Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

AUGUST 29, 1924

It’s funny, most people can be around someone and then gradually begin to love them and never know exactly when it happened; but Ruth knew the very second it happened to her. When Idgie had grinned at her and tried to hand her that jar of honey, all these feelings that she had been trying to hold back came flooding through her, and it was at that second in time that she knew she loved Idgie with all her heart. That’s why she had been crying, that day. She had never felt that way before and she knew she probably would never feel that way again.

And now, a month later, it was because she loved her so much that she had to leave. Idgie was a sixteen-year-old kid with a crush and couldn’t possibly understand what she was saying. She had no idea when she was begging Ruth to stay and live with them what she was asking; but Ruth knew, and she realized she had to get away.

She had no idea why she wanted to be with Idgie more than anybody else on this earth, but she did. She had prayed about it, she had cried about it; but there was no answer except to go back home and marry Frank Bennett, the young man she was engaged to marry, and to try to be a good wife and mother. Ruth was sure that no matter what Idgie said, she would get over her crush and get on with her life. Ruth was doing the only thing she could do.

When she told Idgie she was leaving for home the next morning, Idgie had gone completely crazy. She was in her room breaking things and carrying on so loud that you could hear her all over the house.

Ruth was sitting on her bed, wringing her hands, when Momma came in.

“Ruth, please go in there and talk to her. She won’t let me or her daddy in the room, and everyone else is afraid to go in there. Please, honey, I’m scared she’s gonna hurt herself.”

They heard another crash.

Momma looked at Ruth and pleaded, “Oh Ruth, she’s just like a wounded animal, down there. Won’t you please go and see if you can calm her down a little?”

Ninny came to the door. “Momma, Essie Rue says that now she’s broken the lamp,” and then she looked at Ruth apologetically. “I think she’s upset because you’re leaving.”

Ruth took the long walk down the hall. Julian, Mildred, Patsy Ruth, and Essie Rue were all hiding behind their bedroom doors, with nothing but their heads poked out, staring bug-eyed at her as she passed them by.

Momma and Ninny stood way down at the end of the hall. Ninny had her fingers in her ears.

Ruth tapped gently on Idgie’s door.

From inside the room, Idgie yelled, “LEAVE ME ALONE, GODDAMMIT!” and threw something that crashed against the door.

Momma cleared her throat and said in a sweet voice, “Children, why don’t we all go wait in the parlor and give Ruth some privacy.”

All six of them went downstairs in a hurry.

Ruth continued to knock at the door. “Idgie, it’s me.”

“Get away!”

“I want to talk to you.”

“No! Leave me alone!”

“Please, don’t be like this.”

“Get the hell away from the door and I mean it!” And something else crashed against the door.

“Please let me in.”

“NO!”

“Please, honey.”

“NO!”

“IDGIE, OPEN THIS GODDAMNED DOOR RIGHT THIS MINUTE, AND I MEAN IT! DO YOU HEAR ME?”

There was a moment of silence. The door slowly opened.

Ruth walked in and closed it behind her. She saw that Idgie had broken everything in the room. Some things twice.

“Why are you acting like this? You knew I was going to have to leave sometime.”

“Then why cain’t you let me go with you?”

“I told you why.”

“Then stay here.”

“I cain’t.”

Idgie yelled at the top of her lungs, “WHY NOT?”

“Would you quit that yelling? You’re embarrassing me and your mother. The whole house can hear you.”

“I don’t care.”

“Well, I do. Why are you acting like such a baby?”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I DON’T WANT YOU TO GO!”

“Idgie, have you lost your mind? What are people gonna think of a big grown girl like you acting like an I-don’t-know-what?”

“I DON’T CARE!”

Ruth started picking things up.

“Why are you gonna marry that man?”

“I told you why.”

“WHY?”

“Because I want to, that’s why.”

“You don’t love him.”

“Yes I do.”

“Oh no you don’t. You love me … you know you do. You know you do!”

“Idgie, I love him and I’m going to marry him.”

Then Idgie went really crazy and started crying and screaming in a rage, “YOU’RE A LIAR AND I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE! I DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN AS LONG AS I LIVE! I HATE YOU!”

Ruth took her by the shoulders and shook her as hard as she could. Tears were streaming down Idgie’s face as she kept yelling, “I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!”

Ruth said, “Stop it! Do you hear me!” And before she knew what had happened, she had slapped Idgie across the face with all her might.

Idgie looked at Ruth, speechless and stunned. They just stood there, looking at each other, and in that moment Ruth wished more than anything in the world that she could just grab her and hold her as tight as she could; but if she had, she knew she would never let go.

So Ruth did the hardest thing she had ever done in her life; she just turned around and left, and closed the door behind her.