Through the Letters of Ruby's House🔊

Miles Stevens drove his beat-up pickup down the Old Country Road in hopes of finding something, anything that would help him make sense of the life he was living. His life, which once was filled with the constant hustle and bustle of the city, had succumbed to the quiet country life. Miles patted and rumbled the map laid across the steering wheel. He muttered an old saying, 'Time can heal the deepest wounds'. However, little did he know that what he was about to unravel would change his perspective.

Mel's Diner, the only social hub in the rural community of Wallace, Idaho was the place everyone gathered to share their life's triumphs and trials. The diner had a vintage charm. The red leather seats, jukebox that played songs from the 50s, and the aroma of Mel's world-famous apple pie filled the air. Miles, entering the cafe, felt an uncanny connection, a sense of warmth he had not perceived in a long time.

Every week, Miles made a routine visit to the diner for Saturday brunch. This Saturday was no different, except for the mysterious ‘For Sale’ sign hanging on a weather-beaten house, two blocks down the street. Its worn-out wooden structure felt nostalgic and drew him in. The house seemed to have a life and a story of its own waiting to be told.

Intrigued, Miles decided to purchase the house and received a trunk full of letters from the previous owner. Each letter was a tale of love, warfare, friendship, betrayal, and redemption. The first-person narrative allowed Miles to walk through the paths of the previous owners and share their emotions. As he submerged into the mystery from the archives, what he found left him astounded.

The prior proprietor was Ruby Oliver, a wartime bride. She would pen down every emotion she experienced during the times of separation from her beloved husband, Johnny Oliver, who was serving in the war. Ruby expressed her deepest fears and her endless love for Johnny, awaiting his return. Her letters painted pictures of her life, her melancholic yet hopeful days. The more Miles read, the more fascinated he became with Ruby’s world. He shared her fears, anxieties, love, and longing for Johnny.

Ruby’s last letters took an unexpected turn. Johnny had returned, but he was not the man Ruby remembered. He was a shell of his former self, carrying the atrocities of the war deep within him. The letters recorded her desperate attempts to help him fight through post-war trauma while mourning the loss of their beautiful past.

Miles looked around him, the war-torn house echoing Ruby's words. He opened his heart to the space and began to fix it, preserving the imprints of Ruby’s memories. The house soon became a symbol of hope and resilience for him.

The acceptance of all the emotions in Ruby’s letters became Miles' way of healing from his turmoil and a catalyst towards embracing his new life in Wallace. Ruby's love for Johnny and ultimate acceptance of his transformation encouraged him to embrace the blunders of his past, learn from them, bear their weight, yet continue his journey, stronger and wiser.

One day, on his usual visit to Mel’s, he spotted an old photograph of Ruby, her face filled with joy and hope. Miles smiled and whispered a thank you to Ruby for sharing her story and lighting the way for him.

In the end, Miles found not only a place of his own in Wallace but also a sense of solace, hope, and acceptance through Ruby’s journey, ultimately making the house his home. A home that was filled not with things but with stories of loss and love, despair and hope. Ruby's letters taught him the value of acceptance, forgiveness, resilience, and most importantly, the power of love.