THE LETTERS

CHAPTER THREE:THE ADDRESS

Tommy stared at them dazzled.They were some pollaroid pictures of his mother and a man.Tommy had never seen the man before.He had a look at all of the pictures since they were not very many and in all the pictures ,the man was there!His mother looked young,happy and in most of the pictures,she was smilling.Could the man be Tommy's father?All of his attention was on the man in the pictures.What made him even more curious about the man was that he had eyes just like his and his hair looked just like his.Tommy took one of the pictures and placed it in his hands .He walked to the mirror and place the picture infornt of his face.Tommy was shocked to see that the man looked exactly like him,only that he was older.From the mirror he saw something that he had not  seen before,it was something like a text in one of the letters.He quickly ran to have a look at it.It read;

''New York,2000,Jane and Jamie Stanley,lovebirds.''

The text might have confirmed it!The man might just be Tommy's father.Tommy could not believe he was seeing his father for the very first time.Although it was not in person,he was still very excited to see him.Tommy however wondered why his name was Hopper and not Stanley ,but that did not bother him much when he discovered something even better,LETTERS.A couple of them.He knew he did not have much time to read all of them since his mother was about to arrive.He decided to pick one that was different from the others,the one that had a pink ribbon attached to the envelope.He opened it carefully not intending to make a mess.It read:

Jamie Stanley,

Kenya,Nairobi 1000,

11/6/2000.

Dear Jamie,

I'll always remember the first time we met .You were so handsome,and your smile took my breath away.I did not know if i'd ever be able to be brave enough to talk to you,but you made it so easy!How I wonder why you don't keep in touch nowadays.It has been exactly three months since you left and you have not even called to check up on me and our baby.How I hope that you are doing well in Africa.I hope that you received the other letter I sent two weeks ago.I forgot to mention that we moved into a smaller house since we could not afford the other house.Maybe you can send me some money to pay the house rent this month.Things have been really tough since you left and it has been hard managing the bills.Jamie,please come soon.You always lift my spirit and assurence that everything is going to be okay because we are in this together.You are my teammate,my best friend,my lover and my soulmate.I love you.

With Much Affection,

Jane.

PS:He kicked twice today!

Tommy then realised that his father had moved to Africa.Something even bigger,he could reach out to him through mail.

''Tommy,I'm home!''said Jane.

''No,no,no,no...this is bad.I have to clear this mess and return the box to where it was''Tommy said  to himself.

''Coming mom!!Just a minute!''Tommy shouted.

Tommy quickly returned everything in the box and placed it where it was.Well,not everything,he hid the letter with the pink ribbon.He left the room as it was before and hurried off to his mother.

''What were you doing Tommy?''she asked

''Just doing my homework mommy,nothing much.''Tommy hesitated

''Are you sure?''Jane asked.

Just like his acting skills,Tommy was terrible at lying. The boy just couldn't lie.

''Yes mommy,I was just doing my homework.''Tommy said.

''Okay ,how was school then?''she asked

''Just fine.''Tommy said with a sad face.

The thing was that Tommy never told his mother that the kids at school made fun of him.He preferred keeping it to himself.However,Jane always suspected it but she couldn't do anything since she did not have the money to take him to a better school.

''Did the kids in school make fun of you again?''she asked.

''No mom!Everything went well,nobody made fun of me....Why would they?''he said nervously.

''Okay,Okay,just asking.No need of getting all grumpy.Have you eaten anything?''she asked.

''Not yet,I arrived and began doing my homework immeaditely.''said Tommy.

''Okay,have some bread and juice as I freshen up then maybe we can cook dinner together?''said Jane.

''Sure thing mommy!''Tommy said

Tommy ran to hide the letter in a better place.He then sat down to have his bread and juice .He thought about the pictures and the letters.After a long day, his moods started to lighten up.He had finally found a way of getting in touch with his father.Tommy had high hopes that his father would reply and come back home to them.

''So what's for supper?''Jane asked

''I was thinking Pasta.''Tommy responded

''I thought you hated Pasta?''Jane asked

''I do!Sometimes you've just got to try things even though you know it will not work out.Maybe in the end it will.''said Tommy.

''Okay....are you sure this is all about the pasta or is there something you wanna tell me?''asked Jane.

''Nop!It's all about the Pasta mommy.I just want to try something new.''Tommy said.

''Come here my boy,before we start cooking there is something I want to tell you and I want you to promise me that you will always remember this..Okay?''she asked.

''I promise mommy.''Tommy said.

''Have you heard of a poet called Douglas Malloch?''Jane asked

''Nop!Is he alive?''Tommy asked.

''No,he died ,but he was very good at his words,he once said:

If you can't be a pine on top of a hill,

Be a scrub in the valley_but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush,if you can't be a tree

If you can't be a bush,be a bit of the grass,

And some highway nappier make:

If you can't be a muskie,then just be a bass_

But be the liveliest bass in the lake .

We can't all be captains,we've got to be crew,

There's something for all of us here,

There's big work to do and there's lesser to do

And the task we must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway,then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun,be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or fail_

Be the best of whatever you are!

''Always remember that Tommy okay...I love you my boy.''Jane said

''Thank you mommy,I love you more.''Tommy said

''Now let's get cooking,shall we?''asked Jane

''Sure!I hope I don't vomit all night.''Tommy said

''I hope so too.''Jane said as she chuckled