Letters From Far, Far Away

Dear Uncle Travis,

How are you? Are you doing alright? War has arrived here. We have little to no chance of escaping, but I am, as usual, stubbornly optimistic, as Mother puts it. She has lots of opinions.

The last pig escaped today. A fox came and carried it off. Digger tried to stop it, but he hurt his foot recently and was too slow. And besides, his legs are so short that it would be nearly impossible for him to catch the fox.

We won’t have much to eat for a while. Is there maybe something you could do? You know, play into that ‘rich uncle’ stereotype? I know you have money, you travel so much, and, as Mother puts it, that ‘isn’t free’. It would be great if you could help us.

From your niece,

Layla

Beloved Layla,

I am sorry to hear that the war has arrived at your doorstep. I hope everyone is alright. I will see what I can do. Take care of Digger for me.

Currently I am in Switzerland, trekking through Graubunden. It is beautiful here, albeit cold. I wish Digger were here with me, although his short little legs would never make it up all these mountains, ha.

Since your aunt Emilia and I will be going home soon, I will see what we can do to get you all out of this situation. Are your siblings doing alright? And your mother and father?

Please take care of Digger, I must ask of you.

I hope the situation improves. Stay positive, Bumblebee.

Love, Uncle Travis

Dear Uncle Travis,

Mother says I shouldn’t communicate with you so much. She is doing fine, as are Father and Elias and Lucia. Digger, too, is thriving. We are feeding him a mix of food, and he is no longer so chubby as he was when he arrived, thank goodness.

I hope you are having fun in Switzerland. Here it is cold and gray and dreary and, to be honest, quite boring. Except for the occasional sound of the rockets and the screams of the neighbors, it is rather peaceful here. That doesn’t sound good, does it? I thought not.

After the little stint with the fox (I did tell you about that, surely?), we have no more bacon. It is most unfortunate, I think. But the chickens are needed for eggs, and since we only have three chickens, we must not eat them.

Digger’s foot is better now, it has been a month. Are you and Aunt Emilia going home soon? Will you stop by and get Digger on the way? He is nice, but he is rather expensive. I have been taking care of him, as I was the one who said I could take him for you as you traveled.

Please help us get out of this. Rockets fly by and hit buildings and forests at least three times a day. And Mother says she doesn’t know who is attacking, although I think she is simply trying not to scare Riley and Jason, our neighbors and my friends.

Please help! Mother says you won’t, so I really would be dreadfully pleased if you could prove her wrong.

From your Bumblebee, Layla

Dearest Bumblebee,

I would love to prove your mother wrong. It is so fun, especially because of the age difference. I bet you feel the same about Elias and Lucia. Little siblings can be a pain.

I am glad you have friends with you nowadays. Riley and Jason sound pretty great.

Hopefully things improve. We have gotten word from our parents that the war has reached them too. Stay safe.

I am glad to hear that Digger is alright, and we are very grateful that you have been taking care of him for so long. It means a great deal to us.

Take care and stay safe, Bumblebee. We miss you and will maybe see you in the coming months.

Love from Travis

Dear Uncle Travis,

The soldiers have arrived. Mother and Dad agreed to house some of them but Digger bit one of them. They have taken him away. We do not know where she has gone.

Mother said I shouldn’t tell you that in a letter. She still doesn’t think you will come in person, so she figures you’ll never know.

I have saved up money for stamps so that I can send the letters to you. I am incredibly sorry about Digger. We truly do not know where they have put him, nor what has happened to him.

How are your travels? Lucia wants to tell you that she knows how to bake now, but she has no money for stamps. So I promised her that I would tell you this. She says that she misses you, and Elias does too.

Riley really wants to meet you- the foreigner who owned a sausage dog, as she puts it. Jason wants to meet you as well. They are good friends. Their father disappeared last Wednesday. Nobody knows where he is. They are sad.

You know, if you came, you could help us get out of this. Please help us. Remember that you’ve got family here!

Layla, your little Bumblebee

Layla,

As much as I would love to help you, I am afraid that I cannot. Your aunt Emilia has broken her leg and it will cost lots of money to operate. Tell your mother that

I am sad to hear about Digger. How is it with the soldiers living at your house? I am also sad to hear about Riley and Jason’s father. That must be incredibly sad for them. Hopefully he returns. Have there been any more explosions or attacks nearby lately?

