DATE: Dec 28, 2015 05:55 PM
SUBJECT: Harry
Hello James,
Well, typically I am keeping up with the goings-on of the Landys via Harry and his monthly updates, but the last few months he’d fallen off with them. I’d been expecting this for some time, as our habit of correspondence began when he was only in grade school, and now that he is in high school it becomes less and less likely he’ll want to write letters to an old woman. I kept the letters going, but just as I was thinking it would be time to quit, earlier this week I did open a letter from Harry, and it quite surprised me for a number of reasons.
James, has Marly gone and left you for good? I knew she was back in Sheppard Pratt last winter, but Harry indicated she went back again, and now she’s gone to live with her mother and dad? James, your girls will be alright, but Harry is fragile. I have promised him I won’t divulge the contents of his letters, but I am worried about the boy. I know you said it was necessary he change schools, but are you aware of what happens to the child at his new school? Do try and get it out of him, James.
Of course I write with warm regards, sending tidings of a Merry Christmas (belated) and a happy new year (early),
Sybil
Postscript: I am coming with Mick Watts to Washington—symphony and dinner.
Second postscript: I am watching this Donald Trump for thepresidency in disbelief. The thing has legs, James. God save the queen. Now I’ve seen it all. I guess it’s time to change my registration card and make my party allegiance official. You never thought you’d see that day, did you? Sybil Stone becomes a Democrat. That should be the title of my memoirs.
FROM: [email protected]
DATE: Jan 6, 2016 10:05 AM
SUBJECT: I’M BACK (Attn: Basam)
Dear Basam,
GOD ALMIGHTY I’ve had a time. Here is what happened. The last time I e-mailed you was in the fall asking you for the address of Henrietta Gleason. I was meant to be attending the funeral of my ex-husband, victim of cancer, in October, but I ended up not going. It’s a long story. Not long after that we had a hurricane and there was a power surge when lightning hit the transformer for my street and essentially the power surged all the way up into my very own electrical outlets and blew out my computer. It was a NIGHTMARE, it made an extraordinary pop and smoking, so I screamed and ran outdoors (humiliating). The entire computer had to be thrown away, not even worth the scrap, which was, as you can imagine, hell. I was under the impression that all of my e-mails were gone. All of my photographs and bookmarked websites, my library account. (As it turns out, I was able to retrieve most of this because it wasn’t actually stored in the hard drive, but through the internet. There is a God.) But it’s taken me months to get back up to speed, plus I’ve been in a knock-down, drag-out fight with the dean of the College of English at the University of Maryland, and on and on.
Did you try to send me your resume? I never got it.
Lastly, I’ve all but decided NOT to engage, but did you find the address for Henrietta Gleason? I apologize for the long silence.
Warm regards,
Sybil Van Antwerp
FROM:[email protected]
DATE: Jan 6, 2016 07:07 PM
SUBJECT: Re: I’M BACK (Attn: Basam)
Dear Ms. Sybil Van Antwerp,
Thank you for contacting Kindred Project Customer Service! We are happy to help. Henrietta Gleason is not an active member of Kindredproject.org, and we cannot provide you with any personal information belonging to this individual other than what is available in the individual’s profile if he or she reactivates his/her account.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with additional questions! Thank you for contacting Kindredproject.org.
Shelley
FROM: [email protected]
DATE: Jan 8, 2016 10:07 AM
