The Quest

The Quest

Gail D Prentice

Homeless, cold, and in desperate need of a bath, Ruby sat on the street corner holding her crudely crafted cardboard sign. The frigid cold drizzle on this particular overcast day had her twelve-year old body soaked and cold to the bone.

As people passed by on the sidewalk, they moved away from her as far as they could and refused to even glance at her. Cars drove by and the occupants stared straight ahead. I guess that makes it better for them, she thought. At least if they do not look me in the eyes, it salves their conscious and they don’t feel guilty for not helping.

This was Ruby’s spot. Her father used to stand in that same spot until he was killed by a stray bullet of a drive by shooter. On that day, Ruby ran to her father’s side as he slipped into eternity. His last words were, “Run Ruby. Get out of here,” and then he was gone.

She did run. She ran about one mile down several streets, zigzagging around the corners to disappear as she was instructed. Tears blurring her vision as she remembered her father die in her arms.

The best places on the popular streets were already taken and other homeless people would often violently chase her off. She had taken up her vigil on a different corner in town as she pleaded for money, clothing, or food. It was not a busy street, and the contributors were nearly as poor as she was. However, it wasn’t working here, so she decided to go back to the familiar corner where her life had been changed forever.

As she sat on the sidewalk motionless where her father had died on that cold and miserable day, stepping out in front of a passing car were vexing her thoughts. How can people be so thoughtless and uncaring? How can people be so greedy and selfish? Can’t they see that I am a helpless, homeless, and a terrified girl? Ending her life seemed like a satisfying option yet a terrifying option at the same time.

A man walked by as if she were invisible. His pace never changed as he turned the corner down Vallejo Street and disappeared. A car stopped at the stop sign and paused a little longer than usual but then pulled away quicker than normal. The occupants were busy on their cell phones and she was oblivious to them.

Twenty minutes later, the man that had ignored her came back around her corner and stopped behind her and cleared his throat.

“Ahem,” he began. “I thought that you might like a better coat on this rather nasty day.” He handed her a genuinely nice, warm, weatherproof hooded coat and without another word, strolled away, back down Vallejo Street.

Ruby quickly removed her tattered thin jacket and donned the new addition to her wardrobe. The warmth was amazing and soothing to the shivering body. He had left so quickly that she did not even have the chance to thank him for his generosity.

Basking in the new warmth, a young girl walked over to her and gave her the fifty cents her mother had given her for the occasion.

“Why, thank you,” Ruby said gratefully, with a broad smile. “Tell your mother thank you also.”

“Mommy,” the young girl squealed joyfully, “She said thank you.”

The mother smiled kindly and walked quietly away, hand-in-hand with her daughter.

Today had been an unusually slow day. Not many pedestrians on the sidewalk, and it seemed that there were even fewer vehicles than normal. She surmised it was because of the miserable weather conditions.

An elderly lady came down the sidewalk with her cane clicking on the wet cement. She stopped at the corner where Ruby sat. She didn’t say a word. She just looked at Ruby with tears in her eyes.

“Honey,” she finally broke the silence. “I have seen you here for about two years. I saw what happened with your dad. It broke my heart to see such a pretty young lady as yourself to be in such a situation. I wanted to help you then, but you ran off and I didn’t know where you had gone. But” she smiled kindly, “Here you are now, and I want you to have this.”

She handed Ruby a small black book about the size of a passport. Ruby had seen a passport before hanging around the neck of foreigners that stopped by to take her photograph.

“What is it?” Ruby quizzed the older woman.

“This is a bit of help that should assist you in your life.” The elderly woman stepped from the curb and proceeded to cross the street without another word.

“Thank you,” Ruby called out, still not knowing what she had received.

Ruby sat down on the base of the light pole and opened the black book to view what was inside.

Taped to the inside of the cover was two keys. One looked like a key to a door of some kind. The other key was different than any key she had ever seen in her life.

The book only had eight pages in it. On one page was an address and instructions of what to do at that address, the rest of the pages were blank.

A quest, she mused. But she was bewildered and still hungry. Fifty cents does not buy food.

A loud four-wheel drive diesel pickup truck stopped at the stop sign. The passenger rolled down the window and held out a card.

Ruby stood and walked to the truck and took the card from the man handing it out the window. As soon as she had it in her hand, the truck drove off without a word from the man.

She looked at the card and saw it was a gift card from the fast-food restaurant down the street. She smiled and quickly walked to the restaurant.

