Disdain to Desire

She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first and her head throbbed. She scanned her surroundings and realization dawned on her. She's in a hospital ward. How did she get here? She shut her eyes tight and tried recalling the previous events.

Ruth was at home preparing for her parents' return. The phone rang. Ruth knew it was bad news before she even picked it up. She could feel it in her bones. She had a nightmare about her parents and had warned them not to come home today, but her parents shrugged it off and told her to pray about it. When she heard the voice on the other end of the line, her heart sank. It was the hospital, calling to tell her that her parents had been in a car accident. She left what she was doing and quickly ran to the hospital to be met with the news of her parent's death. She had run out of the hospital devastated by the news. She kept running with tears flowing from her eyes making her vision blurry. She had no idea where she was going but she didn't want to stop. Suddenly, she tripped over something and slumped to the ground. She saw a figure hover above her before she blacked out.

Ruth flung her eyes open as she remembers the recent events that landed her in the hospital. Her parent's death. She immediately stood up from the bed and headed straight for the door. She stopped mid ways when the door opened and a doctor walked in. She rushed to him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Where are my parents?" She screamed at his face, shaking him vehemently.

"Ma'am, please get a hold of yourself. They're no more" the doctor said calmly.

Ruth slowly loosen her grip on the doctor and took a few steps back. She placed a hand on her mouth trying to hold back the tears.

The doctor walked towards her "Ma'am, do you have any family members we can contact?" But Ruth couldn't answer.

"I'm her family," a voice said. Ruth looked in the direction of the voice and saw her father's friend, Fred Sinclair. She stood up and rushed to him.

"He...was saying that...my...my...parents...are de...ad" Ruth said between hiccups.

Fred moved close to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ruth hugged him crying bitterly.

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Ruth sat by the window, watching the sunset. Her parents had just been buried. They were always so happy, so full of life. She couldn't imagine a world without them. But then the phone rang, and everything changed.

Ruth didn't realize she was already in tears until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Fred handing her a handkerchief. She gently took it and wiped her tears.

Fred Sinclair was her father's friend. Her father had told her that they went to the same college and were even roommates. Ruth has always seen him visit sometimes but has never known his family or where he is from. She only knew he lived in Massachusetts.

"I'm so sorry about your loss Ruth," Fred said. Ruth replied with a nod while still sniffing. "I want you to know I'll always be here with you if you ever need any help. Your father was a very good man to me" Fred said as his voice slowly dropped. He was also trying to hide his sadness. "I'll be staying in a hotel for the meantime but I'll come to check up on you every day" Fred stood up and made for the door. He turned back and said "You'll get through this girl" with which he opened the door and left.

Ruth felt lonelier than ever. She gently sobbed while reminiscing the memories of her parents. She stood up and walked into her parent's room. She lay on their bed, her gaze fixated on the ceiling. Numerous thoughts ran through her mind. How will she survive alone? She had no friends and none of their relatives were willing to help. Not like she knew most of them, just her paternal uncle who is currently in jail for embezzling money. Her boyfriend recently broke up with her. Realizing she had no one left, she thought of the best option to get out of the situation. Suicide. She stood up and went to grab a bottle of insecticide. She took some portion of it and started having difficulty breathing. Tears flowed through her eyes as her vision blurred. She heard someone scream her name before blacking out.

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Fred had forgotten his wallet in the washroom together with his phone. He had realized soon enough and came back to get it. He had seen Ruth raise a bottle to drink. He realized too late that it was poison she took. He saw her slumped to the floor and screamed. He quickly carried her to the car and rushed her to the hospital.

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Fred stood outside the operating theater praying for Ruth's surgery to be a success. The doctors had said they needed to operate on her as soon as possible before the poison started to spread to the rest of her system. Fred agreed immediately and Ruth was taken into the operating theater. It has been 4 hours since she was taken inside and the door hasn't been opened.

A few minutes later, one of the doctors came out.

"Mr. Fred, can I see you in my office?"

"Sure," Fred replied.

As they got into the office the doctor said "The operation was a success. We were able to get the poison out of her system before it spread through her system"

Fred heaved a sigh of relief.

"Can I see her now?" He asked

"Of course. She has been moved to the ward right beside the operating theater on the left side"

"Thank you so much doctor," Fred said and made to leave.

"Mr. Fred, I called you in here to discuss a matter with you"

"What is it?" Fred asked.

"It's about the patient. I think she is suffering from PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. It's a condition that occurs after experiencing a tragic loss. The patient just lost the two people closest to her. I advise she should not be left alone at this critical time as she might want to hurt herself. She should be surrounded by family"

"Thank you, doctor. I perfectly understand that. I'll make sure she's never left alone"

"You're welcome. You can go see her now" the doctor said.