Thank you for taking care of Digger for so long. I expect the worst has happened to him, although I hope for the best.

We are back home in Georgia. It is cold and snowy here. Hopefully you are getting warm weather where you are? It must be unbearable if not. I read in the newspaper that the heating system has completely collapsed where you are. Something to do with the attacks and the power?

I hope that you will survive this, and your siblings and parents as well. What are you doing to earn money for stamps?

Your uncle,

Travis

Dear Uncle Travis,

We are on the run now. The town less than twenty miles away exploded, following a path that has been confirmed in the newspapers. And we have still not found Digger.

We abandoned the house to the three soldiers. They were pleased to see us go, somehow. Elias was less pleased about that. He cried as we left.

We are backpacking through the forest, which Lucia likes to joke is practically a jungle.

I have a surplus of six stamps. Mother says that I should try writing letters to people who can actually help us get out of here, instead of you. But I don’t know who else, and, besides, they’re my stamps. Mother says that if I have to write to you, I should at least try to write small and lots of words.

I hope Aunt Emilia gets better. I understand that you cannot help us but that does not make it easier to hear.

Riley and Jason and their mother are going with us. Today we have stopped in the small town of Orono. It is small but pretty here.

Please do not write to me. Do not waste your money on stamps. I will keep you informed, no matter what Mother says.

Layla

RETURN TO SENDER

Layla,

I am so sorry to hear that.

That must be how I start all my letters, am I right? I am, truly, really very sorry.

If you receive this letter, please do not be mad. We have money, but not lots. I will not risk sending bills in this letter but I wish I could. I wish we could verify that these notes will not fall into the wrong hands.

Emilia’s leg is healing. We were both dismayed to see your latest letter, and I insisted I write this one, even though you might not receive it.

If you happen to see anyone you know in the forest, please take him in. He will appreciate it, and I know that he costs lots to take care of, but he will help you. The silly little guy can hunt rats and squirrels, which I think are, technically, edible. Technically.

Take good care of your family, Bumblebee. I miss you.

Travis

Dear Uncle Travis,

We are still on the move. Almost to Portland, that is. Currently we are in Bath. We are heading south. I am glad, for north would be colder even than here. In the woods it is almost unbearable.

We had to cross a frozen lake today, and Lucia almost fell through the ice. Luckily she is alright. We are all alright, although cold. Riley and Jason are doing alright, too, and their mother as well.

Mother says that I ought to stop talking so much about myself and act more adult-like. I agree, but I am not sure how. I know we need more adults. Mother and Father and Riley’s mother are not enough to protect us from the bears- or, if the eagles, moose, or loons were to attack. I must now take care of Elias and Lucia, as well as Riley and Jason.

We have seen no sign of Digger, although we haven’t really been searching too much, either. I am sorry.

I suppose I will never know if you receive these. I hope you will. I have used my sixth stamp, and now I only have five more. I remember your address- it’s in my head.

Unfortunately, we will be leaving in less than ten minutes, so I cannot write more. I will send this and hope it arrives to you. Please stay safe.

I hope Aunt Emilia’s leg is getting better.

Love from Layla

Layla,

Reading this, I can assume you have not gotten my last letter. I doubt you will get this one, but I will send it to Portland in the hopes that you might find it.

Stay strong, Little Bumblebee.

Twenty Years later

Dear Mr. Whilbecker,

My name is Riley Triftson. I do not know if you will know me. Indeed, we never met. But I was the best friend of your niece, Layla. She told me you called her your little bumblebee, or something similar?

It has been twenty years since the attack on Portland. It is almost unbelievable that it has been so long, but it has. I can hardly believe it has been so long since I saw Jason and my mother and my best friend, Layla.

I was ten then, three years younger than Layla herself. Now I am thirty, and have a son and two daughters. We live in Portland, Oregon- slightly ironic, as my life was destroyed in Portland and rebuilt there as well.

If you are still in good health, I would be thrilled to meet you. If this letter does not make it to you, then it will be slightly like a time capsule- from me and back to me.

I hope you receive this letter and can respond. My address is on the envelope.

Riley Triftson

Mrs. Triftson,

I do remember you from my little Layla’s letters. She never mentioned your age, so I assumed you were the same age, maybe older.

I found out what happened to her maybe a month after the attack? I am glad to hear you made it out alive.

