short story 6: postcards

hey you,

long time no talk! thought you forgot about me! as you can see from this postcard, i am in sunny Spain! dónde está la biblioteca? do you remember all those Spanish classes we took in school and now there’s not a lick of Spanish in me… a bit embarrassing to say the least… i catch stray words here and there but i still think of Ms. Gomez’s face when i hear the word for library hahaha!

the weather here is gorgeous! the sun is splitting the stones, as you would like to say. i am at the beach most days, reading trashy potboilers, sipping margaritas, and thinking about what i will do next in life. i will be here another week before i have to go back to college. for now, i will enjoy my time in the sun. God knows we don’t get enough back home!

mom’s complaining about me not taking college work seriously enough but i think i am doing quite well! but enough about me... tell me, what have you been up to!? are you still writing that epic sci-fi novel you talked about a while back? is adult life all that cracked up to be? and how is your dog Scout doing? questions burning in my mind as i sit in the Spanish sunlight!

love,

your bff forever

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Hey Bestie,

It has been a while! Sorry about replying so slowly to your postcards. I just started my new job and it was quite hectic. Oh well look at you in sunny Spain! Ms. Gomez would scold the feck out of you for not speaking Spanish there! I, myself, have also forgotten most of what I’ve learned but she really did like me best back then. She was a great teacher! Strict but not overbearing like Mr. Cod!

I am busy these days working in dreary London. I don’t know why I wanted to move to the big city but sure look here I am. I can’t complain though since I am getting paid way more than I thought I would ever get paid and I don’t have to eat beans on toast every second dinner! It’s been less than a year being an “adult” in the work force so I’ll get back to you on how great it is soon. I am sure next year will be different.

I hate to say it but your mom is always right! I trust her as much as my own mother! Sci-fi novel is a WIP as usual. When I get the time, I swear I will buckle down and get it finished! Scout is fine but she’s getting older these days. She doesn’t go on as many walks as she used to. Well taken care of though from what I’m told! I will write sooner next time! Promise!

Take care,

Daithi

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hey big D-dawg,

i can’t believe you missed Sam & Ellie’s wedding! they have been together for donkey’s years and you were always supposed to be a groomsman! the photos they posted were so wholesome. i wish i was there to see it but mom has been in the hospital for the past few weeks. she wasn’t doing so well so i had to keep her company. she told me to go but i stopped her fussing over it. NBD

i finally realised what you meant about the whole work/life balance. it’s a bit of a mess atm but i am holding it altogether somehow. one of my colleagues asked me out on a date! how scandalous! very forthright of him. he’s cute in a boy-ish way like George, you remember him in school? my first crush how could you forget, i talked about him endlessly! well the date is this weekend so hope for the best for me please!

i am really sorry to hear about Scout. i know she was getting up there but it still sucks. remember that all good boys go to heaven, even if they are a girl. i remember the 3 of us used to walk around the neighbourhood until the cows came home! i miss those care free times. i thought about us and all the aimless walks we took today during my morning walk. time really does fly doesn’t it huh…

love,

A-dawg

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Hey Aoife,

I am so sorry for not writing in so long! Feels like I am apologising to someone every day these days... Ciara and James’ wedding was lovely! I am glad I could squeeze that in along with my business trip. Very nice coincidence that they both occurred in Italy! I will see you soon! I will be back in the motherland in just a few short weeks! We must catch up then!

As for life on prison island, it is quite bland. Getting grilled at work for not fulfilling some KPIs but other than that they were satisfied. Blah blah blah boring work stuff! I started seeing someone each weekend lately. She’s smart and beautiful and way out of my league. I don’t know what she sees in me but then again I have never been good at seeing the best in me.

Sam & Ellie were asking for you the other day. We caught up for lunch and had a grand ol’ chat. They asked me how your boy toy is, or as I corrected them your fiancé! Crazy that you are getting married already! It feels so soon but I guess it really isn’t. Congrats again on this! He seems like a swell fella. Can’t wait to meet him soon.

Kind regards,

Daithi

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hey Daithi,

this will probably be my last postcard to you for a while. i won’t say forever since who knows, no one can predict the future but just for now. i knew we couldn’t send postcards forever. at first, it was our unique way to connect but i know it has been a chore for you lately. i can just tell about these things. it’s fine, life gets in the way, life moves on. it’s cool, i get it.

i wish you could have attended my mom’s funeral. you know i don’t ask much from you these days but it was really important to me that you came. i guess it didn’t really matter to you as you always say that “funeral’s are for the living” but it really hurt when i didn’t see you there when you said you’d be there... it’s part of the reason i am stopping these postcards.

i know you are busy in the big city all the time these days but some things in life only happen once and if you blink you will miss it. maybe it’s time you re-evaluate your priorities and what’s important in your life as it evidentially isn’t me. we have been best friends for so long, it is really sad that it’s ending this way...

Goodbye,

Aoife

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Dear Aoife,

I know it’s been a very long time but I was visiting home for the first time in a while and I came across that big tree we used climb all the time. You remember that big tree? We called it The Great Deku Tree after that game we played all summer. So anyway, I thought of you and our postcards and all the time we spent together and I’m feeling really ashamed of myself right now...

I have never been good at this so I guess I will start with saying sorry. I am sorry for not going to your mom’s funeral. I sincerely am. I won’t make any excuses on why since it’ll just cheapen my apology. I feel really bad about it even after all these years. You probably don’t think about me much these days since it’s been so long but I still read over all the postcards we sent each other.

It has taken a lot out of me to write this. If you could find it in your heart to forgive me, it would mean the world to me. I want to know how you are doing in general and in life. Things have kinda stood still for me. These days I am just going through the motions. What was that saying, Most men die at 27 but we bury them at 72. That’s me right now... I miss you and our chats. I would really like to talk to you again.

Yours sincerely,

Daithi