The unopened letter
“This is for you,” Nanna said as she handed me a small cardboard box.
The box was yellowing with age. Through the brownish spots covering the surface I could still see tiny pictures. Fairy tale characters. Snow White, the seven dwarfs, little red riding hood, the big bad wolf and grandma. All dancing around a giant blue candied egg.
Nanna went on to tell me the story of the box. How her father had given it to her in 1933, for Easter. It was to be her last present before he died. She was only seven years of age at the time.
What a journey this little box and Nanna had been on together. Somehow she 'd kept them both safe. They 'd survived the London Blitz and post war England. By May 1961, they’d made the sea voyage …show more content…
“Are you sure Nanna?”
“I haven 't been able to. The last time I looked inside was 1947.”
Removing the lid from the box I felt like I was opening an ancient tomb. Inside, in almost perfect condition were Nanna 's personal letters and a little black book. I could barely contain my excitement.
Turning the fragile pages of the book, I couldn 't help but smile. There were names of soldiers from England, America, Canada and Czechoslovakia. Each had their rank. A few had some ‘saucy’ notes.
"Are you ashamed of me? For having a book filled with men?" Nanna asked.
"Of course not. I love you more than anything,” I answered
As I spoke those words, I couldn 't believe what I was reading. My prim and proper grandmother had another life. Gone was this stoic Englishwoman I 'd known all my life. I imagined a flirtatious, fun loving, vivacious young woman with the world at her feet.
Nanna continued, “It was a different time. These boys needed something to look forward to. We went to dances at the USO. Then when they went back to the front we exchanged letters. Sometimes we wrote things we didn 't mean. To give them hope. Anything we could to bring them home …show more content…
"The love of my life. We were to get married. But, your great grandmother wouldn 't let us.”
“What do you mean, Nanna?”
“She didn 't want me marrying an American. Moving to the other side of the world. Lou was from Cleveland, Ohio.”
"What happened?" I asked.
"I don 't know,” She replied. “We kept writing to each other. I even wrote to his sister Opal.”
“If you loved each other why didn 't you get married? Elope?”
“We couldn 't. We kept begging your great grandmother to let us get married. Her answer was always the same. No! Then one day Lous’ letters just stopped. I never heard from him again.”
Something did add up. Nanna and Grandad had married in 1946. Dad was born in 1947, which means Nanna was already pregnant. Curiosity got the better of me.
“How did you end up marrying grandad?”
"Your grandfather started writing to me towards the end of the war. He was in the English Army," Nanna continued. "You see he was more acceptable. He was a Londoner. Your two great grandmothers were friends. It was expected."
I continued removing the letters from the box. One by one. Some from grandad. Some from Lou. Both men expressing their undying love for my nanna.
"Did you love
“This is for you,” Nanna said as she handed me a small cardboard box.
The box was yellowing with age. Through the brownish spots covering the surface I could still see tiny pictures. Fairy tale characters. Snow White, the seven dwarfs, little red riding hood, the big bad wolf and grandma. All dancing around a giant blue candied egg.
Nanna went on to tell me the story of the box. How her father had given it to her in 1933, for Easter. It was to be her last present before he died. She was only seven years of age at the time.
What a journey this little box and Nanna had been on together. Somehow she 'd kept them both safe. They 'd survived the London Blitz and post war England. By May 1961, they’d made the sea voyage …show more content…
“Are you sure Nanna?”
“I haven 't been able to. The last time I looked inside was 1947.”
Removing the lid from the box I felt like I was opening an ancient tomb. Inside, in almost perfect condition were Nanna 's personal letters and a little black book. I could barely contain my excitement.
Turning the fragile pages of the book, I couldn 't help but smile. There were names of soldiers from England, America, Canada and Czechoslovakia. Each had their rank. A few had some ‘saucy’ notes.
"Are you ashamed of me? For having a book filled with men?" Nanna asked.
"Of course not. I love you more than anything,” I answered
As I spoke those words, I couldn 't believe what I was reading. My prim and proper grandmother had another life. Gone was this stoic Englishwoman I 'd known all my life. I imagined a flirtatious, fun loving, vivacious young woman with the world at her feet.
Nanna continued, “It was a different time. These boys needed something to look forward to. We went to dances at the USO. Then when they went back to the front we exchanged letters. Sometimes we wrote things we didn 't mean. To give them hope. Anything we could to bring them home …show more content…
"The love of my life. We were to get married. But, your great grandmother wouldn 't let us.”
“What do you mean, Nanna?”
“She didn 't want me marrying an American. Moving to the other side of the world. Lou was from Cleveland, Ohio.”
"What happened?" I asked.
"I don 't know,” She replied. “We kept writing to each other. I even wrote to his sister Opal.”
“If you loved each other why didn 't you get married? Elope?”
“We couldn 't. We kept begging your great grandmother to let us get married. Her answer was always the same. No! Then one day Lous’ letters just stopped. I never heard from him again.”
Something did add up. Nanna and Grandad had married in 1946. Dad was born in 1947, which means Nanna was already pregnant. Curiosity got the better of me.
“How did you end up marrying grandad?”
"Your grandfather started writing to me towards the end of the war. He was in the English Army," Nanna continued. "You see he was more acceptable. He was a Londoner. Your two great grandmothers were friends. It was expected."
I continued removing the letters from the box. One by one. Some from grandad. Some from Lou. Both men expressing their undying love for my nanna.
"Did you love