The Difference Between You and Me

Chapter 26

Annie sat on the balcony and stared out at the city, getting lost in all the life and energy she imagined it was currently bustling with. It was Saturday and Jason and Isabelle both were out of the house while Lilly and Ruth, she thought, were fast asleep which means she had a little bit of piece to herself.

But Ruth woke up a few minutes ago and was standing between the doorframe staring out at the city unbeknownst to Annie who sat in Ruth's old rocking chair with her back turned to the balcony door.

"Do you mind me asking. What is the whole story regarding your biological mother?" Ruth finally spoke up as she slowly made her way to stand beside Annie, breaking the silence and surprising Annie in the process.

"Goodness!" Annie chuckled. "How long have you been standing there? Better yet do you want to sit?" she asked Ruth

"Will you be sitting with me?" Ruth asked gently to which Annie smiled

"There's only room for one Ruth"

"I'm fine standing. So my question?" Ruth said changing the subject

"My mother gave me away," Annie told Ruth

"Did she say that?" Ruth asked

"No Trina and my dad told me," Annie answered

"When you visited them in Washington, did Katy tell you that she gave you away?" Ruth asked

"She told me that Trina and dad took me forcefully from her in DC and fled the country," Annie said

"But you didn't believe her," Ruth said

"I did Ruth, for a while. But I don't know what to believe anymore. She never did try to contact me," Annie said

"Did you ever think she may not have known how to contact you or the first place to look for you?" Ruth asked

"It just doesn't add up. My dad took me and ran off and you didn't make a complaint or try to find me?" Annie asked

"You have all these unanswered questions but yet you chose to only listen to one side of what supposedly happen and didn't think to as your mom?" Ruth said

Ammie went silent, thinking hard about what Ruth said.

"Looking back Ruth, I guess Trina had done such a good job at that time of being a maternal figure in my life that I didn't care much to know my mother," Annie said

"It also sounds to me like you were carrying around a grudge against her for giving you away yet keeping your sister. Which is probably the reason you didn't bother contacting them after you left. It seems to me as if you seeing them, your sister was some kind of closure to allow you to move on with your life, which you did".

Annie looked up into Ruth's soulful grey eyes for a while processing what she just said. She may be right or maybe there is just a lot more to it than meets the eyes. In any case she didn't know why and she would most likely have to think about it and actually figure out the reason she didn't keep in touch with her sister and mother.

"There's some truth to what you are saying Ruth. I guess you could say it was my mistake not to ask my mother about her side of the story or keep in touch with them. But more than anything they should be blamed for my behaviour and what has happened to me".

Ruth raised a single brow in question.

"Hold on, I don't think you have a right to say that if you haven't sat and listen to Katy's side. And besides, like you said firstly, it was your mistake too. Despite everything you should never blame anyone for your mistakes, they are yours own up to them. Because that's the only way you can learn from them. No one learns from other people's mistakes. Lessons you learn in life has to come from your mistakes but you have to first own up to them". She finished resting her hand on Annie's shoulder but instead of looking up at Ruth Annie simply placed her hand on Ruth's admitting to herself that Ruth was right.

"Thanks Ruth. I guess I have a lot to think about"

Ruth offered a closed-mouth smile but Annie couldn't see as she was focused on the view of the city below.

"You'll figure it out Annie. I know for sure," she said patting the spot on Annie's shoulder where she has her hand.

Silence settled for a while, both Ruth and Annie just finding comfort in each other's company, before Ruth realized it was almost dinner time.

"Well I have to go make dinner now", she said turning to leave

"How about I go make dinner and you sit here and relax?" Annie suggested

"I just woke up Annie," Ruth quipped

"And?" Annie questioned

Ruth tilted her head then sighed, "thank you Annie. It's lamb on the menu for today"

"Okay," Annie smiled, stood up from the chair disappeared through the balcony doors.

---

An hour later Annie was serving up lamb and sweet potato salad. The aroma must've reached every corner of the house because before she was finished setting the table Isabelle, Jason and Lilly came in sight and sat down.

"Look Isabelle, homeless cooked for us. So sweet," Jason piped up faking enthusiasm. But Annie ignored him.

"I'm gonna go call Ruth," she mumbled and left. Returning only a few minutes later gently guiding Ruth to her seat.

"What the hell is this?" Jason asked furiously whilst observing the piece of lamb on his fork.

Annie inhaled sharply but still managed to keep her voice steady as she spoke, "it's lamb, Jason, that's what Ruth said is supposed to be today's dinner".

"This isn't lamb Grandma, it tastes disgusting," Jason said shifting his attention to Ruth

"It's not even cooked properly", Isabelle said inspecting a piece of meat with her nose turned up. "Does that know you have a stranger trying to poison us?" Isabelle scoffed tossing the piece of lamb back on the plate.

Ruth looked from her plate to her grandchildren's fuming faces then turned to Lilly, "how is the food my dear?"

Lilly beamed up at Ruth, "it's delicious grandma". At that comment Ruth dug into her food and smiled.

"This is really good Annie," she said after swallowing the morsel and averted her gaze to Jason and Isabelle who took up their plates and scraped their food onto the hardwood floor.

"You may have my grandma fooled," Isabelle said ignoring Ruth's orders to pick up the mess, "and poor innocent Lilly but you don't have us fooled. Now clean up the mess will you", she spat and left the table with Jason who only stopped briefly to smirk at Annie.

Her eyes welled up with tears she couldn't stop from spilling out. Her hand quickly shot up to wipe her eyes when she felt Ruth squeezing her other hand comfortingly. She turned to her and tried to muster up the best smile she could, not wanting to make Ruth feel bad for or guilty about Isabelle's and Jason's behaviour.