Letters to a Mysterious Stranger [ONGOING]

Moving Forward

Note: Long time no see dear readers! I am very sorry for the lack of updates, but I have been busy the past year, changing countries, Phd, etc. But with all this, I must confess that Judy is always in my mind. In many ways, I am Judy.

Anyway, I have made a number of changes almost all the previous chapters that it would be difficult to list them all here: but they include new letters, extended scenes, setting changes, and a number of character background changes. I do hope they make the story better and the characters richer. *See July 29 2015 in Author's Notes

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(Sent on Sept 2nd, Monday, 5:58 pm, Llanishen Street)

To: prisoner24601@mpu.edu.ph

From: jerusha.abad@gmail.com

Dear Zorro,

It's done!

Julia and I submitted our dissertations this morning, and we are celebrating right now by opening my last can of Argentina corned beef and last pack of Boy Bawang. I know it may sound silly to you who live back home where you can just get a maid to get one can for you at the nearest tindahan, but of the taste of the everyday back home is a luxury here. You probably don't even eat Argentina corned beef since you are too rich for it. I think of you more as a Hereford guy. But then again, you might be a vegetarian, which I think is the smartest diet ever if one can stand the thought of not having meat ever. But I digress.

As Julia and I were reveling in a state of postprangial somnolence (also known as baboy mode), one thought jolted me up: I will be going back home soon, and I am not yet ready to say goodbye to everyone. I don't want to. Still, going back home means being near where you are. Not that it matters since you will never show yourself to me, but it just a nice feeling knowing that in some way, I am geographically closer to you.

Now about you-know-who, I haven't heard from him for a while. I have learned to cope with his silence, as he probably learned to cope with mine.

I have to pack soon. I'm helping Julia move into her new flat in London that she will be sharing with another girl, and we will also be meeting Sally at the port with Jimmy. After that, I'll be back here for a bit before I set off for Edinburgh.

Yes, school is over but this will still be a very busy month.

Judy

(Sent on Sept 5th, Thursday, 9:14 pm, Romford Road)

To: prisoner24601@mpu.edu.ph

From: jerusha.abad@gmail.com

Dear Zorro,

Julia is settling in a small flat in East London with Dina, a Muslim Filipino student who is an acquaintance of Jimmy's, and I am staying with both of them for the meantime since the Natividads have other guests in their house. Dina's writing up her dissertation about English language use in contact centers, and Julia helping her out with her funding project. I'm glad she offered us a place, since Tita Edith couldn't since the Natividads have relatives over from the Philippines in the next few weeks, but we visited them last weekend. Dina is a mother too, and she has a huge wallpaper with her son and her husband. It must be hard to miss the people you love. Living with her means, that we don't get to cook pork, and that's ok. I realize how fatty our diet is anyway.

Julia's a bit uncomfortable in the neighborhood she moved into. They live quite close to several halal stores and a mosque. It is definitely a predominantly Muslim community, so there are so many women wearing veils and guys with beards. Julia keeps clutching my arm every time we walk out. It doesn't help that we meet a lot of people who look like Osama Bin Laden. As we were walking the other day she tightly clutched my arm and whispered, "Do you think they'll bomb our place?"