Ruby (Landry 1)

concluded.

"I hope you will be ready soon, Lyle." "I'll give you a boost up. Come on, before we're

missed," he said, cupping his hands together for my

foot.

"I wish you would come with me, Lyle," I said,

and put my foot into his hands. He lifted and I

clutched at the windowsill to pull myself up. Just as

he described, the latch opened easily and I slid the

window to the left. I looked down at him.

"Go on," he coached.

"Thank you, Lyle. I know how hard it was for

you to do this."

"No it wasn't," he confessed. "I wanted to help

you. Go on."

I started to crawl through the window, looking around as I did so to be sure no one was nearby. Across the lawn was a small patch of trees and beyond that, the main highway. Once I was out, I

turned and looked back in at him.

"Do you know where to go from here?" he

asked me.

"No, but I just want to get away."

"Go south. There's a bus stop there and the bus

will take you back to New Orleans. Here," he said,

digging into his pants pocket and coming up with a

fistful of money. "I don't need this in here."

He handed me the bills.

"Thank you, Lyle."

"Be careful. Don't look suspicious. Smile at

people. Act like you're just on an afternoon outing,"

he advised, telling me things I was sure he had recited

to himself a hundred times in vain.

"I'll be back to visit you someday, Lyle. I