Anne-GretheN


 * Dear friend, Sissel**!

Thank you for the letter you sent me! I can’t believe that I’ve been in America for 5 years. I had to fell some tears when I read the letter, because I miss you all so much! But it was also good to hear from you, and I’m glad everything is fine home in Norway.

Now I suppose that you want to hear a bit from my life here in America. I think I will start to tell you about the sea voyage. I think we can say that I was a young girl 5 years ago. I was happy because I should meet my future husband for the first time. I had just seen a picture of him. I showed it to you, do you remember? I had also heard some stories of his prosperity, but I known little else about him. And he had just seen a picture of me. After some days at the boat I was really, really afraid. Actually I think that I wasn’t prepared for the challenges of moving away from the security and comfort home in Norway. Questions like: What if he doesn’t like me? Am I going to stay alone in America then? turned up in my head every night. Sometimes I cried for a long time, but it was many young girls on the boat, and we talked together about our feelings. When we finally settled in America I was ready to meet my new husband!

The meeting was successful! John is a wonderful man. We live on a farm, and we’ve got two children. On boy called Ola, named after my dad in Norway, and a girl named Mary after John’s mother. I think I have to stop here, because Mary has to be feed. I hope that you will send me a new letter soon, and I will tell you more about my new life in America next time.

I really miss you! Love from Elida.

20. October, 1968.

To my dear husband Eric.

I have finally got the letter from you! And you can’t believe how long I have waiting for the letter that shows that you are alive. When I read what you had written about your friend, I got scared. I really commiserate you! But I hope, and I know that you can take care of yourself. And that calms me down when I hear about what happen in Vietnam. Because everywhere where I’m going, people are talking about all of you in Vietnam.

Now I can tell you a bit of what’s going on home in America. For most of the time, things are like normal. But as you know, John has started in 1. class this autumn. He is very proud of it, and he has started to read and write. And he has also started a little to reckon. He has become a very clever boy. Exactly as his dad! Mary is still at home together with me, and she also want to go to school. Every morning we are going to the school the three of us, and when Mary and I are going home again, she wants to stay at school.

The kids are also asking about you almost every day. I think they miss you as much as me… Every evening when they are going to bed, they ask me about where you are? And when do you come home? And are you coming home for Christmas? I wish that I could give them some respectable answers, but I really don’t know what to say.

Soo.. I hope that you in the next letter know a bit more about the condition in Vietnam. And I tell you once more: We all miss you, and want you to come home soon!! We love you<3

Your Jane.