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Wednesday 9 November 2011
Tuesday 8 November 2011
First Letter
Monday 7th of November, 1932
Dear Joseph:
I am sorry, I have taken a very long time to answer your last letter, but things are not quite right in here. I will tell you what you asked last time, but let me start from the very first beginning of it...
My house, which is quite large as I live with my parents, my two little brethren and my grandmother, was built by my grandfather when he got to Nashville, with wood he cut down by his own, in a near forest; besides, with stones he collected from the river. The houses in Nashville are very similar, as they all have a wooden porch on the front side and tall river’s stones-made smokestacks; then my grandfather was not pretty creative. But Granny was not either: our yard is a green grass esplanade surrounded by walnut trees. That’s very typical.
On ice-made winters we huddle around the fireplace while Granny tells us stories for us to fall asleep. In contrast, summers are quite hot, so I spend the afternoons having lemonade served by our cook on the porch, with my friends. Nashville is quite strange to live, in terms of weather, Joseph.
As many of my pals’ parents could solve their economical troubles properly, the neighbourhood keeps on being a nice place to live. That’s why Dylan and Emma are still able to accompany me to watch the dancing coloured people, who live just behind our houses. They are such a great dancers! On the further corner, between dirty cats, lives one of its most characteristic women, Mad Minnie. Mad Minnie’s house is full-filled with all the dirty-wandering cats she finds. Ella, our cook, says that when she got to town, all the mice ran away from her house, and got into the neighbours’.
I’m still waiting for that photograph, Joseph! How is everything going around there?
Yours affectionately,
Frank
Fourth Letter
Monday 4th of December, 1932
Dear Joseph:
As you must know, because of the World War lost, the United Stated has lent money to many European countries, for them to fix all the damages that they suffered. However, due to the 29 economical crises, many North American workers got unemployed. The government, throughout Franklin Roosevelt management, has promoted an ambitious plan called “The New Deal”.
“The New Deal” will provide jobs for more than 8500000 people, who had lost their job due to the great depression, specifically on manual labour! On that way, more public jobs will be made, and we’ll fix the trouble without having to increase the taxes or taking any more dramatic decision, which could impair over many other people who wasn’t affected on a very first beginning.
The use of radios has been amazingly extended; nowadays everybody has almost one radio at home. Here in Nashville, there is a sort of lack of a wide variety of programmes because of our isolation from the rest of the country. That’s what happens to the Southerners!
Sincerely yours,
Frank
Third Letter
Monday 28th of November, 1932
Dear Joseph:
I’m so sad you won’t be able to pass Christmas with us! Little Alice was pretty cheerful about you coming to town... We are in 5th grade and are up to start our vacation at last, as school is finally ending. It’s a little bit annoying to be disabled to learn in a proper way, without all those printed cards teachers show to us. Miss Anne told us she didn’t like it either but she had to teach us on the principal’s way. This system is called Decimal Dewey and has been implemented this year by first time. Does your school follow it? I hope it doesn't.
School is full of folks, as always; but I’m sure they won’t last more than three months, after Christmas, they won’t come back, and will have to repeat the grade once again. Dylan, Emma and I, enjoy breaks playing to the war and collecting insects in the creek. It's pretty funny! When school days end, we often go to the coloured people land, which is just behind our houses to watch them dance and play with their children. Emma’s mother doesn’t like her to meet those “negroes”, as she calls them. Dad has taught me not to call them on that way; he says it’s pretty offensive...
Sometimes, we go to this forest that’s near to our landing to climb some trees and collect fruits, that then we sell to the smaller kids. How silly they all are! A quater each is quite a fortune...
Sincerely yours,
Frank
Second Letter
Monday 21st of November, 1932
Dear Joseph:
How are you and your aunt? Even everything is messing up because of the post-world war economical crisis, throughout my parents’ job and effort, we have been able to keep our high standard of living, without us, kids, having to work to help with the finances.
The last weekend, on Sunday, we enjoyed a boring evening in the beach, as the custom says. Ella prepared the usual picnic that we ate while we played checkers. Alice, the youngest, could not understand the game well, but she had fun anyway handing the red and black chips, until she got bored and stood from Mom’s lamp to drown her doll. As checkers ended, Dad and I went fishing to the lake, while Mom and Granny watched kids playing. As sun set, Dad and I came back and showed to the rest of the family our trophies: a couple of huge silver trout. Dylan and Emma, the friends of mine who I told you about in my last letter, invited me to hang around the town as they have already accomplished with their Sunday family responsibilities. But, even I begged Dad to let me go with them, he denied my request. “Frank”, he said, “you perfectly know what you got to do on Sunday: family comes first”. So I said goodbye to them and saw them go away sadly. I don’t know why we cannot just go to the cinema instead of doing this entire boring staff, or even why I’m not supposed to drink coke.
We got home at dinner time and took off all the common white clothes wore on Sunday, to wear instead others more comfortable. Then, we gathered around the radio trying to tune Sunday’s musical programme in. As we couldn’t, we had dinner earlier, when we listened to Mom’s news: Stuarts’ daughter is expecting! Then, Granny started to criticize how times change... An unmarried girl expecting is a sin accordin to her!
Next week, Dad and I are taking the kids to our landing for them to learn to hunt and shoot at last. Dad was taking too much time... They are very excited! However, Mom’s worried about little Alice turning into a tomboy.
Are you visiting us for Christmas? Ask your Aunt!
Sincerely yours,
Frank
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