To London
The first letter is a sight to see. Its written in clumsy print because the boy does not yet know how to write cursive but the beginning is neat enough. “Dear Arthur, “ it says and Arthur smiles. The rest of the letter is a challenge because the ink is smeared so that it runs into other letters. The fact that the lines slope down the page so that the ends of the sentences clash with other endings. He can also see the colony’s finger prints marked in ink on the edges next to blotches of ink where he had held the pen down for too long. The letter reads:
Dear Arthur,
How are you? I know you say you have to go away because you have to take care of your home and other colonies so I was wondering how long it would take. You said you would be back soon but you aren’t here yet.
I’m practicing my lessons like you wanted me to. I can read now and I’m learning how to write better, can you see? I’m learning about science and history and all sorts of things. When you come back, I’ll show you some of the things I learned!
France visited a little while ago. He said he was here for trade and just wanted to visit Mattie and make sure he was all right but he couldn’t find him. He gave me a jacket before he left. It’s really stuffy though. I think I might give it to Mattie instead.
I’m learning how to write cursive now! When you visit, I’ll show you!
I really miss you, Arthur. Come back soon, please? I’m taking care of everything like you told me to.
Love,
Alfred
British America
------
The next letter arrives a few months or so later. The writing is still in print but it’s much neater. There are no longer blotches of ink on the paper but some of the words are still marked out because the boy doesn’t know how to write a single thought and stick to it yet. The lines still slope down the page but at least now Arthur can tell they’re supposed to be lines instead of angles.
Dear Arthur,
You didn’t write back to my last letter but I figured it just got lost at sea. I think it’s because the ocean is so big, it loses its way sometimes. If you were closer, my letters wouldn’t get lost so often. I thought that maybe, if travelling was too much trouble for you, I could come to your house. Could I?
Sorry this is so short, I had to write it down really fast so they would take it in time! They promised you would get this one.
Love,
Alfred
British America
------
The next letter is even shorter than the last. This time, the writing is in carefully practiced cursive. The lines are thick as though they had been written slowly and by an unsure hand.
Dear Arthur,
A ship came here a while ago and you weren’t on any of them! But some of your people were on there and they brought back letters from your house. They say there are new rules we have to follow now because you said so.
I didn’t get a letter from you. Did you forget? I’m giving this letter to one of my friends who is going over to your house. He promised you would get this letter.
Love,
Alfred
------
The fourth letter is in more practiced cursive. His lines are more confident and this time, his lines resemble something that looks like. . . well, lines. Arthur is proud of his colony but he frowns when he reads the letter.
Arthur,
I know you got my last letter, Franklin told me he gave it to you. Why didn’t you write back?
-Alfred
------
Arthur almost doesn’t want to open the next letter but he does. Reluctantly, he opens the envelope and unfolds the paper. Alfred’s penmanship has greatly improved. His words are written with confidence and in well practiced hand. His lines are straight. The entire format of the letter is incredibly more organized and neat compared to past ones and he wonders how many times Alfred had to rewrite this to get it right.
Arthur,
You can’t find the time to respond to my letters but you send men to carryyou’re your acts?! Your bosses aren’t even answering the letters sent by my people. Are you ignoring us? It feels like it.
You should be here, Arthur. Or at the very least, write back. If you don’t respond, my next letter will be my last.
-Alfred
America
------
This time, he receives his letter from Alfred yet. He reads the lighter first page and is shocked at how simple it is. There isn’t a beginning; not a ‘dear Arthur’ or even an ‘Arthur.’
It’s over.
-United States of America
He sets the first page on the ground and begins to read the following pages which Alfred calls, “The Unanimous declaration of the thirteen united states of America” and begins to read the first line.
Once he is finished, he covers his face with his hands and shakes his head in disbelief. There’s a sound that resembles something like a cry and he regains himself. Carefully, he folds the letters and places them in a box on top of his desk, on top of all of Alfred’s other letters and his unsent responses.
Dear Arthur,
How are you? I know you say you have to go away because you have to take care of your home and other colonies so I was wondering how long it would take. You said you would be back soon but you aren’t here yet.
I’m practicing my lessons like you wanted me to. I can read now and I’m learning how to write better, can you see? I’m learning about science and history and all sorts of things. When you come back, I’ll show you some of the things I learned!
France visited a little while ago. He said he was here for trade and just wanted to visit Mattie and make sure he was all right but he couldn’t find him. He gave me a jacket before he left. It’s really stuffy though. I think I might give it to Mattie instead.
I’m learning how to write cursive now! When you visit, I’ll show you!
I really miss you, Arthur. Come back soon, please? I’m taking care of everything like you told me to.
Love,
Alfred
British America
------
The next letter arrives a few months or so later. The writing is still in print but it’s much neater. There are no longer blotches of ink on the paper but some of the words are still marked out because the boy doesn’t know how to write a single thought and stick to it yet. The lines still slope down the page but at least now Arthur can tell they’re supposed to be lines instead of angles.
Dear Arthur,
You didn’t write back to my last letter but I figured it just got lost at sea. I think it’s because the ocean is so big, it loses its way sometimes. If you were closer, my letters wouldn’t get lost so often. I thought that maybe, if travelling was too much trouble for you, I could come to your house. Could I?
Sorry this is so short, I had to write it down really fast so they would take it in time! They promised you would get this one.
Love,
Alfred
British America
------
The next letter is even shorter than the last. This time, the writing is in carefully practiced cursive. The lines are thick as though they had been written slowly and by an unsure hand.
Dear Arthur,
A ship came here a while ago and you weren’t on any of them! But some of your people were on there and they brought back letters from your house. They say there are new rules we have to follow now because you said so.
I didn’t get a letter from you. Did you forget? I’m giving this letter to one of my friends who is going over to your house. He promised you would get this letter.
Love,
Alfred
------
The fourth letter is in more practiced cursive. His lines are more confident and this time, his lines resemble something that looks like. . . well, lines. Arthur is proud of his colony but he frowns when he reads the letter.
Arthur,
I know you got my last letter, Franklin told me he gave it to you. Why didn’t you write back?
-Alfred
------
Arthur almost doesn’t want to open the next letter but he does. Reluctantly, he opens the envelope and unfolds the paper. Alfred’s penmanship has greatly improved. His words are written with confidence and in well practiced hand. His lines are straight. The entire format of the letter is incredibly more organized and neat compared to past ones and he wonders how many times Alfred had to rewrite this to get it right.
Arthur,
You can’t find the time to respond to my letters but you send men to carryyou’re your acts?! Your bosses aren’t even answering the letters sent by my people. Are you ignoring us? It feels like it.
You should be here, Arthur. Or at the very least, write back. If you don’t respond, my next letter will be my last.
-Alfred
America
------
This time, he receives his letter from Alfred yet. He reads the lighter first page and is shocked at how simple it is. There isn’t a beginning; not a ‘dear Arthur’ or even an ‘Arthur.’
It’s over.
-United States of America
He sets the first page on the ground and begins to read the following pages which Alfred calls, “The Unanimous declaration of the thirteen united states of America” and begins to read the first line.
Once he is finished, he covers his face with his hands and shakes his head in disbelief. There’s a sound that resembles something like a cry and he regains himself. Carefully, he folds the letters and places them in a box on top of his desk, on top of all of Alfred’s other letters and his unsent responses.