𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝘆 [ 𝚁𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚘𝚛 ]

꧁10꧂

16th August 1976

To Rogerina

Thank you for telling me about my sister. Honestly, if we weren't related I'd have sent her packing a long time ago. She's finally stopped whining, and went back to work today. Peace and quiet! I hope Freddie is ok, that was out of order to say, especially as I know she brought a girl home last night. Unless some strange woman named her son Amelia!

I'm pleased to tell you that Kathryn gave birth last night...to a healthy baby...
BOY!
I named it Keith Salazar Taylor, as that was your favourite name. I'm relieved it wasn't a girl so I didn't have to consider Karen haha!
Did you know newborn koalas are the size of a jellybean?
Can you believe we're grandparents now? Oh Roger he's absolutely adorable, the cutest thing I've ever seen. As promised, a picture is attached.

Expired pickled eggs? Rog you can't be serious! You can't live like that! I feel awful now, sitting here eating a bowl of Chicken Parmigiana all to myself. I wish it was possible to smuggle food in the envelope.

Please don't get shitfaced. It definitely doesn't solve any problems, but please go to a food bank or something, I can't bare to think of you starving, or Freddie for that matter.

Take care lovely
Hugs
Angel Ava xx

➪➪➪➪➪

23rd August 1976

Dear Ava

I know she's your sister, but I wish she was more bearable for you. You deserve better.
Freddie is fine, he's used to it.

KEITH IS THE MOST ADORABLE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN
That's it I'm flying out to Sydney right now to see him.
Actually I'm broke, never mind.

Speaking of money, I actually was going to to ask if you maybe wanted to call sometime soon? As much as I love your singing voice, I want to have an actual conversation. Obviously it wouldn't be very long due to my skint ass, but would you be able to afford it?
Don't worry about us starving though lovely, we'll get to the food bank if we need it. Tonight for dinner we have - a pot of expired yogurt. After a while your body actually gets used to rotten food haha!

Going to have to cut this short, sorry
Hope we can speak soon
Hugs
Rogerina xx

➪➪➪➪➪➪

Once again, Ava's heart shattered. Her friend was clearly going through something and now he wasn't even eating enough.

She wanted desperately to have a phone call with him, but she didn't want him to waste money he could use for food.

I wonder how much a call to the U.K. is she thought absentmindedly.

"Char?" Her sister popped her head round the bedroom door.

"What's up?" Ava hesitated slightly before continuing.

"Do you know how much a call to the U.K. would cost?"

"I think it's something like $5 a minute roughly - why?" Her face lit up.

"Ok thank you-" Before Charlotte could get an explanation, Ava was out the door on the way to the bank. Last year, she had run a sand surfing course for some kids at a summer long camp, and had been saving her earnings from that. She had enough to pay for her own call, Roger's call and some extra for him to buy some proper food.

After exchanging her Australian dollars into pounds, Ava got to work writing a reply.

➪➪➪➪➪➪

30th August 1976

Hi Rogerina!

I would love to call you! Why would I say no to that? Oh, because of the money situation. Well, you'll be surprised to hear my dumbass brain managed to come up with a solution.

Charlotte said that calls to the U.K. were about $5 a minute (for once she said something mildly helpful) so I went to the bank and took out some money. Since my job last summer I have been saving up.

If you wondered, I ran a sand surfing course for different groups of kids every week. It actually paid really well.

As I had quite a lot in there, I decided to send you some money in this letter. Don't worry, it's been converted into pounds! There's enough for a 2 hour call. Calling was £3 a minute so there is £40 plus extra to get you some proper food. I don't care of you buy it at the cheapest store, just buy loads of stuff, I beg of you. I can't stand the thought of you struggling. It breaks my heart.

You won't want to take it, but I don't want it back, so you'll have to use it.
I can't wait to finally hear your voice
Hugs
Angel Ava xx

If you think I just spent 20 minutes converting dollars into pounds and trying to work out how much she needed to send him for a 2 hour call you would be absolutely correct