"Will do that" With that Fred left the doctor's office

Fred slowly walked into the ward. Ruth was still sleeping. He stood beside her bed watching her sleep peacefully. The doctor's words echoed in his mind. "She could hurt herself". He would have disagreed with the doctor if he hadn't witnessed it himself. He knows this moment is tragic for her having lost the two people closest to her. He would have loved to stay with her but he also had his own family. His son especially is also going through a tough time and needs his attention.

Torn between his own family and his late friend's only survivor. He made a decision that seemed to be the best at that moment. He knew it was not going to be easy but he'd still give it a shot. He stood up and left the room in order to get some food Incase she woke up.

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Ruth slowly opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. She realized she was in a hospital ward. For the second time. She groaned frustratedly. Her eyes went to the door as she heard it creak open. She tried sitting up but her belly hurts. She groaned painfully. Fred rushed to her side and helped her sit up. He gave her some food. Soon enough, the nurse came in and gave her some medicine. She took them and soon went back to sleep.

Ruth was discharged after two days in the hospital. Fred was given strict instructions not to let her be by herself.

Fred was still fidgeting with himself about how to tell Ruth his plan. He didn't want to take any chances by leaving her all alone in California with no supervision. His friend will never forgive him if anything was to happen to Ruth. He was preparing some milk for her while she laid on the couch. Fred emerged from the kitchen and met Ruth staring blankly at the ceiling. She sat straight when she heard him clear his throat. Fred handed her the glass and watched her take some sips. He sat down and cleared his throat again.

"Ruth there's something I will like you to know" Ruth tilted her head up to listen to him. "I will be leaving for Massachusetts soon. And I'd really like it if..." he cleared his throat again "The doctor advised you shouldn't be left alone so as not to repeat what happened. So I'd like it if you'd consider coming with me to Massachusetts" He paused scanning Ruth's face for an answer but her face held no emotion whatsoever.

"It would be good for your health. You will have people around you, you won't feel lonely. You would have a fresh start. You'd..."

"I'll come with you," Ruth interrupted.

Fred looked at her. He didn't think it would be that easy.

"I have nobody here anyway so leaving won't make a difference" she added.

Fred nodded and stood up.

"I'll make preparations for us to leave soon. Will tomorrow be good?"

"I want to leave now if possible," Ruth said, tearing up a bit.

Fred walked towards her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder while she sobbed gently. He understood she was so desperate not to feel sad "We'll leave tomorrow morning. Get some rest now," he said before going to make a call. After making sure he clearly tucked the poison bottle and every other harmful material away, he went to bed.

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Ruth was surprised when they were led to the private jet section at the airport. Was Mr. Fred that rich? She had heard tales about him from her father a couple of times about how rich the Sinclairs are, she never believed they were this rich.

After a ride of 5 hours and a few minutes, they arrived at their destination. Fred told the driver to take Ruth to the mansion and show her to her room. He had to leave as he had some important things to take care of.

Ruth marveled at the beauty of the Sinclair mansion. The outside view was breathtaking. The expansive mansion was a stunning sight to behold, with its towering columns, sweeping staircase, and numerous balconies overlooking the rolling hills. The fountain was captivating but she didn't have enough time to marvel at it because the bodyguards were walking briskly. She almost broke into a run in order to keep up with their pace. The interior of the house was something else. It has golden stairs, a giant fireplace, and a luxurious dining hall. The hallway, decorated with the finest artificial flowers, seems endless. For a second, Ruth thought she was in a royal castle. "No, a royal castle has got nothing on this one.", she said out loud.

While she was walking absentmindedly, she accidentally bumped into something. It was a hard surface. She took a few steps back and tilted her head upwards. She realized that the something she bumped into was actually someone. A man. Her gaze was met with a pair of deep blue ocean eyes. She felt she could drown in those eyes and found herself almost drooling. He looked so handsome, like a prince out of some fairytale. Oh heavens, those eyes again! She could look at them all day long.

"Snap out of it" she heard a deep voice say harshly. She immediately recollected herself and stared at her feet. "I'm...so sorry" she stuttered. The man just brushed past her harshly and walked away.

'So rude,' Ruth thought to herself.

"This way ma'am" she heard one of the bodyguards motion to her. She nodded slightly and followed immediately.

She was led into a room and given the key. She was left stunned. Beautiful will be an understatement if used to describe this room. It was beyond beautiful. She stood still admiring the room and taking in all the necessary information when she heard a voice, "You're here". She quickly muttered a silent prayer, "Dear God, let it be someone my age and not as grumpy as the man I met in the hallway".

She turned abruptly to see a girl around her age standing arms akimbo.

"You're here". Ruth turned to the direction of the voice to see a girl around her age standing with her arms crossed. The girl walked further into the room and soon got to Ruth.

