KEN'S LETTER BROKE THE ICE
.One of my soon-to-be published books will be entitled Dresden Life Remembered. In putting this book together I keep coming up with little long-forgotten gems from the past.
I have written extensively about my mother and father and their love affair which began in their teens. This evening I came across an old weathered envelope bearing a two-cent stamp and postmarked July 3., 1918. It was addressed to Miss Grace Perry, Town (which meant it was mailed in Dresden for general delivery/pickup). Everybody knew everybody in town and street addresses were unnecessary, in fact houses were not even numbered in those days.
.The contents of the envelope are just too priceless to keep to myself. Or at least I think so anyway.
.The years were stripped away as I removed a neatly folded letter and immediately recognized my father Ken's hand writing. By means of introduction, I will simply reveal that my father was 19 years old at the time and my mother would have turned 16 within days of receiving the letter on or about July 4Th. Here are Ken's heart-wrenching words as only he could write them.
.Dresden, July 2nd./18
.Dear Friend:
.No doubt you will be somewhat surprised, perhaps annoyed, to hear from me.
.I think I understand thoroughly your wish. It is needless for me to state it, but that is not what I am writing about.
.I have spoken to you several times lately and you never let on you saw me. This leads me to think I must have done you some wrong and made you "sore" at me. I can't think what that might be as I did not do it intentionally. I am not trying to ignore (?) nor am I asking you to speak to me if you don't want to.
.What I do wish is that you would be kind enough to tell me what I have done. I really would like to know, perhaps just for curiosity sake.
.Hoping you will favour me with a reply.
.I am
your friend.
.K. Wright
.Note: I do not know how my mother responded, but she must have communicated favourably in one way or another. I am living proof of that. As it turned out, Grace and Ken never had any other boy friend or girl friend. Amazingly they had a very long courtship, marrying 15 years after my dad wrote his letter. I love sharing stories like this!
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