A New Life

The red leaves of autumn fell around her as she sauntered the wooded trail that led home. Nothing had gone right that day, from hemming Mrs. Clancy’s gown the wrong way, to her mother yelling at her for not bringing enough income from her work. She kicked a tree branch and gritted her teeth, sighing through her breath. Why had she agreed to become a seamstress for the richest woman in Manhasset? Ruby tilted her head upwards and frowned as she looked at the clear twilight sky; purple and dark cerulean ribbons intertwined with each other, as if dancing their final waltz before moonlight. What was life in the sky like? Was it free unlike here in Manhasset? And even life in Manhattan, was that free too? With its sprawling buildings growing exponentially by the second. What kind of life would she live in the big city? All she needed was the confidence to tell her mother about her wildest, most ridiculous dream of life on the island.

In truth, there was no way that Ruby could have done something like that. After all, her mother had four other mouths to feed in their little cabin, enough for nearly two people. The mere thought of home caused her to drag her feet along the trail again. She never wanted to leave it, but she had to. Her siblings needed her. It was feeding time soon.

The cabin was unsightly to the eyes, but to Ruby, it was all that she had ever known. After her Pa’s death, there was nothing that they could do but remain in that tiny place forever.

The tantalizing aroma of roasting beef from Mr. Carson’s most recent hunt filled the entire cabin as Ruby made her way inside it. The candle on the dresser of their small foyer had already been lit, exuding a pale mustard-yellow glow around the daguerreotype of her father. Every time she would gaze at his portrait and see his eyes gazing intensely into her soul, she knew that her father was simply egging her on for a better life than Manhasset. He had always wanted the best for her. She smiled, blowing a kiss at him, saying a silent word of thanks. She knew now what she had to do.

And as they sat at the dinner table, her little siblings stuffing their faces with beef and potatoes, Ruby cleared her throat and looked directly at her mother. It was time. It was time to let go of this life.

“Ma.” Ruby’s voice floated through the silence. “I have something I want to say.” She straightened, making herself look more refined and mature, like her mother.

“And what is that, child? We don’t have all evening.” She drank from her tin.

“I’m leaving in a fortnight.”

Her mother’s eyes widened. “Leaving, for where?”

She blinked. “I’m making a new life for myself in Manhattan.”

Her mother grinned widely. “It’s about time, child. I’ve been waiting for these words for ages!”