"Hi I'm Ava" She extended her arm for a handshake.

"Ruth," Ruth said, accepting the handshake.

"So do you like the room?" Ava asked, smiling.

"It's lovely. Thank you." Ruth replied.

"I'm glad you liked it. I took extra time to design it. I don't know if you're a girly girl or just a girl so I chose white and black for the interior mixing both professional and casual"Ava gushed excitedly while advancing towards the bed. She sat down on it and tapped the empty space gently "Come sit"

Ruth walked towards her and sat down beside her.

Ava took her hand and said, "Listen, I'm so sorry about your parents. I know you must be feeling so much pain inside you".

Ruth hung her head low, her eyes getting teary.

"Listen, unlike everyone, I won't tell you not to grieve over them. You should cry out all the pain inside you. The only good thing is you should always have someone by you. Cry out if you want to"

With that Ruth burst into tears and Ava hugged her tight. She felt relieved after a while of crying.

"Sorry, I ruined your dress. That's so stupid of me" Ruth chuckled softly.

"Oh this old thing, it's not a big deal. It's good you're feeling better now" Ava replied "Why don't you freshen up and we'll have a girl's talk later huh. I have a feeling we will be best of friends" they both burst out laughing.

Ruth stepped out of the washroom with a towel wrapped around her. She walked into the closet and saw all the dresses there. She figured Ava must have arranged them. Probably because Mr. Fred had informed her earlier about her visit. She checked through all the dresses figuring out which one to wear. But she only saw bright colors and they looked so girly. She hasn't always been a girly girl who loved bright stuff, she was more of a reserved person. She decided to look through her suitcase which she brought from home.

After a while of searching, she settled for blue jeans and a white short sleeve top. She got dressed and lay on the bed waiting for Ava's or anyone's arrival. She was starting to get bored so she decided to take a walk. She slightly opened her door and stepped out of her room looking north and south. She stood outside her room deciding which way to go. She turned left but decided against it and turned right where she was instantly hit in the face by a hard surface. For the second time. She gently rubbed her forehead and took some steps back.

"Are you always this clumsy?" She heard a deep voice. She looked up and locked eyes with the same ocean-blue eyes as she did before. Before she could reply she heard Ava's voice.

"Don't be so hard on her Ethan. She just got here"

The man turned to Ava and said "And she has started ruining things almost immediately". With that, he brushed past her.

"That's my brother, Ethan," Ruth nodded.

"He's always been like that, don't think about what he said," Ava explained. "Come let me show you around"

Ruth followed.

Ava showed Ruth all parts of the mansion but the part Ruth loved most was the garden. It was a sight to behold. It is the most beautiful part of the house. It gives a sense of relief from stress and has a calm scene. It's filled with abundant colorful flowers which makes it very beautiful. It even has a swing. Ava saw that Ruth was looking at the swing, and she asked "Do you wanna go there?"

Ruth turned to her "Actually, my father and I used to swing in our mini garden back home. Just looking at the swing reminds me of him" She chuckled slightly.

"So then do you want to swing?" Ava asked again looking her in the eye.

"I'm not sure I should," Ruth replied.

"I won't force you to. It's okay."

Ruth's stomach growled.

Ava noticed this and said, "Let's go eat."

"Yeah."

They both walked back inside and met the family already seated at the dining table.

"Oh!" Fred said "I see you've already met Ava. Let me introduce you to the rest of my family"

Fred pointed to a middle-aged woman who smiled at Ruth "This is my wife"

The woman stood up and walked to Ruth "Hi I'm Marie" she extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you ma'am" Ruth replied.

"Come sit" Marie motioned to her.

They all sat at the dining table and the maid served the food. They were about to start eating when Ethan walked in heading towards the stairs.

"Ethan dear, come join us," Marie asked.

"No thanks," Ethan said ascending the stairs. Ruth followed him with her gaze expressionless. Fred noticed this and tried to change the topic.

"So Ruth, why don't you tell us about yourself? What do you do? Your hobbies and stuff?"

"I'm 23. I'm a college graduate and I'm still yet to find a job even though I'm looking to find one"

"What did you study in college?" Fred asked, raising the spoon to his mouth.

"Cyber security operations" Ruth responded.

"Hmm, that's great," Fred said.

"Fred, why don't you let the little girl enjoy her meal in peace? No talks at the dining" Marie scolded

"As you say, ma'am" Fred raised both his hands defensively and they all laughed.

Ruth enjoyed the small talk at the dining. She laughed her heart out. For a moment, she forgot about her grief. She felt like she was with family, again. She thought nothing can bring back her dead parents, she might as well be grateful for the new one the universe has sent her way. "I hope things remain like this for long," she thought to herself.