Eva's Journey by Judi Curtin

I’d know that blank expression anywhere – the girl serving the fruit and vegetables was Ruby.
    She didn’t see me. She was working as fast as she possibly could – weighing stuff, and taking money and giving change and shoving fruit and vegetables into big brown paper bags.
    She looked pale and tired and stressed. Even though this girl was totally weird, and totally unfriendly, it was impossible not to feel sorry for her.
    â€˜Would you like me to help you for a while?’ I said, but Ruby didn’t hear me as a rough woman was shouting at her to hurry up and weigh her potatoes.
    â€˜Would …?’ I began again, but then I stopped.
    I knew I was wasting my breath.
    I knew that offering to help Ruby was a mistake.
    I knew she’d just say no.
    She’d just blank me, like she had at school.
    She looked like a girl who’d already had lots of practice at blanking people.
    So I wriggled out from the crowd of customers, and slipped behind the stall. When Ruby reached for a bag to put the potatoes into, I was ready, with an open bag in my hand.
    For one second she stared at me, and then she took the bag, filled it with potatoes and handed it to the customer.
    â€˜Thanks,’ she muttered, and I smiled to myself.
    Progress.
    The next customer selected some apples,handed them to me, and I put them in a bag, while Ruby sorted out the money.
    Ruby still looked a bit confused, but the customers had copped on fairly quickly.
    The two of us worked really quickly, and after ten minutes, the crowd had cleared and we had a chance to breathe.
    â€˜You can go now,’ said Ruby, as she rearranged some apples that had slipped into the pear section of the stall.
    â€˜But I was just starting to enjoy myself. And besides, it’s sure to get busy again in a few minutes.’
    She looked embarrassed.
    â€˜I’ll manage. I’m used to it. I’ve been doing this for … well for a long time.’
    I still didn’t move.
    â€˜Thanks for helping me, Eva,’ said Ruby. ‘But I can’t afford to pay you or anything.’
    â€˜I’m just helping you, ‘I said. ‘I don’t expect to be paid.’
    Now Ruby looked even more puzzled. ‘Whywould you want to help me?’
    I didn’t answer at first. There was no way I was telling this girl about Madam Margarita.
    Clearly she was already a fully signed-up weirdo, and I didn’t want her thinking that she and I had something in common.
    â€˜I just like helping people,’ I said. ‘Now get ready, I can see some customers coming.’

    The morning passed quickly. Some of the customers were really nice. Some were funny. And some were just plain weird.
    At one stage a tiny woman hobbled over towards the stall. She looked like she was about two hundred years old, with a wizened face and long straggly hair. She was wearing a brown coat that was patched here and there with scraps of grey fabric that looked suspiciously like cut up underpants. On her feet was a pair of old mens’ working boots.
    â€˜The poor little thing,’ I whispered as she came closer.
    â€˜Poor my eye,’ whispered Ruby back. ‘That’s Mamie. Everyone in the market hates her. She’s one of the richest women in town, but she’s totally mean. She’s never once paid full price for anything here.’
    I grinned.
    â€˜Leave her to me. I like a challenge.’
    Soon, the woman was next to us, picking through the apples.
    â€˜How much are these?’ she asked in a croaky voice, exactly like the wicked witch in a fairy-tale. I wondered if she planned to poison one of the apples and feed it to some unsuspecting young girl.
    â€˜Same as last week,’ said Ruby. ‘Six for a euro.’
    â€˜Six for a euro!’ said Mamie with a loud cackle that made everyone around turn and stare at us. A few of the nearby stallholders gave sympathetic looks in our direction.
    â€˜That’s