Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 101.4: 1995, Ruiz

Chapter 101.4: 1995, Ruiz

I was running down the sidewalk. There were a lot more people out here than there had been in the fabric store, so after a while I slowed down and began to walk like them. It was unavoidable. I jammed my hands into the pockets of my windbreaker, shuffling along.

That song was still playing in my head. I knew all the words. Of course I did.

Up ahead, I could see a phone booth. I started to shuffle faster, my pace out of place with the song stuck in my head, mercifully. 

In a miracle, the booth was empty. Opening the door, I stepped inside of it. With the door shoved closed, I breathed in. My hand thrust into my purse and I found my address book. A while ago, I had written an important number in here. A smiling boy with green flecks in his hazel eyes had smiled at me, telling me numbers.

Lost in this memory, I didn't remember putting quarters into the phone's coin mechanism. Just saw the black ballpoint ink on the line of the book, the name above it.

Before I knew it, there was a voice on the other end of the phone's line that I didn't recognize. But the name of the place she said I definitely did recognize. She wanted to know who I was, who I was calling for.

"Um, I'm calling for Ambrose Valencia. Its, uh...Ruiz?" I'd never called this number before. Ambrose had always called me. He'd called me for a straight week, twice per day. I'd never had a reason to call. He'd always called me...

"Ruiz? Is that a last name or...? Let me look at his list."

List?

"Um, list?"

Confusion. What did this lady mean? Or...she was probably a nurse.

"Yes. We have an approved call list here. Let me see." I could hear her clacking on some keys, computer keys. The image of the keyboard from yesterday in Tancha's office appeared before me. This memory warmed my middle, like my tummy were filling with a warm cloud of water.

"O- okay..."

"Ah. Hmm. Well, would you be the Marisol Ruiz on his list? Is your name Marisol?"

I blinked hard. What? What was this lady talking about? Marisol? In the couple seconds it took for me to think about it, a hard, smart thought appeared in my brain as sure as that keyboard image. As quick as I'd been yesterday with Mrs. Habib, finding myself in an unfamiliar and strange situation.

"Um. Yes. I'm Ruiz."

"Okay, then. He's at lunch right now. I'll get Beth to get him. One minute, please!" She sounded neutral about it. I was so surprised, couldn't think about her or Beth or anybody. That name she'd said. Marisol. Who the heck was that?

I was in the middle of wondering if this waiting counted as part of his ten minute talk time, when his voice came on the line and I gasped.

"Hello-" He gasped, too, at my gasp. Cut himself off.

"Ambrose." Something inside of me was excited. Something that was totally out of bounds, completely against what had been plaguing me all morning. A rushing, happy feeling at his gasp.

"Ruiz!"

I was grinning. Grinning like a little kid. It sounded like he might be, too.

"Ambrose!"

"Oh god, Ruiz." More subdued. Warm. Intimate. The words were dripping in relief. A complete letting go of whatever stress he'd had. It was all in the words.