New Beginnings and Old Memories

He walked out of the shop with the tote bag. It was not what he would have called a great buy. The colour was alright, but it was not r trendy. Well he couldn't complain when it was all he could afford. He would try to wash the mustiness out and wear it with style. 

It still irritated him. It was not the fact that it was a second hand good – he had worn those in his childhood. It was not the fact that he was earning a minimum wage.  He liked the honest work. It was that all those who had profited from his hard work were living it up in the sun or the snow sipping on cocktails and having a fun time.

Rudy had learnt the hard way that if you want something badly enough you really needed to work for it and put in the long hours.  Just the way the police did when he was apprehended for fraud. He had done his time, but there was no one to help him when he came out.  He wasn’t even asking for his share. Just enough to set him up in a flat so he could get working again; not a lot to ask. He hadn’t narked on anyone. He was doing manual labourer work and had just finished for the day. To his amazement he was enjoying it. Not forever, but for a while. He was trying to decide what he would like to do in the future.

It took twenty minutes to walk the three blocks.  Everyone seemed to be walking towards him, but he finally reached his flat.  It was a three-storey house on the corner of a busy road with each floor being a self-contained flat. He unlocked the door to his room. An older man had the flat on the top floor. He was hardly ever there from what Rudy could make out, and an elderly women had the ground floor flat.

Rudy took the coat out of the tote bag. It was when he looked at it thoroughly that he realised the quality of it. As he examined the stitching and noticing where the pockets were he saw a name sewn on the loop of that would have been used for hanging on a hook. RANKIN. “Strange,” he thought. “That’s the name of the old lady downstairs.

He put it back on the door and prepared some dinner of a rice and fish. Rudy had learnt a lot about cooking while he was away. He thought no more of it and went for a shower. He could always relax after he got the smell of the day’s work off his skin. It was a great way to destress. Not the way he used to with his buddies. Scheming how to get money off unsuspecting people wasn’t what he gave him a thrill anymore or the drugs. He had never been heavy into them like his buddies, but he didn’t want to be part of it now, it had to be a clean break. With dinner out the way he decided to try the coat on again and as he did, his hand felt something in a pocket on the inside of the lining of the coat. He gently pulled it out and stared.  It was a smooth gold ring with a moonstone setting. Inside the band was an inscription. It was a simple little token of love. Rudy thought for a moment. The old lady downstairs, he was sure he had heard someone call her by the same name in the inscription.

He knew it would probably mean a lot to her. He wrestled with whether to tell her about it. The ring would give him a few extra dollars. All he would have to do is go down to the nearest pawn shop and he would have a bit extra. He cleaned up the dishes and would make his decision in the morning.

It was the following week when Rudy was going past Mrs Rankin’s flat. He could see from the under the door that there was a light on. He was about to knock when Mrs Rankin came in from the hallway to her flat. A woman who felt she could read the minds of the younger generation before they spoke, she had disappoint etched on her face.

‘Oh you’re not leaving already are you Rudy?’

‘No Mrs Rankin. He cleared his throat several times. ‘I wondered . .  is your first name . . .’

‘What is it?’ looking slightly puzzled by his strange behaviour.

‘Sorry Mrs Rankin it’s just I bought this coat and . . .

‘Yes my late husband had one just like it. He loved it.’

‘W-was his name Jack by some chance?’

There was a stony silence. No one had mentioned his name to her for such a long time. Some of her friends out of embarrassment pretended that he had not existed. It was not like Ella to be questioned in this manner. That had always been her job.

‘Who are you really?’ intrigued by this young man that had only been in her building for the last four months. Rudy took off his coat and handed it to her with the loop prominently displayed.

‘Have a look.’

Ella gingerly took the coat as if it was something that would come alive. There it was; sewn by her hand Jack Rankin into the coat tag.  She was overwhelmed at first. Not one to display her emotions in public she quickly gripped her composure.

‘He had dementia you know.’

‘I’m sorry Mrs Rankin.’

‘Call me Ella.’

Rudy gave a cursory smile.

‘Well I don’t often say this to my tenants, but would you like to come in for a cup of tea. I haven’t long brewed and I always make too much for myself.’

‘Of course. Thank you.’

 It wasn’t like he had any friends that wanted to meet up with him and have a drink or play a game of cards. There couldn’t be any harm in spending some time with a lonely old woman.

He waited until the tea was poured and Ella had had a few sips to calm herself down.

‘I have something else that I believe belongs to you.’

Ella was eyeing him with suspicion now. One surprise was OK but two in one morning, it seemed too much of a coincidence

He pulled out of a deep pocket on the inside of the coat something wrapped in tissue. It was the ring he had found. He handed it to her. Her hands shook. Her eyes opened wide with disbelief.

‘Oh my goodness, it’s made its way back to me.’ Inside was the inscription To Ella with all my love Jack

‘I believe this is yours and I’m sure it would look better on your hand than mine,’ he smiled openly for the first time in a while. Surprising himself he had actually meant that. It wasn’t a front. It was total honesty and it felt good.

‘We had an argument and he stormed out of the house before I could stop him. I never saw him again. He just . . .’ Suddenly Ella felt irritated for opening up to a stranger.

‘Well it’s yours again.’

Tears flowed as she sobbed. Rudy felt awkward but didn’t want to leave her in this state. It didn’t seem fair that she had been happy until she had met him and then leave her upset.

‘Shall I make some more tea? That one must be cold by now.’

Ella showed him the kitchen. Rudy had become quite good in the kitchen. He had learnt a great deal growing up with his grandmother and learning how to cook when he was inside. 

‘Will you keep the coat for me please Rudy?’

‘I’d be honoured Ella.’

He wondered what his parole officer would think of him now. He wondered what his friends would think of him now and then he had that moment of realisation; that moment when everything becomes crystal clear. They had never been his friends. They had used him for his talents.   

Ella cut some cake and told Rudy of Jack. How he had been in the Foreign Office. How he had been on some dangerous missions until he took ill. The last fight was when she had thrown the ring on the ground and stormed into a room to have some quiet time. When she came out the ring was gone and so was Jack. 

‘It was meant to come back to you Ella. I was just the messenger.’ 

‘And an honest one at that.  It has a new beginning with loving memories. You know Rudy many people would have taken this to a pawn shop and hocked it, but you brought it back to the original owner. Thank you for that.’

Rudy felt a tinge of embarrassment, but he was relieved he hadn’t gone back to his old ways. It was the beginning of a new way of life and it all really started with an old coat.