and dad and Matt and Mary and Lucy and Simon. I would even get Samuel and David if they could talk, but they can't and that's beside the point. You better tell me what you're up to cause you can't fool Ruth Ann Camden!" Ruthie exclaimed. Jennifer hung up the phone and went up to Ruthie.
"I'm getting sick and tired of your attitude," Jennifer replied, a finger in Ruthie's face.
"Bite me!" Ruthie exclaimed and she bit Jennifer's finger. Jennifer slammed the door and grabbed Ruthie by the hand and squeezed.
Jennifer picked Ruthie up and threw her to the ground as hard as she could. Ruthie scrambled away, but Jennifer grabbed her by the arm so hard that it weakened Ruthie. She looked at Jennifer in pain.
"You look at me you little punk! You are not going to tell anybody, not even Simon, what you heard and if you do, you may not see tomorrow. Is that understood? You will do my job plus whatever else I want you to do and you won't complain, nor tell your parents unless you can take a beating or two. Nobody except you and me needs to know about this! Is that understood?!" Jennifer asked, spit coming through her teeth. She grabbed Ruthie by the other arm as hard as she had the other one gripped and she shook her quite hard. "I asked you if that was understood! Now ANSWER ME!" Jennifer yelled. Ruthie gulped.
"Yeah," Ruthie said. Jennifer pushed Ruthie out of her grip and the frightened child scurried out of the room.
Ruthie ran outside, hot tears forming on the edge on her eye lids and lashes. She knew she couldn't come back. No one could stop her. She ran and ran and ran. She made it about a block when her legs tired. She found a deserted bench in the deserted neighborhood and sat to cry. She looked at her arms. They were red and fingerprints could be clearly seen. If she touched it, she felt pain. She pulled down her sleeves and turned on the bench, putting up her feet.
"What happened? What did I do?" Ruthie asked herself under her breath. There was not a soul around, and Ruthie felt lonliness. She pulled her legs in and cuddled them with her arms. She couldn't tell anyone about this, but what if Jennifer got to the twins? What if she hurt Simon? Matt and Mary could take her out, but probably wouldn't have the guts to mess with a housekeeper. A housekeeper that took Ruthie's room. A housekeeper that wanted something, but Ruthie's seven-year-old mind couldn't figure out what that 'it' was. 'It' was in Simon's room, she figured. Whatever 'it' was, Ruthie had to find it and hide it.
About twenty minutes passed, and Ruthie was still thinking. The sun was going down on the hot, sticky Saturday and Ruthie's tears and sweat mixed as she watched the once very blue sky turn pink, and shade fall all around her. She looked at her arms and saw black, yellow, big, ugly bruises. It sickened her to see them, and they didn't look like they'd heal overnight. Ruthie got up and started the short, but horrible walk home. A chilly wind blew, and Ruthie shivered. Even though summer was almost there, the wind still blew softly and the days became shorter than usual. It was to be a very cold, miserable summer indeed.
"Yes. They have seven bratty kids," Jennifer said. She paused, he was speaking on the other line. "I'd like to wring the older girls by the neck and pull that little blonde boy's hair. Oh, and the little girl is a pain in my-- Yes I know it's the reverand's house. Thank you for catching me." Jennifer paused again. "She is, though. I tell you she's a clever one. She's onto me already. I've got to stop her. She's really close to the blonde boy and he's got something that I want and I'm not afraid to get." Ruthie gasped. She was being very still, listening to Jennifer who was-- at the time-- listening to her boyfriend. "That little girl is the one I'm going to worry about. The other kids hate me, but they're clueless. I heard her talking to the blonde boy about me." Pause. "I looked around his room-- and her's and there's no sign of it yet. I've got to do it while they're gone. But first, I'll have a little fun." Ruthie wondered what she was talking about. Ruthie was a very brave little seven year old. "I know I'm evil," Jennifer laughed. Ruthie had had it. She burst into the room with evil eyes and her arms crossed as she tapped the floor with house slippers.
"That's it! I've had it! What do you want from us, you, you, you-- I don't know what you are but whatever you want, you can't have because this is our house and I know you're up to something and whatever it is I'll do anything in my power to get you fired! I'll get mom and dad and Matt and Mary and Lucy and Simon. I would even get Samuel and David if they could talk, but they can't and that's beside the point. You better tell me what you're up to cause you can't fool Ruth Ann Camden!" Ruthie exclaimed. Jennifer hung up the phone and went up to Ruthie.
"I'm getting sick and tired of your attitude," Jennifer replied, a finger in Ruthie's face.
"Bite me!" Ruthie exclaimed and she bit Jennifer's finger. Jennifer slammed the door and grabbed Ruthie by the hand and squeezed.
Jennifer picked Ruthie up and threw her to the ground as hard as she could. Ruthie scrambled away, but Jennifer grabbed her by the arm so hard that it weakened Ruthie. She looked at Jennifer in pain.
"You look at me you little punk! You are not going to tell anybody, not even Simon, what you heard and if you do, you may not see tomorrow. Is that understood? You will do my job plus whatever else I want you to do and you won't complain, nor tell your parents unless you can take a beating or two. Nobody except you and me needs to know about this! Is that understood?!" Jennifer asked, spit coming through her teeth. She grabbed Ruthie by the other arm as hard as she had the other one gripped and she shook her quite hard. "I asked you if that was understood! Now ANSWER ME!" Jennifer yelled. Ruthie gulped.
"Yeah," Ruthie said. Jennifer pushed Ruthie out of her grip and the frightened child scurried out of the room.
Ruthie ran outside, hot tears forming on the edge on her eye lids and lashes. She knew she couldn't come back. No one could stop her. She ran and ran and ran. She made it about a block when her legs tired. She found a deserted bench in the deserted neighborhood and sat to cry. She looked at her arms. They were red and fingerprints could be clearly seen. If she touched it, she felt pain. She pulled down her sleeves and turned on the bench, putting up her feet.
"What happened? What did I do?" Ruthie asked herself under her breath. There was not a soul around, and Ruthie felt lonliness. She pulled her legs in and cuddled them with her arms. She couldn't tell anyone about this, but what if Jennifer got to the twins? What if she hurt Simon? Matt and Mary could take her out, but probably wouldn't have the guts to mess with a housekeeper. A housekeeper that took Ruthie's room. A housekeeper that wanted something, but Ruthie's seven-year-old mind couldn't figure out what that 'it' was. 'It' was in Simon's room, she figured. Whatever 'it' was, Ruthie had to find it and hide it.
About twenty minutes passed, and Ruthie was still thinking. The sun was going down on the hot, sticky Saturday and Ruthie's tears and sweat mixed as she watched the once very blue sky turn pink, and shade fall all around her. She looked at her arms and saw black, yellow, big, ugly bruises. It sickened her to see them, and they didn't look like they'd heal overnight. Ruthie got up and started the short, but horrible walk home. A chilly wind blew, and Ruthie shivered. Even though summer was almost there, the wind still blew softly and the days became shorter than usual. It was to be a very cold, miserable summer indeed.