TRUE LOVE UNITES AFTER A DECADE
LONDON, JULY 20
A tale of true love that skipped a decade after a love letter went astray has ended happily after they finally got married.
Steve Smith and Carmen Ruiz Perez first met 17 years ago in Devon when they were both in their twenties and Ruiz-Perez was a foreign student. They fall in love and got engaged but after a year long relationship they drifted apart when she moved to Paris to run a shop. A few years later , Smith tracked down her mother’s address in Spain and wrote her a letter in hope of rekindling their romance. Ruiz-Perez’s mother put the letter on the mantel piece , from where it slipped down the back of fire place and remained unopened for the next ten years.
In literature, and in particular the novels of Thomas Hardy – also set in the West Country – such a mishap would have been the cause of years of unhappiness, the lovers marrying the wrong person and at least one of then suffering a tragic and untimely death. But for the real life couple , the fate took a more down to earth hand when the fire place was removed for renovations. Ruiz-Perez , who had remained single, was given the letter and rang the phone number that Smith had written on the note. They met up in Paris a few days later, rediscovered their old love and got married last week.
Smith ,42, a factory supervisor from Paignton , said “When we met again, it was like a film. We ran across the airport into each other’s arms.We met up and fall in love all over again.Within 30 seconds of setting eyes on each other we were kissing. I’m Just glad the letter eventually end up where it was supposed to be.”
Ruiz-Perez, 42, said “ I never got married and now I am marrying the man whom I always loved. When I got the letter I did not phone Steve right away because I was so nervous. I nearly did not phone him at all. I kept picking up the phone then putting down again. But I knew I had to make the call”.
The Times London
