The Handkerchief Map

by Kiri English-Hawke

  Susanna.

  Copenhagen (Denmark)

  January 1, 1946

  Dearest,

  Goodbye, dearest. I’ll write to you again one day to share life with you through these letters, update you on the issues that will arise as our children grow older, but you’ll be watching all the time, won’t you? I know you will. You’ll know that I’m safe. You’ll see that I’m happy.

  For now my world is good, for now I am strong. I’ll be here as our children grow, and when they’re bigger and more understanding of the past that is not so easy to ignore, I’ll remind them of you and me when we were a family. Our first family.

  The family we have now is beginning to settle, with no-one disappearing anymore. We have as much hope and courage as anyone with our pasts could have.

  I’m always going to love you and I’ll never let my memories of us float away, but for now I’m putting down the pen, folding up the paper and putting you away. The sun is out today and I need to laugh.

  Susanna.

  THE END