Ruby (Landry 1)

Please, let me talk to you and tell you what Daphne

did to me. I saw Uncle Jean, Daddy. I was with him.

Please," I begged. I continued to sob softly. Finally,

when he didn't open the door, I sank to the floor and

embraced myself, my shoulders heaving with my

deeper sobs. After all that had been done to me and

after my great effort to return, I was still shut out; Daphne was still victorious. I sucked in some air and let my head fall back against the door. Then I let it fall back again and again until finally the door was pulled

open and I looked up at Daddy:

His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled.

His shirt was out of his pants and his tie was loose. He

looked like he had slept in his clothes. He had an

unshaven face.

I struggled to my feet and ground the tears out

of my eyes quickly.

"Daddy, I must talk to you," I said. He threw

me a quick glance of deepest despair. Then his

shoulders slumped and he backed into the room to let

me enter.

The candles were nearly burned out around

Uncle Jean's pictures so the room was very dimly lit.

Daddy retreated to a chair by the pictures and sat

down. His face was shadowed and hidden in the

deepening gloom.

"What is it, Ruby?" he said, speaking as though

it took all of his strength to pronounce the four words.

I rushed to him and seized his hand, falling to my

knees at his feet.

"Daddy, she took me to the institution this

morning, supposedly to see Uncle Jean for his birthday, but when we get there, she had them lock me up. She tried to have them keep me there. It was

horrible, but a nice young man helped me escape." He raised his head and gazed at me with his sad