Evelyn asked if Frank Bennett had known he had a child.
“I don’t know if he did or not.”
“He never saw her at all after she left Georgia?”
“Well, I cain’t say for a fact if he ever did or not, but one thing’s for sure, he came over to Whistle Stop at least once, and it may have been one time too may, as far as he was concerned.”
“Why do you say that?”
“ ‘Cause he was the one that was murdered.”
“Murdered!”
“Oh yes, honey. Deader than a doornail.”
SEPTEMBER 18, 1928
When Ruth had gone home that summer to marry, Frank Bennett and her mother had been at the station to meet her. Ruth had forgotten how handsome he was and how happy it had made her mother that she had made such an important catch.
Almost immediately, the parties started, and she tried to shut out any thoughts of Whistle Stop. But sometimes, in the middle of a crowd or alone at night, she never knew when it was going to happen, Idgie would suddenly come to mind, and she would want to see her so bad that the pain of longing for her sometimes took her breath away.
Whenever it happened, she would pray to God and beg Him to take such thoughts out of her head. She knew that she must be where she should be and doing the right thing. She would get over missing Idgie. Surely, He would help her … surely, this feeling would pass in time … with His help, she would make it pass.
She had gone to her wedding bed determined to be a good, loving wife, no matter what, holding nothing back. That’s why it had been such a shock when he had taken her with so much violence—almost as if he were punishing her. After he was finished, she lay there in her own blood and he got up and went into the other room to sleep. He never came back to her bed unless he wanted sex; and then, nine times out of ten, it had been because he was too drunk or too lazy to go into town.
Ruth couldn’t help but think that something inside of her had caused him to hate her; that somehow, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, Frank felt the love inside she had for Idgie. It had slipped out somehow, in her voice, her touch; she didn’t know how, but she believed he must have known and that’s why he despised her. So she had lived with that guilt and taken the beatings and the insults because she thought she deserved them.
The doctor came out of her mother’s room. “Mrs. Bennett, she’s started to talk a little, you might want to go in for a while.”
Ruth went in and sat down.
Her mother, who hadn’t spoken in a week, opened her eyes and saw her daughter. She whispered, “You get away from him.… Ruth, promise me. He’s the devil. I’ve seen God, and he’s the devil. I hear things, Ruth … you get away … promise me …”
It was the first time this shy woman had ever said anything about Frank. Ruth nodded and held her hand. That afternoon, the doctor closed her mother’s eyes for good.
Ruth cried for her mother and, an hour later, went upstairs, washed her face, and addressed the envelope to Idgie.
After she sealed it, she went over to the window and looked up at the blue sky. She took a deep breath of fresh air and felt her heart rising like a kite that some child had just released to the heavens.
SEPTEMBER 21, 1928
A car and a truck pulled up in front of the house. Big George and Idgie were in the truck; Cleo and Julian and two of their friends, Wilbur Weems and Billy Limeway, were in the Model T.
Ruth, who had been dressed and waiting since early that morning, hoping they would come today, stepped out the door.
The boys and Big George got out and waited in the yard, and Idgie went up on the front porch.
Ruth looked at her and said, “I’m ready.”
Frank had been taking a nap when he heard them driving up. He came down the stairs and recognized Idgie through the screen.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
He threw open the door and was heading for her when he saw the five men standing in the yard.
Idgie, who had not taken her eyes off Ruth, said quietly, “Where’s your trunk?”
“Upstairs.”
Idgie called to Cleo, “It’s upstairs.”
As four men marched by him, Frank spluttered, “What the hell’s going on?”
Julian, the last one, said, “I think your wife’s leaving you, mister.”
Ruth had gotten into the truck with Idgie, and Frank started toward them when he saw Big George, who was leaning against the truck, calmly pull a knife out of his pocket and core the the apple he had in his hand with one swift movement, and throw it over his shoulder.
Julian yelled down from the top of the stairs, “I wouldn’t get that nigger mad, mister. He’s crazy!”
Ruth’s trunk was in the back of the truck, and they were headed down the driveway before Frank knew what had happened. But as an afterthought, and for the benefit of Jake Box, his hired hand, who had witnessed the exit, Frank Bennett screamed at the dust the cars had stirred up, “And don’t you come back, you frigid bitch! You whore! You coldhearted whore!”
The next day, he went into town and told everyone that Ruth had gone completely out of her mind with grief after her mother died. He had been forced to have her committed to an insane asylum, outside of Atlanta.
SEPTEMBER 21, 1928
Momma and Poppa Threadgoode were on the front porch waiting. Momma and Sipsey had been fixing up Ruth’s room all morning, and now Sipsey was in the kitchen with Ninny, baking biscuits for supper.
“Now, Alice, don’t jump at her and scare her off. Just be calm and wait and see. Don’t make her think she has to stay. Don’t put any pressure on her.”
Momma was fidgeting with her handkerchief and pulling at her hair, a sure sign that she was nervous. “I won’t, Poppa. I’ll just say how glad we are to see her … that’s all right, isn’t it? Let her know she’s welcome? You’re going to say how glad you are to see her, aren’t you?”
“Of course I will,” Poppa said. “But I just don’t want you getting your hopes up too much, that’s all.”
After a minute of silence, he asked, “Alice … do you think she’ll stay?”
“I pray to the Lord she does.”
At that moment, the truck, with Ruth and Idgie, turned the corner.
Poppa said, “They’re here! Ninny and Sipsey, they’re here!”
Momma jumped up and flew down the front steps, with Poppa right behind her.
When they saw Ruth get out of the car and how thin and weary she looked, they forgot their plan and grabbed her and hugged her, both talking to her at the same time.
“I’m so glad you’re home, honey. We’re not gonna let you run off from us this time.”
“We got your old room ready, and Sipsey and Ninny have been cooking all morning.”
As they walked Ruth up the stairs, Momma turned and looked back down at Idgie.
“You better behave yourself this time, young lady! Do you hear me?”
Idgie looked baffled and said to herself as she followed them inside, “What’d I do?”
After supper, Ruth went into the parlor with Momma and Poppa and closed the door. She sat across from them with her hands in her lap, and began, “I don’t have any money, I really don’t have anything but my clothes. But I can work. I want you both to know that I’ll never leave again. I should never have left her four years ago, I know that now. But I’m going to try and make it up to her and never hurt her again. You have my word on that.”
Poppa, who was embarrassed at any sort of sentiment, shifted in his chair. “Well, I hope you’re aware of what you’re in for. Idgie’s a handful, you know.”