Letters from Vietnam [Watty Awards 2012]

Chapter 1

            “Good morning, dad.” She greeted her father with a kiss on the cheek.

            “Morning, sweetheart.” He said back as he folded his newspaper back up. “Are you leaving for school?”

            Angela bit into her toast before saying, “Ten more minutes.”

            “Oh well on your way out can you drop this into the mailbox?” Her dad gave her an envelope which she figured had to do with the bills or the country club.

            She nodded. “Sure, dad.”

            “Thanks sweet pea, have a good day at school.” Her father said standing up from the table and kissing her on the forehead. Angela took another bit of her toast before hearing a car horn coming from outside her house. “That’d be my ride.” She gave her mom a kiss on the cheek before walking towards the door.

            Holding the pristine white envelope in her hand, she slapped her hand against her forehead as she darted up the stairs to get to her room. “I can’t believe I almost forgot.” She was breathless as she grabbed the envelope containing the letter from her nightstand before going back downstairs. Slinging her school bag over her shoulder, she bid her parents goodbye again and waltzed right out the door.

            “Hey Ang, let’s go!” Carly yelled from her car as Angela jogged down the driveway to drop the mail in the mail box.

            “Hold on!” Angela yelled back as she walked back up the driveway. Reaching Carly’s car, Angela opened the door and hopped in. “Let’s go!”  Carly laughed as she backed out of Angela’s driveway like a mad person. “Jesus Christ, don’t kill us!” Angela breathed feeling like she was about to have a heart attack.

            Carly rolled her eyes, “Oh relax I’m not that bad of a driver.”

            Angela controlled herself from saying, “So you think.”

            “Angela, where have you been like all weekend?” Holly, another one of Angela’s friends asked.

            She shrugged. “Nowhere, I just stayed home.”

            Carly scoffed. “Hanging out with the rents is more interesting that hanging out with us?”

            Angela rolled her eyes. “I didn’t hang out with my parents all weekend. I just found something more interesting, that’s all.”

            “What could be ‘more interesting’ than hanging out with your best friends.

            “I’d tell you, but I’d probably bore you.” She admitted refraining from tell her friends about the letter or Jason.

            Holy scoffed this time. “Try us.” She tested.

            Angela flipped back the flap of her messenger bag and pulled the letter out of the small pocket. “This is the reason why I didn’t see you guys this weekend.” She stated holding up the dingy brown envelope.

            “Gross, what is it?” Carly asked looking at it in disgust.

            “That dirty envelope was the reason you didn’t hang out with us this weekend? You can’t be serious.” Holly said.

            Angela sighed and shook her head as she put the letter back in her messenger bag. “This is the reason I don’t tell you guys everything. You just don’t get it.” She said closing her locker.

            “Look, we’re sorry, but what does that letter have to do with us?” Carly asked catching Angela by the elbow.

            Angela sighed and took a deep breath. “This letter wasn’t meant to go anywhere,” She looked around at the other students talking amongst themselves in small groups. “But it came to me.”

            Holly and Carly looked at their friend like she was crazy. “What are you talking about?” They both asked at the same time.

            “Look, there’s no receiver address and yet it came to my house.”

            “So you think this is a sign or something?” Carly asked.

            “When it comes from Vietnam, I think it is.” Angela stated as her friends looked at the dirty brown envelope in a different light.

            “Who wrote it?” Holly asked now holding the frail paper between her fingertips.

            Angela shrugged and said, “A boy named Jason.”

            “Well, what did you do?” Carly asked.

            “What do you mean?” She responded confused.

            Carly rolled her eyes. “Did you respond to the letter?”

            “Well, yea. I thought I should. I mailed it this morning.”

            Carly and Holly took turns looking at the envelope. It was like their whole tune had changed. Angela didn’t understand why they had a sudden change of heart, but it was as if they were thinking the same thing she was. What are the odds of this happening to anyone? Let alone me?