One Night Only (37 page)

An
d
the
n
i
t
al
l
wen
t
terribl
y
wron
g
.
.
.
becaus
e
Ruth Monagha
n
–
al
l
fiv
e
fee
t
si
x
an
d
fiftee
n
stone
s
o
f
he
r
–
starte
d
t
o
cr
y
.

T
es
s
hadn
’
t
mean
t
t
o
mak
e
he
r
cry
!
W
ell
,
sh
e
ha
d
sort
o
f
mean
t
to
,
bu
t
no
t
i
n
th
e
wa
y
Rut
h
wa
s
crying
.
T
es
s
had
neve
r
see
n
anyon
e
cr
y
lik
e
tha
t
before
.
No
t
eve
n
at funeral
s
o
r
wake
s
an
d
withou
t
a
doubt
,
he
r
famil
y
went totall
y
ove
r
th
e
to
p
whe
n
i
t
cam
e
t
o
wailin
g
fo
r
their dead
.
Bu
t
thi
s
–
thi
s
wa
s
lik
e
a
conditio
n
o
f
som
e
sort.
Lik
e
a
typ
e
o
f
cryin
g
tha
t
ther
e
shoul
d
b
e
a
medica
l
name fo
r
.
Big
,
heav
y
,
straight-from-the-gut
,
breath-takin
g
sobs tha
t
draine
d
Ruth
’
s
energ
y
s
o
muc
h
tha
t
he
r
knees
actuall
y
di
d
buckl
e
beneat
h
he
r
an
d
onl
y
fo
r
th
e
islan
d
in th
e
middl
e
o
f
Polly
’
s
kitchen
,
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
bee
n
o
n
the floo
r
.
I
t
wa
s
a
bi
t
lik
e
watchin
g
th
e
W
icke
d
W
itc
h
from th
e
W
es
t
meltin
g
bu
t
instea
d
o
f
singin
g
alon
g
wit
h
the Munchkins
,
T
es
s
wa
s
actuall
y
feelin
g
sorr
y
fo
r
her
!
This wa
s
certainl
y
no
t
th
e
outcom
e
T
es
s
ha
d
intende
d
when
sh
e
sa
w
he
r
standin
g
ther
e
i
n
Polly
’
s
kitche
n
o
n
a
Friday mornin
g
o
n
he
r
fre
e
perio
d
fro
m
school
!

“Ruth
?
Ruth
,
it
’
s
okay!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“I
t
reall
y
i
s
oka
y
.
I
ate afte
r
that
.
Lots
.
I
eve
n
go
t
fa
t
fo
r
a
while
.
Please
,
it
’
s
oka
y
.
”

Bu
t
Rut
h
mos
t
certainl
y
wa
s
no
t
oka
y
.
Sh
e
could hardl
y
breath
e
s
o
sh
e
wa
s
anythin
g
bu
t
oka
y
.
T
es
s
fel
t
so bad
.
Sh
e
fel
t
lik
e
she’
d
bee
n
caugh
t
holdin
g
a
bloodied
knif
e
whil
e
he
r
victi
m
la
y
belo
w
he
r
dyin
g
an
d
sh
e
didn
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
t
o
d
o
o
r
wha
t
t
o
sa
y
.
Th
e
damag
e
wa
s
done. “D
o
yo
u
thin
k
w
e
shoul
d
cal
l
a
doctor?
”
sh
e
asked
eventuall
y
,
totall
y
convince
d
tha
t
thi
s
wa
s
a
lo
t
mor
e
than
a
bull
y
feelin
g
guilt
y
fo
r
he
r
action
s
year
s
a
g
o
.
Th
e
wo
m
a
n
wa
s
i
n
pieces
!
Sh
e
wa
s
blood
y
hype
r
-ventilating
!

“No
,
she’l
l
b
e
fine,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
nic
e
an
d
cal
m
a
s
Polly
alway
s
was
.
“Ge
t
he
r
som
e
tea
,
T
ess
.
T
e
a
wit
h
suga
r
.
Quick
.
Th
e
kettle
’
s
boiled.
”

T
e
a
wit
h
suga
r
.
T
e
a
wit
h
flamin
g
sugar
!
Onl
y
Polly
woul
d
thin
k
o
f
that
,
though
t
T
ess
.

Sh
e
woul
d
b
e
mor
e
incline
d
t
o
hav
e
run
g
th
e
docto
r
,
ru
n
ou
t
th
e
doo
r
an
d
lef
t
hi
m
t
o
it
,
bu
t
typica
l
Poll
y
had
a
nice
,
warm
,
homel
y
solutio
n
whic
h
prove
d
exactl
y
why
sh
e
di
d
no
t
fee
l
u
p
t
o
becomin
g
a
parent
.
Ther
e
wa
s
a
time t
o
cr
y
,
a
tim
e
fo
r
te
a
an
d
suga
r
,
bu
t
al
l
T
es
s
coul
d
identify
wit
h
wa
s
a
tim
e
t
o
run
.