Lucid Waking

Archive for July 4th, 2009

Dear Aunt Jane

Dear Aunt Jane,
        This time I’m writing you from Boston. The trip from Richmond was uneventful, but the landscape was very pretty. The train was relaxing. Bobby says hello, though he doesn’t have enough patience to sit down and write to you himself. He’s very good at keeping himself busy and, thankfully, keeping out of trouble. We’re doing well by the sea. Mother has written expecting the house to be finished in August, so we will be able to come back to Chicago one more time before we permanently live in Vermont.
        Bobby and I are staying with a sister of a friend of Mother’s: Laura Alberts. She’s been very kind in letting us stay in her house; in return I help her mend clothes and wash dishes while Bobby does a few chores around the house to help out her eldest son. They are very nice people and they’ve already adopted us as part of the family. Just to demonstrate how kind the Alberts are: just this past Wednesday, a strange man knocked at the door of the house and said he was passing through and asked if we had a room to spare so that he could stay the night. Mr. Alberts wasted no time in asking his wife to set up a room and since no room was available, his eldest volunteered his and he slept in the parlor. It was all done without fuss and the stranger turned out to be very kind. Mrs. Alberts quickly gave him food and place to eat without so much as a sigh of discontent. He rode a horse (how quaint!) and even his animal was given excellent treatment. I admit, I had qualms about the whole affair, but it turned out for the best and I feel better for it. I wish every family in America was like the Alberts, but I suppose that would make more families pray to criminals. However if I were a criminal and took advantage of such a family, I would be rapt with guilt and never want to follow crime again.
        Today, we spent the morning at the parade and then we brought baskets with baked goods to the shelter downtown. Later today we will go down to the coast to see the fireworks and we are going to visit a cousin of theirs for supper. I’m very excited, but Bobby is more preoccupied in finding frogs in the backyard than Fourth of July festivities. Their youngest son found one and is keeping it for a pet, so Bobby is determined to get one for himself. Luckily he has enough clothes that he can change into clean ones when he gets dirty, although it constantly seems like I am doing laundry.
        I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day, as it will be long past when you get this letter, and know that I am thinking of you and we are on our way back as soon as possible!

        Sincerely, your niece,
            Coralie Dyer

Author’s Note on Post 329: More writing practice and some vintage wording. I tried thinking about what America meant to me, although, frankly, I’m not a huge fan of this country. Alas, I missed Canada Day. Regardless, Happy Independence Day! (p.s. No rain!)