The Sight Ch. 4 (standard:mystery, 2248 words) [4/4] show all parts
Author: SoLikeCandy	Added: Mar 24 2001	Views/Reads: 2928/1916	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Guess who's coming to dinner? Will meets Ruth's parents--and Will warns the old man off

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

Lulu’s face lit up with her smile. 

“Well, next time you come over I’ll fix you some, if you like.” 

“What was the meat in them?  It tasted like beef...” Will asked. 

“It was, sort of,” Lulu said.  “Ox tails.” 

The color drained slightly from Will’s face.  “Ox...tails...?” 

“Oh, yes, honey, plenty of meat on them.  And it’s so tender!” 

Kay walked Will and Ruth to the door with her mother.  “You ate ox
butt,” she said, giggling. Lulu shot her a deadly 
‘don’t-make-me-smack-you-in-front-of-company’ look and the giggles 
quickly subsided. 

“Yes, ma’am, it was very good.  Thank you again,” Will said. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart, any time,” Lulu said.  “Go on to the car
now, honey, I’m gonna have a quick word with my girl.” 

“Certainly,” he said.  “Goodnight, Mrs. Collins, goodnight, Kay.” 

“’Night,” Kay and Lulu said in unison. 

Once again, Lulu gave her youngest girl a silent look.  “You can go
now,” she said with her eyes.  Kay silently and obediently went up the 
stairs to her room. 

Lulu and Ruth stood together in the open door. 

“So, mom, what did you think?” Ruth asked. 

“Nice boy, he is,” her mother said.  “He seems like he has a head on his
shoulders.  And he ain’t bad on the eyes, neither,” she giggled, 
nudging her daughter’s arm gently. 

“Mom!” Ruth gasped in mock surprise.  “Looking at other men?” 

“A girl can window shop so long as there’s no money in her pocket,” Lulu
replied. 

“You’re silly,” Ruth said laughing.  “What do you think Daddy thought?” 

Lulu sighed.  “Well, he’ll deal with it.  I made him behave.  But, to
tell the truth, I think your father was impressed.” 

“Wow.  Something tells me he likes the blue eyed devil.” 

“I didn’t go that far,” Lulu said.  “But he’ll warm up.  You know your
dad.  You could have brought home a boy the color of midnight and he’d 
have acted the same way.  Don’t fret, that’s just his way.” 

“Hopefully,” Ruth said. 

“He’ll come around, I’ll see to it.”  Lulu hugged her daughter and
stepped away.  “Now go on home, sweetheart.  And don’t be going out 
late and drinking, it’s a school night.” 

“Mom, it’s Friday!”  Ruth protested. 

“You had class today, didn’t you?” Lulu laughed.  “Have fun, honey, and
be careful.” 

“Always,” Ruth replied.  “Love you.  Tell Daddy the same.” 

“I will.  Love you too--night, honey.” 

Ruth walked to the car where Will stood waiting by the open passenger
side door.  She could definitely get used to this: he opened doors for 
her, carried her backpack when they were on campus together.  He’d even 
offered to cut her steak for her one night when they went to a local 
ritzy restaurant.  Always the gentleman. 

“You deserve a gentleman,” Will said as he closed the door and made his
way to the driver’s side and got into the car.  “Where to now, madam?” 

She looked into his eyes and smiled impishly.  He leaned over and kissed
her for a sweet, lingering moment.  His eyes had that electric spark 
again--the kind of spark that meant he was thinking delightfully wicked 
thoughts.  “My house,” he seemed to say with his eyes.  “Spend the 
night with me.” 

Without even thinking about it, Ruth replied to the suggestion she
imagined she could see in his face. 

“I don’t have to work tomorrow,” she said.  “Why don’t we have a
nightcap at your apartment?”  She leaned toward him and kissed him 
passionately, running a hand lightly over his chest. 

“You read my mind, Ruthie,” Will gasped as he started the car and put it
into gear. 

“You know,” Ruth said, leaning away, “I think I just might have.”  A
troubling though formed—had she just read his mind?  But the thought 
was swept away quickly by the prospect of spending the night with Will 
after more than a month of waiting.  Oh, how her father would rant of 
he knew what his little Ruthie was planning on doing...but, somehow, 
she thought he wouldn't mind.  His voice came to her again: "You're a 
woman, Ruthie.  You didn't expect me to think you'd bet a little girl 
forever, did you?" 

Ruth looked back at the house and waved as she and Will drove away. 

