Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 47.1: 1995, Ruiz

Chapter 47.1: 1995, Ruiz

 

Monday morning. No Ambrose. He hadn't been here last night either. At least he'd told me where he'd gone. I had no address, but it was a private party somewhere in Queens. I never would have guessed in a million years that he'd be in Queens. But I supposed this was the benefit of knowing. Still, it creeped me out.

Stranger still, Miss Cha Cha had not come home last night either. It had been a unique situation where I had been alone in the house. I didn't think I'd made my own dinner the whole time I'd lived here. I was even shaky using the stove, realizing it was all new to me. I'd found some macaroni in the cupboard and used the last of the milk to plump up the cheese. I'd have to tell Ambrose we needed more.

It also meant I had no milk for my coffee this morning. Rifling through the fridge, I found some creamer that was luckily not expired. Sitting alone, I'd poured a bowl of Cap'n Crunch before remembering there was no milk. Exasperated, I decided to eat this dry anyway. While chewing, I looked over the newspaper, folding to the movie listings. Since I had nothing else to do today and the house felt too empty, lonely with only me, I decided to see a movie by myself. Why not?

After finishing the cereal and my coffee, I stared around at the kitchen for a few minutes. Why not leave now? Why stay in the empty house? So I got my purse and set out the door, making sure to lock it tight.

 

Around 6 o'clock, I came back to the house. Swinging the door open, a wave of sound swept over me. Unfamiliar, so unexpected, it caused me to freeze in my tracks. My brain couldn't make sense of what I was hearing at all.

It sounded almost like a cat in pain, a high pitched, scared sort of yowl almost. Like the cat was being hit, starting over and over again in a desperate way. As I stood and listened, the sounds descended into my bones, chilling them, quieting everything else. 

Following the sounds cautiously, I came to the door at the end of the hall, just off the living room. This door was to Miss Cha Cha's room. Unsure and scared, I rose my knuckles to the blonde wood. Carefully, I knocked five times as was customary with her crowd. The safety knock. The one I'd learned from Georgina to show only the ones we trusted were behind the door.

The sound stopped immediately at these knocks, but started up again after a few seconds. 

"Come in," came Miss Cha Cha's voice, sounding weak and strung out like a very thin string extended to me.

As if it would explode in my hand, I turned the knob so careful. Light flooded into the room with me. The room was completely dark otherwise, even the curtains closed to keep out any light from the streetlights outside. 

"I heard sounds," I said, knowing I sounded scared. I was scared. There was no hiding it.

"Yes. Ruiz... I think you need to sit down. Sit here." She sniffled hugely then patted the bedside next to her. 

With the bare light from the hallway to guide me, I followed her hand and sat next to her. So close, I was startled to see she wasn't wearing any make-up. I'd never seen her without any make-up, even in the earliest of mornings. This detail was something she was always meticulous about, and it was the evening of a day. Why didn't she have on any make-up? It made the chills in my bones freeze into my blood. The way she was looking at me. It made my heart stop beating.

"What- what is it?" I whispered, terrified. Completely in fear.

She sniffled again, and her face collapsed. 

"Baby, I don't know how to tell you this. I know how much she means to you. I'm so sorry..." Her tears were rolling freely down her face, and she clasped her hand with mine, cradling it on the bed. 

"'How much she means to me'..." I felt these words around in my mouth as they combed through my brain, trying to make sense of them. Who knew Miss Cha Cha who knew me? And then... I gasped, my hand ripping away from Miss Cha Cha's as both of them collided with my face, going over my mouth. 

Miss Cha Cha started to speak in quick rhythm, words I never expected to hear from her or anyone. "Baby, Georgina had a stroke. We don't know why. The doctor said she's had three of them, this one included. This one affected her brain stem, altering her speech and some other things. We don't know to what extent it damaged, but it did. She's in the hospital now. Wanted me to go home. Wouldn't let me not go home. I think she wanted me to sleep. She's- she's so kind, you know? Even with this, she's so kind. And she was so scared. She was so scared, but she was still thinking about me first. I don't understand why..." she burst into tears, the high yowl sound like a whining siren came from her throat as she just lost it, "I don't...understand...why this happens to good- good people..."

I couldn't move. I couldn't- why? Why was this happening? What-

I was pulled forward so quickly the air left my body, but I didn't care because Miss Cha Cha was hugging me, her body rocking with mine. Conflicting emotions, conflicting words filled my head but I could do none of them. Silent tears fell down my face, telling everything anyway. 

She began rapidly speaking over my shoulder, babbly words. "I need to get the house ready. I- I need to remove anything loose from the floor that could be tripped over. No more potted plants on the floor, don't leave your purse on the floor, please. I need to w- weight the tables and chairs down so if she grabs them to right herself she doesn't f- fall, I need to-"

"What?" This came out in a squeak. My eyes pinched closed as fresh tears wet all around my lids. 

"She's coming here, so I need to get the house ready. I don't know when she's coming here, so I have to be fast and-"

"She's coming here?!" I didn't mean to say it so loudly into her ear, but what was she saying?

"Yeah. She can't stay in her apartment like that. She needs me. She wouldn't let me go. She needs me to help her now, so I need to..." Through her high pitched sobs she seemed to be telling me impossible words. Was this real? Was any of this real?

Was I having a nightmare? I needed to wake up right now.

"Where is she going to sleep? Not the couch?" 

"No, baby. Not the couch. She'll have my bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

"But what is she going to do? Is she going to get better? What about-" The idea of her staying here was descending over me, making me wonder about what was going to happen. What was going to happen?

"I don't know. I don't knooow. But she can't be alone. She'll stay with me. She has to. I can't let her be alone! I love her!" The last three words were so desperate they were like a clawed hand over my heart, wrenching it out of my chest so fast.

I trembled. I'd never heard Miss Cha Cha say something so honest, so raw. She started to sob with abandon now, her arms tightening around me, starting to rock me back and forth. I was in complete shock. I couldn't believe it.

I offered the only thing I could as a response. "I love her, too. I'll help her, too. Both me and Ambrose will. We'll do whatever it takes." I promised this with all of myself, and I hoped she knew that.

She nodded into my shoulder and let out the high pitched whine, one I was now physically feeling in my body as it resonated against my ribs, turning my spine to ice and resting there. My eyes stared to the dark corners of the room, and it was like we were in a dark corner ourselves.

There was no telling what was going to happen. Nowhere to turn. 

Georgina. What was she thinking right now? Was she sleeping right now? I hoped so hard that she was sleeping peacefully in a warm bed. The elegant woman I had known, with the kind small smile like a true Queen, giving me quiet advice and sharing teas that cured my coughs and my soul. Was she still that person? 

As Miss Cha Cha cried on my shoulder, fear took over me too much for tears.