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"Reba, I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us," said Ruby as she helped clean up the living room.
"I just cant shake the feeling that I'm doing this all wrong, I cant keep everyone in the house but I know that doing this is right," said Reba.
"My son's coming into town tonight, we're going back to New Orleans and helping rebuild our city. So you wont have to worry about us much longer," said Ruby as she walked behind the couch.
"That's great, just the problem is that there's no instruction manual for something like this," said Reba as she joined Ruby.
"Oh really? Read this here," came the reply as she pointed to a line in the open bible.
"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger."
"And you invited me in," finished Ruby. Reba hugged Ruby, expressing how she was going to miss her.
"Oh, and tell Cole I'd say we're even," said Ruby. A look of puzzlement came over Reba's face.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Ruby looked at her.
"You mean he didn't tell you?" she asked. Reba shook her head.
"He doesn't talk much since he's been recuperating." Ruby nodded before she tapped the bible again.
"About Six or Seven years ago, I found a young boy stumbling up the steps of the neighborhood church, half starved to death. I did the humanitarian thing and took him, fed him and gave him a place to stay. All too soon, it came time for him to be moving on, said he had his blood family to look for. But just before he left, he told me and showed me what I just showed you. If I had realized that the boy I took in all those years ago was your son, I might have cooked a little more often and made everyone sleep in the backyard out of respect," she said. Reba blinked in surprise.
"You took in Cole while he lived on the streets?" she asked. Ruby nodded simply.
"I've seen only a few cases where someone has been to hell and back, yet still retained their sanity," she said. Reba chuckled.
"Cole's many things, but sane isn't one of them," she joked. Ruby chuckled as well.
"Seriously though, once you get past the smart-alecky personality he displays on the surface; you find a strong since of honor, justice, and what's right and wrong. You don't see that in most teens today," she said. Reba nodded, as she had seen Cole's core personality come to the surface now and then.
"You should have seen him after he joined the fencing team. His twin sister was cornered in the hallway with a bunch of people picking and making fun of her. But when one guy slapped her, Cole appeared out of nowhere and tore his way through them to his sister. From that day on, everyone left her alone," said Reba.
"Well what happened to those that he fought?"
"Oh, he broke one kid's arm, another's nose, one guy's foot, but he nearly broke every bone in the boy's body that had slapped Kyra. Course it got him two weeks of suspension, but it never really fazed him."
"Sounds like the boy's got some mean in him," said Ruby.
"He gets it from his mother's side of the family," said Reba proudly. Ruby smiled and placed her hand on Reba's shoulder.
"I can't thank you enough for what you and your family has done for us," she said. Reba turned and took a picture of the family off the shelf.
"Here's a picture, to remind you of your crazy white family," she said. Ruby smiled.
"Thank you Reba," she said, truly touched. Outside, the growing sound of a siren sounded.
"I think the neighbors noticed the eighteen black people in the park," said Ruby before both of them laughed and walked into the kitchen.
Three weeks went back like a blur since Ruby and her family had returned to New Orleans. Reba sat on the couch reading a book while Cole sat in the chair next to her, writing on his pad of paper.
"Hey Reba," said Barbra Jean as she walked in though the front door.
"Barbra Jean it's been three weeks, when are you going to get rid of those silly corn rows," said Reba.
"Reba, I like how this looks. I like what it says about me. And plus, I cant," said Barbra Jean as she broke down into tears.
I've tried and tried, I think their stuck. I think I'm going to have to shave my head," she said in a high-pitched whining voice. Reba sighed and sat her book to the side.
"Alright, ill go out to the garage and get my weed whacker," she said, humor in her voice.
"Your gonna need a combine to get those things out," said Cole. His health had improved greatly over the past few weeks. Granted the occasional coughing fit still bothered him, but it was far better then being bed ridden.
"Don't!" said Barbra Jean, covering her hair with her hands. Jake walked in, holding a letter from Ruby. Cole stood and walked into the kitchen, paused and looked at the single candle on the table.
"Yes maim, I do believe we're even," he said, a grin forming in the corners of his mouth.