Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Writing a Letter (handwritten correspondence) (10/21/10)
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TITLE: THEN and NOW | Previous Challenge Entry
By Nancy Sullivan
10/27/10 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The morning sun slipped through the lace curtains and fell across the dark pine desk. The crisp morning air aided the sunlight in awakening the smiling beauty from a very pleasant dream. Anne yawned and gazed at the ceiling and relished the final moments she had just spent with Michael before the chilly breeze nudged her awake.
Dressed and ready for the day, the ruffled hem of Anne’s dress brushes against her ankles as she takes her place at the desk. The natural glow from the arched window provides ample light for her careful attention to the loving strokes of her plumed pen. The perfumed stationery mingles with the fragrance rising from the rose garden below. Her thoughts begin to form.
She searches for the words that will begin a letter to the love she hasn’t seen since she left the coast for her annual family retreat in the mountains. The delicate strokes of her pen add flourishes to the ends of each word. A labor of love, her penmanship creates a work of art.
NOW
Carly groans and reaches blindly for the blaring alarm clock that is signaling the beginning of another school day. She rolls out of bed, makes a mad dash through the shower, dresses, and heads downstairs. The familiar smells of flavored coffee and cinnamon rolls drift in from paper cups and plates being carried throughout the dining room. She sips from a cup of calorie-laden caffeine and grabs a warm roll.
She then eases her denim-clad self into the soft cushions of the worn couch, flips open her Blackberry with one hand, and steadies her hot beverage with the other. With one eye on the tiny keyboard and the other eye on her cup, she begins her message to the guy she met at the mixer the night before.
THEN
“Despite my attempts to fill the void with reading, or taking long walks in the warm sunshine, the distance that separates us has left me with such emptiness and an ache that cannot be quieted. Even nature seems to reflect the sadness I feel.” Anne reloads her pen from the ink well on the corner of her writing desk. She sits poised and waiting for just the right phrases to express her loneliness, yet create a pleasant greeting for Michael.
NOW
Click, click, click… “Sup, Kyle?” Send.
THEN
“Our last evening together before I left was magical. The full moon and cool ocean breeze were wonderful companions as we sat among the willows and sipped lemonade. It didn’t matter that we had little to say. We were there, side by side.
“My family sends their warmest wishes and regrets that you could not join us at the summer home. Their laughter and dancing help to pass the time, but only magnify the silence during the times of being alone and missing the sound of your voice.”
NOW
Click, click, click… “C u @ star bux 7 pm? Brng frnds. 2 qte lst nit. Lol.” Send
THEN
"The mountain air is so refreshing, especially in the morning. I can’t wait until we can share the beauty that surrounds me day and night. The coast has its own panorama and atmosphere in the rhythm of each wave, but the mountains offer such a serene respite from the rest of the world.
“This time next year we can travel together as husband and wife. Our days of separation will be in the past. There will be no need to pack stationery and postage; our long talks will be face to face.”
NOW
“"BTW. Mmz th wrd bout r dt. Greg wld kill me.” (eye roll) Send.
THEN
”I read every word of your letters, and then I read them again. Imagine. Someday our children or grandchildren could find our letters and write a love story about our lives. For now, our shared feelings will have to be stowed away in trunks and wait to be discovered.
“I must close for now, but my thoughts of you will linger on. Please reply soon. I will live in breathless anticipation of your next letter. All my love, Anne.”
NOW
Gotta rn. Latte gtng cld. Rofl. C U 2 nit, Kyle. Send.
Delete message. End.
Click, click, click…
“Sup, Greg?” Send.
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So... that's not so much red ink as a different perspective. I really like it.
But I don't always think they have changed for the worse. Back in 'those days' we all probably would not have known any of the people here on faith writers so I am happy for progress. Just as long as we do not lose everything.