Ronnie arrived just as the nurse finished checking Rose’s vitals. As expected, the young woman’s face showed the pain that the drugs could not completely erase. “Hey you,” she said softly, drawing Rose’s attention from the nurse to her.
“Hi,” the blonde woman smiled. “Looks like the snow got you.”
“Just a little,” Ronnie replied, brushing the melting flakes off her dark hair and the shoulders of her soft brown jacket. “Should I come back in a little while?”
“I’m almost done,” the nurse said without looking up from her task. She stood and made several notations on Rose’s chart. “There. All finished for now.” She peeled the latex gloves off into the red waste container. “Doctor Barnes will be in to see you in a little while,” she said before leaving the two women alone.
Curiosity won out the instant they were alone. Ronnie pulled the envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Rose. “Here’s your mail.”
The smile that had been on the young woman’s face melted at the sight of the writing on the envelope. She opened it and read the words written on spiral bound notebook paper while Ronnie set her attache down on the floor and hung her coat over the back of the chair before taking her usual seat next to the bed. Rose was quiet as she finished reading the letter and put it back into the envelope. “Could you do me a favor and bring me my checkbook tomorrow?”
“Is something wrong? Anything I can help with?”
“No, it’s just something I have to take care of.” She could not bring herself to meet the piercing blue eyes looking at her. “I hate to ask, but could you spare an envelope and a stamp too?”
“Of course, Rose,” Ronnie replied, still dying with curiosity about the contents of the letter.
“Look…if you have a debt that you need help paying…” She regretted the words instantly, thinking that her new friend would be offended.
“No, it’s not that. It’s from someone I used to live with.” Rose’s head never lifted up and her whole mannerism changed, withdrawing into herself.
“A boyfriend?”
“A foster mother. I lived with her for about two years. She took care of me when no one else would.” The blonde woman’s shoulders slumped and she let out a defeated sigh. “She’s had a hard time since the state took away all the kids she was caring for. You don’t want to hear about this,” she said, giving her new friend a way out if she wanted it.
“Sure I do,” Ronnie said, reaching over to clasp the smaller hand within her own. “That letter seemed to really bother you. Care to share?” She expected Rose to elaborate a little about Delores but was surprised to find the letter pushed into her hand.
“I think that will pretty much explain everything.”
Ronnie looked at Rose before opening the envelope and reading the letter.
Rose,
I haven’t heard from you for a while. Things are really hard here. I can barely keep a roof over my head much less anything else. The idiots at social services don’t understand nothing I tell them. I know your busy with your life and don’t have time for an old lady like me but you have to remember that I took care of you when no one else would. I opened my home to you, gave you food and made sure you got to go to school. You’ve been good about trying to help me but I really need more than what you’ve been sending. You know it costs a lot to feed someone else’s kid. Without me you would have starved. I was there when you needed someone to take care of you. I’ll be looking forward to whatever pit…pittnce…whatever little amount you can send me.
Your auntie Delores
Ronnie folded the note back up and shoved it into the envelope, trying to keep her temper in check, which was quickly becoming hard to do. Setting the envelope down on the bed tray, she gripped the side rails of the bed so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She took several breaths to try and calm down before feeling green eyes looking at her expectantly. “You don’t owe her, Rose,” she said through gritted teeth, unable to bring her head up to meet the gaze.
“I feel like I do,” the young woman said sadly. “When I was living with her, there were four of us. She always made it clear that the state didn’t give her enough to take care of us.”
“Bullshit.” Ronnie stormed out of her seat and went to the window, looking out at the light snow falling. “I have no right to tell you what to do with your money, Rose, but she’s just using you, playing on your sympathy. As long as you keep giving her money, money that you can’t afford to spare, she’ll just keep coming back for more.” She turned to look at the young woman. “Did she once thank you for the money you’ve sent so far? No, she just said that you needed to send more. She is guilting you into giving her money. Whatever debt you think you owe her, it’s been paid long ago. Now she’s just sucking you dry.” Not wanting to upset Rose any more than she was, Ronnie returned to her seat and lowered her voice, “Not once did she ask how you were doing, not even one kind word. That letter was nothing more than ‘send me money’. You don’t deserve to have your kindness taken advantage of like that, Rose. You’re too good a person to be treated like that.”
“She’s the closest thing I have to family,” the young woman protested, albeit weakly. She had never shared this problem with anyone else before and was surprised to see her friend’s reaction. Rose had heard for so long about how she owed Delores for taking care of her that she believed it to be a debt that she would never be able to repay, regardless of her personal feelings about it. To have someone voice the feelings that had been buried deep inside her was something she did not expect.
“You don’t need family like that. You deserve better,” Ronnie said. She gave a resigned sigh. “I told you I would bring you your checkbook and I will. I’ll also bring you the stamp and envelope but I really wish you’d think about this before you send her any more money.” She reached out and took Rose’s hand in her own. “Promise me that you’ll give this some thought first, okay?”
“Okay,” the young woman replied, drawing a smile from Ronnie. “Let’s talk about something else instead, okay?”
“Sure, name it.”
“Why don’t you tell me about your family? I’d love to hear about them.”
“It’s not as interesting as you might think.” Ronnie was going to try and worm her way out of it but the expectant look on Rose’s face changed her mind. “All right, but I’ll warn you, it’s pretty boring.” She shifted in her seat, wishing she had worn jeans instead of her dress slacks. “I’m the oldest of three. There’s me, Susan, and Tommy. Susan is the complete opposite of me. She runs Cartwright Insurance. She’s married to Jack; he’s a lawyer downtown.” She grinned as if sharing some big secret. “Susan wears more makeup than Tammy Faye Baker and she thinks she’s a knockout. But she can add numbers in her head faster than a calculator and brought the insurance division up from average earnings to being one of our leading revenue producers. I have to warn you though, don’t ever let her catch you alone at a party. My sister is the biggest gatherer of gossip and information in the state. Once she gets hold of you she won’t let go until she knows everything down to your blood type.”
“What about your brother?” Rose asked, watching as the smile left Ronnie’s face.