Love, Ruby Lavender

Ruby tells her mother she won’t go to Mattie’s store without Eula. She claims she’s too busy plotting revenge on Melba, though her mother, Evelyn, advises her to let it go, especially because “two people died in that accident” (50): Ruby’s grandpa and Melba’s father. Evelyn tells Ruby to remember how upset Ruby was and encourages her to empathize with Melba’s loss. Though “Ruby’s stomach clenche[s]” (50), she argues that being sad doesn’t turn people into bullies.

Evelyn tells Ruby to go to the store, and Ruby stops at the post office to see if she’s received any letters. She hasn’t, though she mails the four she wrote to Eula today. When she sees Melba’s new curly hairdo, Ruby insults her; Melba calls Ruby “sooo unladylike.” Ruby says Melba is jealous of her interesting life, and Melba asks who Ruby will “hide behind” without her grandmother. Ruby pushes Melba away and goes to climb the silver maple.

The chapter includes several letters, including Eula’s first from Hawaii. She loves all the flowers and says it’s like “heaven” there. Ruby’s next letter recounts her misery, describing Melba’s hair, the torture of helping Mattie, and how she feels empty without Eula. Eula’s next letter describes Hawaii’s beauty. She says Johnson and Annette named their baby Leilani, which means “Flower of Heaven” (59). Ruby sends updates about the chickens and tells Eula about the new teacher. She writes that she plans to sleep in the greenhouse with the chickens beginning on June 25 so she won’t miss the chicks hatching. She criticizes Melba and reports that a family bought Peterson’s Egg Ranch. Eula writes about traveling to the Big Island and learning some hula. A few days later, Ruby’s new teacher invites her over for root beer floats with his family who purchased the Peterson’s property. Ruby tells Eula that she is going there, providing more updates on Melba and the chickens.

Ruby rides her bike to the old egg ranch. She spies a couple dancing in the front room and a girl approaches, saying that it’s her Uncle Tater and Aunt Tot: Ferrell Ishee, the new teacher, and his wife, Cornelia, who is pregnant. Their niece is visiting for the summer. The girl says she’s an anthropologist like Margaret Mead, interested in learning why people act the way they do. Her name is Helen Dove Ishee but people call her Dove. When Ruby tells Dove about her chickens, she invites Dove to watch the chicks hatch with her. Mr. and Mrs. Ishee dance onto the porch and meet Ruby. Listening to them finish each other’s sentences reminds her of Eula and Garnet. Suddenly, a truck comes up the driveway, and Melba gets out.

All dressed up, Melba apologizes for interrupting, saying she just wanted to come and welcome them. She introduces herself, and Mr. Ishee is pleased to meet another student. Melba offers Dove a coupon for a free shampoo at her mother’s salon. Dove wants to interview Melba for her study of the people of Halleluia, and Ruby grows jealous. The Ishees leave to make the root beer floats, and Dove explains her anthropological interests. She asks Melba and Ruby what the “biggest thing” is ever to happen in town, and Ruby tries to excuse herself. Melba sneers, pestering Ruby about why she doesn’t want to hear about the accident when Dove would probably be interested in all the details. The Ishees return, and Melba taunts Ruby for wishing to avoid the story about how Melba’s dad drowned in Lake Jasper last summer.

The Ishees are shocked. Ruby looks at the looming clouds and says she’s going to leave before it rains. Melba says Garnet was driving with her father in the passenger seat and that Garnet drove off the Lake Jasper bridge into the water. People think he fell asleep at the wheel. Ruby says it was an accident, but Melba suggests it might not have been. Ruby tells Melba to shut up, and Mrs. Ishee intervenes. Ruby gets on her bike as the rain begins.

Ruby writes a letter to Eula telling her about the Ishees, who bought the old egg ranch, and Dove, their niece. She doesn’t mention what happened with Melba. Eula’s next letter notes that the first anniversary of Garnet’s death is soon. She asks Ruby to cut some black-eyed Susans for his grave. Leilani, Eula says, has red hair like Ruby’s. A newspaper article discusses the summer operetta, “How Dear to My Heart Are the Scenes of My Childhood.”

Ruby is visiting the chickens when Dove arrives. Dove tells Ruby that Melba never finished her story about the accident because Mrs. Latham came to pick her up. Dove hopes to interview Eula about Hawaii when she gets back. The chickens squawk at each other, and Ruby explains that Bemmie is jealous of Ivy. She invites Dove to dinner, but Dove has plans with Melba.

Ruby writes to Eula. She tells her that Dove came over after dinner at Melba’s and how Melba said Ivy’s chicks should have been someone’s breakfast. In another letter, Ruby writes that she can hear the chicks peeping inside their eggs. She is on her way to the schoolhouse for operetta tryouts, planning to work with Dove on the stage crew. Eula praises Ruby’s responses to Mr. Ishee’s questionnaire.

Evelyn asks Ruby to take a loaf of bread to Mattie. Ruby agrees, preparing Bemmie to accompany her so Ivy can relax. She fashions a collar for the hen and ties a ribbon from it to a wagon slat. When Ruby reaches the schoolhouse, she takes the bread to Mattie and goes to fetch water for Bemmie. When she returns to the wagon, Bemmie is gone. Suddenly, she hears Melba screaming inside the schoolhouse.