Strawberry Red

Chapter 2 Ruby

It was the longest car ride of s life. They were driving in an uncomfortable silence. She could feel that her father wanted to talk with her. She could feel that there were questions he wanted to ask. Their last conversation still lingered in the back of her mind. How could she ever forget it? Her father hung up on her when she needed him the most. Now she was an adult, capable of navigating her life.

Her father pulled up in front of their house. In front of Ruby's childhood home. She was fond of many memories she gathered in it. Most of them were with her brothers. Especially she and the younger of her older brothers, Victor, were close. They would spend every day together playing outside. They were always up to something. Her eldest brother, Albert, was ten years older than Ruby. In her memories he was always studying for school or with their father on base. He proudly stepped into his shoes and became a pilot for the RAF.

"Your brother will be here later this evening. He's still on base." Her father walked in front of her and unlocked the door. Ruby entered the house she had been longing to be back inside. It still smelt like home. They hadn't changed anything around the house. It looked exactly as Ruby had it in memory.

"What about Victor? Is he here?" asked Ruby.

"Oh, you haven't heard the news. Albert got married two years ago. He lives down the road with his wife. But Victor still lives here," explained her father and put away his car keys.

"Victor's a pilot too?"

"Yes. He's been flying missions for a year now." Her father's eyes lingered on her. "How about I'll show you to your room? Your room is still the same. We didn't change anything since you left."

"I can find it on my own." Ruby turned around and walked up the stairs. Her room was the last one in the long hallway. It used to be her father's office before she was born. Ruby swung the door open. Her father was right. Her room was still the same. On the walls were pictures of her with her family. Open books were laying on her desk and on the floor were notes scattered around.

It was like she had imagined for the past five years. All those years she had imagined what it'd feel like when she got back. Never would she have thought it would feel so strange and foreign. She felt like an intruder in her own home.

On her bedside table were a couple of pictures aligned. On one picture her older brother, Albert, was holding her when she was just a baby. Victor was standing next to him. She knew the story of her nickname by heart. Her father had told it close to a hundred times. When she was born, Victor looked into the crib where she was laying. She was just a few hours old at the time. Victor observed her for a moment and then decided she should be named Strawberry because she looked like one. She had freckles covering her face and a few strands of red hair growing on her head. Since that day her family has been calling her Strawberry.

Ruby hadn't heard that nickname in years. In Germany her mother forbade her from talking in English. And nobody else knew of the nickname. She still tried to get used to being called Strawberry or Ruby. Working as a spy she never went by the name Ruby. That name died when she left her mother.

During dinner time Victor was intensely staring at her. His eyes drilled holes into Ruby as they ate. Her father was sitting next to Victor also staring at her. Although Ruby couldn't quite figure out why they were staring at her so intensely.

"So, what have you been up to?" asked Victor and drank from his glass of water.

"Nothing much," lied Ruby.

"Huh, being a spy is nothing to you?" Victor's voice sounded bitter and angry.

"If you already know what I've been doing, why ask?" Ruby looked him straight in the eyes.