The Sixth Letter from Her

April 25, 1995

Dahyun walked inside the post office, there weren’t a lot of people, she sighed in relief. That was a good thing. Because it meant she would be able to write her letter in peace.

She could have sent her letter sooner, in the comfort of her home. So she wanted to blame herself for doing it here at the post office. Only because she ate something bad during a dinner she had with the Chous and the home remedies Tzuyu’s mom gave made her drowsy and she ended up sleeping early and then spending the rest of the days trying to feel better. Dahyun wondered if N was waiting for her reply. Dahyun still had her last letter kept inside her bag, because she worried that she was going to miss out on details that she wanted to respond to.

But she understood N’s concern. A stamp at the moment was around two hundred won, or more, depending on Dahyun if she wanted to make her letter special. Then again, it seemed like N was the type to notice that, so she wouldn’t want their letter exchanges to end so soon just because she would be spending a little more money on a stamp.

So, the regular, cheap ones should do.

Dahyun just hoped that each time she would be sending N a letter, it would do something for the woman. The very least, she wished that it gave N comfort. Even if N ignored some of the things she had written, at least there were several choices to answer.

She was hopeful.

So, Dahyun settled down on one of the seats after greeting the person behind the counter. She crossed her legs, placed her bag on top of her lap and gently positioned her paper there. With much confidence, she started writing.

Dear N,

I am happy to inform you that stamps aren’t that expensive here in Taiwan. I won’t tell you the price, so you won’t have to worry about that. I send my letters to you not because I pity you. But it’s because I want to. I think from the way you write your letters, you’re also very interesting to talk to.

Also, apologies for taking too long to send a reply, I had food poisoning and wasn’t able to write as soon as I got your letter. I’m feeling better though.

You mentioned in your last letter that you watched a movie, what movie did you watch? Was it good at least? I haven’t watched a movie in a theater in a long time. Could be because of my work, or that I didn’t have the extra money to spend on commuting to one and affording a ticket. My best friend would usually offer to pay one for me whenever she wanted to watch something and needed company. But then met someone who’s from Japan and they’re very much in love. I’m happy for them.

Also, I have sent letters to my mom and best friend. They will be sent off along with this letter too. But I think the world of technology is starting to come upon us and they’re going to abolish sending letters once they find a faster way. Just like what they did with telegrams. My work required me to create an electronic email, or whatever they called it. I had a hard time figuring it out since I haven’t used a computer in my life.

Do you have electronic mail? Would that be easier for you if you’re worried about the cost of stamps and the delivery?

I guess this is me saying that I don’t want us to stop talking. We can talk about anything you want. We don’t have to talk about your problem. Only when you’re comfortable.

But please, reply to me. I want to get to know you more, I’m happy to tell you anything about me as well.

PS. I’m glad you’re telling me something about yourself. I bet you have a lovely singing voice. I wish I could hear it someday.

Sincerely,
D