The family gathered at her favorite Chinese buffet. A triple dozen kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and their significant others.
Caitlin stood and clinked her glass to get their attention. Her voice trembled at first, but she breathed deep. “Thank you for being here.”
Throat aching, she pushed on. “You know how Mama loved her typewriter. It was her most cherished gift from Daddy. She asked me to share a letter with you, and a gift for everyone.”
Don set a clanking box on the table and withdrew a handful of gleaming metal. A typewriter key dangled from each keychain.
After he’d handed them out, Caitlin said, “Here’s the letter.”
Hello, dear ones,
Arnie wasn’t too good at talking about his feelings, but that man sure could write. We typed so many letters on our Underwood. It healed rifts, solved problems, and kept our marriage hot.
Caitlin waited out the laughter. Mama and Daddy had always been mad passionate about each other.
We were together 42 years. I can’t wait to see him again. We poured so much love over every key, I wanted to share that love with you.
You are such a blessing.
Mary Alice
Silence fell. After a moment, Mindy raised her glass. “To Nana. She typed ninety words a minute but couldn’t text LOL.”
Laughter, tears, and more toasts followed.
Later, Caitlin let herself into her condo and flipped on the light. Merlin slept on top of a bunch of papers that had spilled from one of Mama’s boxes. “Merlin, bad cat,” she scolded. He meowed sleepily.
She picked up the stack and her eyes caught on the typed words “…how I love sucking your milk…”
What in the world? It was dated October 2, 1970. Face burning, she read:
My lovely Mary Alice,
You grow more beautiful with each child. I love your large breasts, your thick, rosy nipples. You know how I love sucking your milk. Such sweetness. Even the thought makes me hard.
I have planned a special evening Friday. Dinner from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Loraine will keep the children, so I’ll have you to myself. I’m ravenous, darling. Are you ready for me?
Your beloved,
Arnie
She flipped to the next page. It was from Mama, with phrases like, “…throb for you…” and “…take me hard…”
She skimmed a few more letters, stunned by their passion. She had always known they loved each other. But what child thinks of her parents as sexual creatures, as lovers?
She immersed herself in the strong current of their love, eventually reaching the final letter.
My lovely Mary Alice,
If the kids knew what dirty things we got up to. LOL! Wonder if anyone ever typed LOL on an Underwood?
I’ve loved you more with every day. The cancer is taking me away for now, but we’ll see each other soon, I know it.
You have blessed my life.
Your beloved,
Arnie
In her elegant script, Mama had written next to his name, “Good-bye, my beloved.”
—–
Last Letter ©2016 by Devi Ansevi.
Posted for your enjoyment, the May bolt of Friday Flash. F. Leonora Solomon hosts and curates a monthly flash fiction collection. Stories are written using an image prompt, such as this month’s image of an Underwood typewriter.
Check out more delicious entries (and consider posting your own!) at the Friday Flash site.
wow, i was not ready for those sexy letters!!! *fans* thanks for contributing!!! xxx
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Thank you for hosting this wonderful meme, Leonora! Every prompt is so thought-provoking, providing a wonderful canvas to move the response in so many directions.
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Oh how lovely – actually I sobbed at the final line x x x
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Thank you, Tabitha. I did, too – it brought back memories of my grandmother and how much she missed my grandfather when he passed.
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I’ll have to try hard to think of when I have enjoyed a story more. This is one for you to be proud of, filled with so many gems… like, She typed ninety words a minute but couldn’t text LOL. and Wonder if anyone ever typed LOL on an Underwood?. The best part, it was believable and moving, I did tear up at the end because I cared.
One other thing. It’s funny how we think about our parents having sex (thank God they did). My daughters would die if they knew the things I’ve done. Good story, thank you.
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p.s. I just saw that you featured one of my stories on your ‘Posts I Like’. Thank you for that.
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I am proud of this one, Elliott, and so touched by your and others’ comments. I teared up writing it. My grandparents shared this kind of passion. My mom told stories about how they’d have blazing rows, and then when they were ready to make up, they’d send the kids to the movie theater and tell them to stay through two matinees.
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Reblogged this on Life of Elliott… and all that jizz and commented:
I am always impressed with the writing on Flash Friday, but did not think I would be touched in the way this story did . Enjoy this story from Devi’s typewriter, I did.
Looking forward to writing for Flash Friday soon.
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Passion and love know no boundaries. I am learning this as I grow older and unlearning all the things I thought were true when I was younger.
Tim
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Ohhh we explored very similar themes in our pieces, parental secret lives. Yours is beautiful and I love this line “To Nana. She typed ninety words a minute but couldn’t text LOL.”
Mollyxxx
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That is a cool coincidence, on my way to read yours.
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