The Summary of Human Existence (Chapter 9)

# Chapter Nine

Ruth

Cold water seeps through my fingers from the rag. It’s not really a rag, though. Just a scrap of an old men’s shirt. It was before I started cleaning, anyway. I let out a sigh as I finish scrubbing the floor. I stand and drop the rag back in the bucket that had once been full with hot water warmed from a fire. No soap, though. Soap here is reserved for washing yourself and the dishes only.

Since I now ‘live’ here, I’ve been assigned a job. Everyone has one, for example, Iris is a medical assistant, and Eveyln is a soldier. Me, I’m a maid. I clean the cabins or whatever else. Today, I’ve been sent to clean an old cabin because we’re getting a new refugee today. Two, actually.

I move to one of the beds and strip it bare, dust rising and lingering in the air. Jeez, when was the last time the place was used? I shake the sheets and I’m slipping them back on the mattress when the door creaks open. I look up to see a pale scrawny boy with curls of red hair falling over his thin face. He wore an oversized trench coat and brown jeans. Tan sneakers peaked out from underneath the muddy hem of the jeans. “Um…hey..I’m Rusty.” He says.

I smooth out the wrinkles in the sheet and lean down to pick up a pillow. “You must be the new refugee.”

“Uh….yeah.” He scratches his hair. “Who are you, exactly?”

“Maid,” I reply simply. Now for the cover-I sigh. He looks so pathetic. Why did he have to? It’d be so much easier to ignore him. “Name’s Ruth.” I told him. Finished with that bed, I move on to the one next to it. “Isn’t there supposed to be a second one with you?”

He frowns. “Yeah…my sister. She was tested positive for Radiation Disease upon entry.” His voice broke on the word positive. I frown. Radiation Disease-the term they used for the Red Plague.

A series of words flashed through my brain-Len. Sister. Red. Disease. Plague. Entry. Positive. Immune.

I almost drop the pillow back on the ground as Len’s face flashes before my eyes-wide amber eyes, shiny blond hair, slim nose.

I clench my jaw. “I’m sorry.” I finish the rest of the beds and leave without another word to him, for I fear what I would see in his face would match my insides.

As I leave, I see Lynna, and she races up to me. “Ruth!” She exclaims. “Hey! How are you?”

“You’re chipper,” I tell her instead.

She laughs. “I’m excited. The travelers are coming back today!”

“Travelers?”

“Yes. They travel the world to see what’s going on. They also manage other refugee camps we’ve set up, or trade with other ones. I have a few friends coming back. That’s why I’m excited.”

“Oh.” I say, trying to sound happy for her. But I’m feeling left out. I wish I had friends. In L.A, the way we lived…there was no time for friends.

“In fact,” She says wonderingly, “They should be back by now. Let’s go see them!” She skips off towards a tent near the medic tent. I follow her quickly.

As we reach the tent, a couple walks out, their faces lighting when they see Lynna. “Lynna!” The young woman cries as she jogs over to her. They embrace tightly. “Isabella,” Lynna says. “I missed you!”

“As did I,” Isabella replies. She speaks with a Spanish accent, and looks mexican. I should know-I’m mexican-american, coming from a long line of Mexicans and immigrants.

Isabella turns her dark eyes over to me. “You must be Ruth.”

I cross my arms defensively. “Yes.”

“I am Isabella, as I’m sure you’ve figured out.” She laughs joyfully, then gestures to the young man, who’s tall, blond, and tan. “And this is Darcy.”

“How was Australia?” Lynna askes.

“Oh, it was great,” Isabella says. “We even found a small village that’s been untouched by-”

Without meaning to, I blurt out: “What’s Australia?” I clap my hand around my mouth. “Sorry.” I mumble. What’s wrong with me?

But Isabella only smiles. “It’s a country far south. Before the war, the country was one of the least densely populated in the world.”

A lightbulb clicks in my head. “So, less radiation? Less…Radiation Disease?” My tongue stumbles over their name for the illness, but I manage. I am always so tempted to say Red Plague. It just makes so much more sense.

Isabella’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s right! You see, My job is a Pilot. Only instead of flying planes, I lead teams to go check up on what the rest of the world is up to, basically.”

“Isabella is one of the best pilots!” Lynna praises, elbowing me playfully.

Darcy grins and wraps an arm around Isabella’s thin waist. Isabella rolls her eyes, then sizes me up. I am wondering if I should run away when she says, “Tell you what. You seem like you’d make a great passenger-part of my team. Tomorrow afternoon, go to the Entrance Tent marked 3B. Me and Darcy will be there; let’s see if we can get you trained.”

Something stirs inside of me. “When…can I even do that? I mean, I just got here last week.”

She nods. “Of course! I see no reason why you wouldn’t be.”

“Okay,” I whisper excitedly.

The only thing I think about is maybe I’ll get the chance to go back to the hellhole I climbed out of.

↻

Dinner. It’s vegetable soup, and the night settles on to it like it’s the sun setting. The old woman hands me the bowl silently, but as I reach for a roll she says, “ ‘Tis a fine evening, is it not?”

I shrug. In my life? It may be pretty but it is not fine. I find myself answering truthfully, “Not for me. This isn’t home.”

I look up at her, and I’m surprised to find her eyes warm and cloudy gray, staring straight at me. A moment passes, then she replies, “Well, you should find one, then shouldn’t you?” She winks and beckons to the person next to me. I grab an apple and rush off, my insides turning over. Who does she think is? Talking to me like that? My home was gone. I had no home here; no home in L.A. I’d grown up without one, and I would die without one.

I almost ran into Rusty. He barely manages to dodge me. “Oh. Sorry.” I apologize.

He ran a hand through his carrot hair. “No problem..Ruth, right?”

I nod, then realize he has no food. I frown. “Where’s your dinner?”

“I don’t know how to get it,” He admits, and blushes.

I roll my eyes, and I know that’s rude, but I don’t care right now. I hand him my food. “Here. I’m not hungry, anyways.”

“Really?” He asks. “Gee..thanks. Thanks a lot.”

“Whatever.” I start to head over to Oliver and Lynna at our spot, then groan inwardly when the thought of but where will he go? runs through my head. I turn back to him. “Well?” I say. “Are you coming?”

He trips over his large feet as jogs to catch up with me.

Lynna waves to Rusty. “You’re new.”

“He’s Rusty.” I introduce him.

“I’m Oliver, nice to meet you,” Oliver says, saluting him.

“Lynna Jones.” Lynna says, jumping into the name game as well.

“Jones-? You mean-” Rusty begins then stops himself. “Sorry, that’s rude.”

Lynna shakes her head. “Well, you're right. I am indeed Mister Jones’s daughter.”

“O-oh. Okay.” Rusty sits and takes a bite of the soup, which brings attention to the fact that I don’t have any food. “Ruth, where’s your dinner?” says Lynna.

“Not hungry.” is all I reply, closing my eyes as Mamá’s voice echoes in my brain: “*Here. Have my food. You need strength.”*

*“No, Mamá. You need strength, too!”*

*“Hey! What’s with all this talking? Stop it now!”*

*“Hey-stop it-what-ow!”*