Ch. 4: Memories from across the pond
Dear Anne,
I have just arrived back at my house. The boat ride was terrible but mom said that once I got back that I would be able to write to you! Since I can't write yet mom is doing it for me. Playing with you was lots of fun and I hope that we get to play together again real soon!
Love,
Benji
There were a few letters similar to that stuffed into the box. Along with those there were a couple of pictures that had begun to bend and crack from being handled too much. There wasn't anything formal like a family picture, but they obviously meant something to Ben. One picture showed two children laughing and smiling in the grey sunshine outside a large brick building.
"Th-that's my house," Anne stammered, "This must have been when they came to visit."
As she looked through the rest of the box she saw another picture from her childhood. It showed a little boy and girl hugging while their parents loaded a taxi. "…when they left," said Anne as she looked at the picture. "This is him. This is the Ben that I met back home in England. This is my Ben."
"That's your what? Your bed? I don't think so missy," said Ben as he walked into the bedroom.
"I….I didn't hear you! I mean…" stammered Anne.
"Hey what's that," asked Ben as he began to walk over to Anne, "is that….the box from my lamp? Why do you have it?"
"I…you see…I…why didn't you send this to me?"
"You don't have any right to-"
"Like Hell I don't! Of course I have the right to see this," she yelled as she got up and walked towards Ben with the letter in her hand, "you promised to write to me!"
"Anne…I was little….business with my parents and your dad didn't go so well."
"But you promised," sobbed Anne as she practically collapsed onto Ben, "you promised…you promised...," she began to sob on Ben's shoulder as she let her arms fall to her sides.
"Anne...that was so long ago…," said Ben as held Anne close to him, allowing her to sob until she fell asleep.