************************************************************************


He was dreaming.  In his dream, it was raining outside, and he and Ruth
sat together, talking.  She wasn’t the woman she was in the real world; 
she was a little girl, no more than 7 or 8 years old, and she was 
asking her grandfather about what he called ‘the sight.’ 

“Doesn’t everybody have it?” she asked.  “I can’t be the only one.” Such
a strong little voice, like the clear peal of a glass bell.  Such 
intelligence in those eyes as they looked straight into his. 

“No, baby, you’re not the only one,” he said, patting her head gently.
“You know, my mama told me that everyone has the sight, just not 
everybody knows how to use it.  I can teach you how.” 

“I already know how,” little Ruth said with pride.  “I can see things in
people’s minds real easy, and if I try hard enough I can even see 
what’s going to happen the next day.  It’s not hard, you know.  Just 
the other day, I asked Daddy if he would take me to the ice cream shop 
and he said he’d think about it, and in my head I could hear him say 
‘of course I’ll take her,’ and I ran to get my coat and he looked at me 
funny, kinda mean like.  Daddy wasn’t mad it me, was he?” 

“No, sweetheart,” he replied.  “He wasn’t mad.  He just doesn’t
understand the sight.  He doesn’t want to admit it exists.” 

Ruth’s eyes narrowed.  “Daddy has it too, doesn’t he?” 

“Yes, Ruthie, he does.  And there are thousands of other folk out there
that have it too, but not everyone likes having it.  And some of the 
folk that have it use it for bad things.” 

Little Ruth frowned.  “What kind of bad things?” she asked. 

“You’ll find out when you’re older,” he said.  “Right now, you’re too
young to know.  But you’ll learn in time.” 

The telephone sang its dissonant chord over and over again, the sound
like glass shattering.  The old man awoke with a start, rolled over and 
grabbed the receiver. 

“Hello?” 

Silence on the other end. 

“Hello, son,” the old man said into the phone.  “Look, boy, it’s late,
and I don’t want to be rude.  Please, just tell me what you want.” 

“Leave her alone,” said the voice. 

It was not a voice familiar to him, but he knew its owner.  An image of
the boy flashed into his mind: the wavy blonde hair, the piercing blue 
eyes.  This was Will, Ruth’s man. 

“How did you get this number?” the man asked. 

“The same way you know who’s on the phone with you,” Will replied.  His
voice was warm, even friendly.  “In fact, I didn’t even have to call 
you.  You know that.” 

I’ve done nothing to the girl,” the old man said, “nor do I plan to.  I
want to look after her is all.” 

“Just back off, please, before things get worse.” 

“What do you mean?”  the old man demanded.  “Why, I’ve been nothing but
careful.  Barely said ‘boo’ to the girl all her life—“ 

She’s starting to realize what happening, Mr. Roosevelt,” Will said. 

“Well, hell, that was bound to happen,” said the old man.  “She’s more
than overdue.  And who the hell are you to be telling me to stay away 
from her?” 

“I’m someone who cares for her very deeply.  I don’t want it to be for
her like it was for me.  I want to protect her from this.” 

The old man laughed at this.  “Bullshit!  You want nothing of the sort.
Besides, you can’t protect her from it, no way around it.  Her gift of 
sight is as strong as it is in me, she just doesn’t know it yet.  You 
and her daddy are hellbent on this girl being in the dark about things. 
It’s time she knows!” 

Will laughed good-naturedly.  “I won’t threaten you, sir, I know my
manners and will mind them.  I won’t hurt you.  But, you know, I can’t 
say the same thing about her father.” 

The old man’s anger began to simmer.  “Earl would never hurt me...” his
voice trailed off. 

“You know, old man, I can read you over the phone.  We both know you’re
lying.”  The old man could hear the smug smile in his voice. 

“There’s no reason for him not to do it,” Will continued.  “I saw all I
needed to see about you from Earl when I started talking about my 
father last week.  He despises you, Roosevelt, and if you got too close 
to Ruth he would kill you.  It’s as simple as that.” 

“Now see here, boy,” the old man snarled, “I’ll find you and kill you
dead if you so much as even—“ 

“No need,” said Will.  “You’re in no danger, I already told you.  But I
don’t want to see you again, do you understand?” 

The old man had been defeated for the moment.  “I’ll do what I please,”
he grumbled. 

“Stay away from her,” Will said.  “I’m asking you nicely, Mr. Roosevelt.
Stay away from Ruth.  Sorry to have bothered you so late in the 
evening.  Goodnight.” 

Click. 

Before the old man could answer, Will was gone.


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