The Letter

Story

A letter is always a most welcome surprise. And especially so when a bear is far from home and vacationing by the deep blue sea.

Millie wrote:

Dearest Amelia,

How are you, ol’ holiday girl? What a time you must be having down there by the ocean. Half your bear-luck.

The village is much the same. The gardens are faring well, although still soggy. There’s been lots more rain since you left. But won’t the flowers be glorious come spring? Just you wait and see. The frogs are certainly happy.

Paddy took a fall last Tuesday. But not to worry, he hurt nothing but his pride. Still, widow Perkins insists on bringing him healing tea and scones every afternoon. Paddy doesn’t seem to mind too much, either. Everyone is talking about where this might lead.

Trevor’s twelve geese got loose again. This time they made it as far as Blueberry Pond. Constable Higgins rounded them up and took them home in a hay wagon. The geese seemed genuinely pleased with the whole adventure. Of course Trevor is a nervous wreck. He just can’t figure out how they are getting through the gate. He said he had it double padlocked this time. Smart geese, I’d say.

The new school teacher is fitting in nicely. He attends almost every village event, and everyone likes him ever so much. He’s so friendly and so handsome.

Well, that’s all from me. Keep having fun and write back soon.

Lots of love, Millie

Anything else?

Oh yes, look, there’s a drawing in the bottom margin. Goodness, is that Auntie Edna on her bicycle? I believe it is. So she’s finally got the brakes fixed and inflated the tires. Good for her. The village wasn’t the same without her peddling back and forth along main street ten times a day.

She turned the letter over. Oh, nothing more. But what about the important news?

Does the schoolteacher still wear those gorgeous pinstripe suits? Does his auburn fur still glisten when he takes his morning walks through the river mist? But most importantly, might his thoughts sometimes linger on a certain bear so very far from home?

Their first meeting and formal introduction had been brief, and certainly not one you’d expect to change lives. Yet no sooner had their eyes met than her heart skipped a beat before resuming with a loud, insistent thumping. And when the schoolteacher blushed while stammering out his greeting, she knew he’d felt something, too.

But then she had to leave.

The long train journey gave her ample time to ponder what had happened. After hours of repeatedly replaying the encounter in her mind, she at last decided it must have been fate that brought them together. How else could she explain her thumping heart and the school teacher’s deep blushing?

When the train had finally reached the seashore station, her thoughts could do little except spiral round and round the memory of the schoolteacher’s twinkling eyes.

And now she’d been away from the village for three weeks. Might he have forgotten her in that time? Oh my goodness, he hadn’t started dating someone, had he?

Sigh.