Sixth of February, 1945
Darling, darling, darling
This is what I've been waiting for
Your freedom left me dumb and choked up
but now I feel released
Christopher, my dear, dear man it is so wonderful
You are coming home!
Golly, I shall have to be careful
This excitement's almost too much for my body
You must be careful too, darling —
all this on top of what you've been through
It's difficult to keep it down
but you can't help the excited twinges in your midriff, can you?
Do keep well, angel
I shall have to say that to myself, as well
Marriage, my sweet
Yes, I agree — what you wish, I wish
While you're afraid you will not be happy
We must get rid of these fears between us
Confidentially, I too am a little scared
Everything in letters appears larger than life-size
like my photograph — it didn't show the white hairs
beneath the dark, the decaying teeth the darkening skin
I think of my nasty characteristics my ordinariness
Yes, I too feel a little afraid
I can't be bothered with that now for we are going to meet
Does anything else matter, Chris?
Oh dear, dear me Plan a week somewhere
Oh, up comes my heart
A week somewhere by the sea with you
Where should we go?
Of course, I'd choose North Devon — sea, country, and air
but March raises the question of weather
Might we go to a largish town?
I prefer villages normally, but with you I guess I'll do what you want
Also, I feel that you'll need looking after
I don't think you should walk around in the rain
not for a while anyway
I guess I don't care where
as long as it's the sea and you, you, you
Inward clangings and bouncings and I wonder how soon
Now, I say to myself
"Bessie, my girl, you're not so hot"
but I think that you may have a similar feeling
I say, how's your digestion? Mine's awful
I should be reduced to taking Rennies or something — a wind remover
My tea at this moment is stuck somewhere in the middle of my chest
I can't help wishing that you won't get these letters
that you'll be on your way that the time to wait is short
because my impatience is getting pretty bad
Being able to write like we have has been a wonderful thing
but it's always remained the beginning of contact for our future
and a beginning that must change to something else
Now it is changing
What do you think of the war news?
I don't like getting too optimistic but wouldn't it be wonderful
to come home to stay?
I love you Bessie