Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

APRIL 28, 1926

Idgie, who was now nineteen, had driven over to Valdosta almost every month for over two and a half years to watch Ruth going to and from church. She just wanted to make sure she was all right, and Ruth never knew she’d been there.

Then one Sunday, quite unexpectedly, she drove up to Ruth’s house and went to the front door and knocked. Idgie herself had not known she was going to do it.

Ruth’s mother, a frail woman, came to the door, smiling. “Yes?”

“Is Ruth home?”

“She’s upstairs.”

“Would you tell her that a bee charmer from Alabama is here to see her?”

“Who?”

“Just tell her that a friend of hers from Alabama is here.”

“Oh, won’t you come in?”

“No, that’s all right. I’ll just wait out here.”

Ruth’s mother went in and called up the stairs, “Ruth, there is some kind of a bee person here to see you.”

“What?”

“You’ve got company on the porch.”

When Ruth came down, she was taken completely by surprise. She walked out on the porch and Idgie, who was trying to act casual even though her palms were sweaty and she could feel her ears burning, said, “Look, I don’t want to bother you. I know you’re probably very happy and all … I mean, I’m sure you are, but I just wanted you to know that I don’t hate you and I never did. I still want you to come back and I’m not a kid anymore, so I’m not gonna change. I still love you and I always will and I still don’t care what anybody thinks—”

Frank called down from the bedroom, “Who is it?”

Idgie started backing down the porch stairs. “I just wanted you to know that—well, I gotta go.”

Ruth, who had not said a word, watched her get into the car and drive off.

There had not been a day when Ruth had not thought about her.

Frank came down the stairs and out on the porch. “Who was that?”

Ruth, still watching the car that was now a black dot down the road, said, “Just a friend of mine, someone I used to know,” and walked back into the house.