Penelope Sterling

The Letter

Penelope Sterling stood on the balcony of her Hawkes Bay home and worriedly ran her pale, slender hand through her long blonde hair. Charles, her husband, had gone to war eighteen months ago and she didn’t know when or even if he would return.

Every evening after putting her identical twins Ruth and Miriam to bed, she stood out on the verandah and thought about him. On the morning of Tuesday 16th February 1943 she got the twins up and while Ruth made breakfast, she started her farm chores with the help of Miriam.

“Come on Miri, ”Penelope yelled. ”It’s your turn to help me milk the cows!”

“Coming Ma, ”grumbled Miriam as she trundled outside, pulling on a jacket as the cold wind whipped her auburn curls around her beautifully-shaped white face.

“Come on, the faster you get it done the quicker you can get inside and warm your hands by the fire with a nice hot cup of tea, ”Penelope encouraged her twelve year old daughter.

When Penelope finished milking the cows, she trudged up to the mail box and watched Miriam shuffle slowly up to the house, arms wrapped around her small frail frame and wished Charles was back. Penelope opened the mailbox and expected it to be as empty as it always was. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a rectangle shape lingering silently in the darkness. There was a letter, just waiting to be picked up. She peered in with her light blue eyes perfectly framed by a delicate oval face and lifted it up. With shaking hands she opened the baby blue envelope, not knowing if it would break her heart any further, or fix it back up again.

“Dear my beautiful wife Penelope, ” The letter began. Her heart leapt and she read on.

“I have missed you so much! How are the twins? By the time you get this letter, me and my crew will be in places unknown. Penelope heard a commotion inside with both the twins yelling out , but took no notice and carried on reading. Sorry it has taken this long for my love to reach you and the children. Hopefully the war will be over soon and I will once again be able to hold you in  my arms. Apart from a few injuries, I am just fine. I saw your brother James in the infirmary yesterday with 

a head bandage and a broken leg. The nurses ensure me that he will make a very speedy recovery. Love you lots,Charles.

Penelope’s heart, no longer broken, was beating like a drum as she rushed inside with tears of joy streaming down her face, to show Ruth and Miriam. To her surprise in the door way was Charles. She screamed in delight and ran up the drive to meet him.

Morgan, Year 6