Do you mind me asking something? You need not answer. I just wanted to know if you ever found my Digger. He was a dachshund? I know it is very unlikely, but it would put me at peace to know if you ever saw him again. Dachshunds can last a surprisingly long time in the wild.

I would love to meet you in person. My wife, Emilia, and I live in Washington State now, far from Maine and the site of the disaster. We have three dogs- two dachshunds, of course, and a black Labrador retriever mix.

We could come visit you, or you could come to us. And, although I have a telephone, I prefer to write letters. So excuse me if I didn’t put my telephone number in the letter, but I think it’s better to write. It gives us more time to think.

Thank you for writing to me, I never knew if you had made it out or not.

From Travis Whilbecker

Dear Mr. Whilbecker,

I am so glad you responded! How did the letter reach you if you no longer live in Georgia?

I prefer to write letters, as well. And about Digger? That’s a long story.

A few months after the attack, I found Digger hiding in a gutter. It was him- I recognized him. I had helped Layla feed him and play with him when he had lived with her. Why did he live with her family? I seem to have forgotten that part of the story.

I brought Digger with me when I traveled across the country. At the time I must have only been ten or eleven years old. It seems so long ago.

Digger lived three more years with me before he crossed the rainbow bridge, around four years after the attack. We crossed the country on foot and by train, taking whatever transport we could get. In Oregon, a few months after I was ‘fostered’ by a family with no children (another long story), he passed away.

That’s what happened to Digger. My son, Thomas Jason, has his own dog, named Thomas Jefferson, or Jeff for short. Jeff is a cocker spaniel mix.

I would love it if you could come visit us this April, May, or June? Feel free to bring your family and dogs, my husband and I own a farm here and we have lots of room for guests.

Thank you so much for replying!

Riley Triftson

Dear Mrs. Triftson,

I am so glad to hear that little Digger survived and got to travel with you. That sounds like such a wonderful journey- I mean, I’m sure it wasn’t, but it sure sounds exciting. I am glad Digger got taken care of.

I love your dog’s name, Thomas Jefferson. Forgive me if this is rude or insensitive, but wasn’t your brother’s name Jason, the same as your son? I do not remember this detail exactly; I remembered your name because Layla talked about you more than him. What are your other children’s names?

Emilia and I would be delighted to visit in April. We love to travel, but in our age, we haven’t had as much chance to as in previous years. We would, of course, bring our dogs. Their names are Dorothy, Dixie, and Taylor. Dixie is the Labrador mix.

Thank you for responding. It made my day to receive mail- I do love letters and packages. So thank you.

We can arrange the dates for April, if you like. Emilia and I are both retired, so we can come anytime.

Thank you again for writing!

From Travis Whilbecker

Dear Mr. Whilbecker,

I would love it if you were to visit. Your dogs sound adorable, especially Dixie. Are the other two dachshunds?

Yes, Jason was my brother’s name, and now the name of my son. My father’s name was Thomas. And my husband Phineas is fully in agreement- you should definitely come this April, with Emilia and the dogs. How about on the twenty-fifth? You can stay one, two, or three weeks, that’s your choice. We’ve told the kids that you might be coming, and they are excited to meet you- the uncle of the Layla that they’ve heard so much about.

My daughter’s name is May, and my youngest son is Caleb.

There isn’t really much to say, now, is there? The whole family is excited for your visit. I don’t know if any of Layla’s family is still alive and able to come, but maybe we could look into that? It would really be wonderful to have more people here; it gets so lonely in the spring months. People travel and move, and it’s beautiful but quiet.

I will look into Layla’s family, although I don’t remember her parents’ and siblings’ names. If you do, could you find them?

Thank you! We look forward to your visit!

Riley Triftson

Dear Mrs. Triftson,

If possible, we would love to stay for three weeks! This invitation has gotten us planning our next journey. Although, of course, we would bring the dogs- we don’t want another story like Digger’s.

More good news is that I have identified some of Layla’s family. Her father’s sister has a family living somewhere in Idaho. I will call or write to them and see if they would like to come.

We are so looking forward to visiting you and your farm! Thank you for this amazing offer.

We will be there on April the twenty-fifth, with Dorothy, Dixie, and Taylor.

Out of curiosity, do you have animals on your farm? Or do you have plants, flowers, and greenhouses? When I was younger, that is, fifteen, my family lived on a coffee farm in southern California. Do you grow coffee?

Thank you! Travis Whilbecker