As she sat in the warmth of the booth, she studied the little black book. There was an address, and it was only twelve blocks away from the restaurant.

4591 Mesa Street. Ask the woman of the house for help. Were the instructions on page one, so off to Mesa Street Ruby headed. With a full stomach and a new warm coat, the stroll was most enjoyable.

As she knocked on the door, a middle-aged woman answered. “Hello.”

Ruby looked at the book and repeated the words exactly as they were written. “I am here to request the assistance of Mrs. Eakles, pronounced Ek-els.”

The woman that opened the door grew pale in the face and responded, “Please come in. I didn’t know who or even when you would come by. I am so glad that you did.

“Please take a seat. Would you like something to drink or eat?”

“No thank you,” Ruby answered politely. “I just finished breakfast about half an hour ago.”

The lady of the house picked up the phone and dialed. She spoke softly. When she hung up, she said, “The driver will be here in about an hour. What is your name, honey?”

“Ruby. Ruby Olivia Gotlieb.”

They sat in the living room and made small talk until a man walked in dressed like a chauffeur.

“I have had this for years. My mother gave it to me before she passed away an told me that one day someone would come by to get it,” the lady explained as she gave a small package to Ruby. “I do not know what it is, but I know that it is yours now.”

Ruby took the package and opened it. Inside was an exquisite diamond ring and a piece of paper with another address on it.

216 Grand Street. Ask for Mr. Foley and show him the ring. Your driver will take you, were the instruction written on the note.

“Carl, would you take Ruby to wherever she needs to go, please?” the lady asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

As the driver and Ruby left the house, tears flowed from the woman’s eyes and she had no idea why. Maybe it was the relief that she no longer had to keep that unknown package anymore, or it could have been that she knew in her heart that a great destiny had come to a young girl.

At 216 Grand, Ruby knocked on the door and asked for Mr. Foley. 216 Grand was not a home but rather the side door to a business. Mr. Foley came to the door and Ruby produced the ring to show him.

A look of relief and excitement spread across Mr. Foley’s face. “Come right in, young lady. I have been waiting for forty-five years for you.”

“Forty-five…what?” Ruby started. “I am only twelve.”

“That might be, but this has been waiting for you all this time. Take a seat here,” Mr. Foley said as he pointed to a luxuriously upholstered seat at a desk.

“The ring that you have is the wedding ring of your great grandmother. Because you have it now, means that you are ready to take your spot in her legacy.” He began to explain. “Did you receive anything else?”

“A lady gave me this little black book. It has two keys taped on the inside. Do you know what it is about?” Ruby asked.

“I do,” Mr. Foley leaned back in his own plush chair. “It means that we have to open one door that has not been opened for twenty-five years and inside that room is a box awaiting the other key that you have. I have never been in that room, I just know what to do.”

May I ask you what your name is?”

“Ruby. Ruby Olivia Gotlieb.”

Mr. Foley smiled. “Olivia was your great grandmother’s name. Olivia Ruby Winston.”

Mr. Foley stood and motioned for Ruby to follow him to the door on the other side of the room.

Ruby opened the book and held it out to Mr. Foley to take the key of his choice.

“Miss Ruby, this is yours to do. Open the door with this key,” he pointed.

Ruby took the key that looked like a house key and put it in the lock and turned it. After a loud click of the tumblers, the door handle was free to turn.

She opened the door and lights automatically turned on, illuminating an empty room with a single table in it with a locked box on the table.

Mr. Foley and Ruby entered the room and strolled to the table. They stood there for a moment and stared at the box as if it were either going to unlock a ghost or something even more sinister.

Ruby inserted the next key and turned it carefully. Again, tumblers clicked. She removed the key and laid it on the table quietly. She gingerly placed both hands on the lid and started to open it.

Inside the box were two ten-thousand-dollar bills. Each of these bills were pristine Federal Reserve Notes. Also, inside the box was a letter sealed in an envelope.

“Ruby,” Mr. Foley started his voice shaking. “These two bills may say that there is $20,000 in here, but the value of these bills is in excess of $150,000 each. I have never in my life seen a bill like this. In fact, very few people in America have ever seen one.”

Ruby stood there speechless. “Who is Olivia Ruby Winston? How… Why… Why me?”

“You are the last in the family. It is now yours to continue the legacy of Olivia Ruby Winston. I believe that inside this envelope will be all of the answers to your questions.”