Fin drove to the pawnbrokers and sat in the car for a long time with tears rolling down her cheeks.

She dug under the driver's seat for the small bag she had tied to the springs, pulled out her mother's wedding ring and rolled it between her fingers. She needed petrol. The car was empty and would run out on the way home.

Maybe she should have let the stranger pay. Fin wiped her face in frustration. No. She had done the right thing. If she let him do something nice for her, he would expect things from her like the Gallos had. All because they had lent her fifty dollars to buy some food and she had let them buy her a soft drink. She thought they had wanted to be her friend. Instead, they said she owed them. Fin didn't want to owe the stranger.

She sobbed. She shouldn't have eaten the hamburger but, she'd been hungry and it had smelt good. She lifted the hem of her shirt, wiped her face and got out of the car.

Karl Sagus saw her come through the door. "Hello, Fin."

"Hello, Mister Sagus."

"What have you got?" He frowned as he studied her face.

"It's my mother's wedding ring."

Karl had never seen the ring before; he guessed her circumstances must have worsened. Instead of asking her how much she wanted for it he said, "Why have you brought me your mother's ring, Fin?"

She kept her head hung and wiped her cheek with her hand. "I need petrol." She gasped in a breath. "Mister Russell won't give me any more credit. I have to pay cash at the other station." She looked at him with glazed eyes and added, "I don't want to sell it. I'll have money on Thursday."

Karl held his hand out for the ring and used his eyeglass to study it. The words, bound by love forever, were engraved on the inside. A delicate lace pattern combined with love hearts decorated the outside. "This is a pretty ring, Fin. It was your mother's, huh?"

She nodded but didn't answer. Karl's heart went out to her. He wished someone would step in but it was too late now. The welfare should have taken her away a long time ago. They should have stepped in when Findlay first stopped sending her to school and again after the rape. Even though it had never been reported most of the town knew it had happened.

Karl looked back at the ring. He had known Sarah Hamilton all his life. She had been as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Her daughter looked every bit like her. The difference was, Sarah had every opportunity going and Fin hadn't had one. He wondered how Findlay couldn't see what he was doing to her.

Perhaps it was because she looked so much like her mother that he'd never been able to get over Sarah's death. Karl recalled Findlay being a quiet, honest, hardworking man. Sarah would never have married him if he'd been the bastard he is now. It was amazing what grief could do to a person.

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do, Fin." He straightened and handed her the ring. "You keep this in a safe place. I'll lend you the money for petrol. You come in on Thursday and pay me."

A single tear rolled down her face. She nodded, took the ring and shoved it into the pocket of her trousers.

Karl opened the till and looked over at her. "How much do you need?"

She knew how many kilometres and trips to town she could get with five dollars, ten dollars and even twenty dollars, worth of petrol. Fin counted the days until Thursday. She also needed milk and some meat. She worked out how many times her father would expect to come backwards and forwards. Twenty-five dollars would do it but, she had her period too and had run out of Libra. She could get by without them because it would last another day and be done.

Fin wondered if she should tell Mister Sagus this because she didn't like lying. She weighed it up and thought it was best not to say anything about the Libra. "Thirty-five dollars."

"There's no need to be upset, Fin. I don't like seeing you this upset over thirty-five frigging dollars," Karl said. "I'll give you fifty because I need all the smaller notes for change. Is that okay with you?"

Relief lit her face. She took the note, and said, "Thank you, Mister Sagus. I... I won't let Findlay have any of it. I promise."

"You're a good girl, Fin. Honest, and every cent I've ever given you has been returned. Even when you were young." He smiled and said, "I remember you wrote everything in a notebook. Do you still do this?"

"Yes."

"You just gotta ask me Fin. I trust you so don't get upset over fifty bucks."

She clutched the money to her chest. "Thank you, Mister Sagus."

He nodded and smiled. "You have a nice day, Fin."

Fin got into the car, put the ring back in the bag, tied it to its hiding place, and then burst into tears. 

Poor Fin is feeling really low at the moment.  I hope things improve for her one day. ♥

Please show Fin you care by hitting the star or making a comment. xoxo