The Lost Letter

Right there on the front page was the headline "Son of Coal Tycoon killed in Mine Shaft Accident". As I read the article, I realized the story was not uncommon about what had happened, with the exception that a Barber was killed this time. I had the impression from the article that the family was well liked and respected by the workers. Jonathan was sent there by his fathers orders to learn how it was to be a working man so when he took over the business some day, he would never forget how it felt to be in the mines.

All of my research that morning still did not answer the question of what ever happened to Joanne. I can only imagine how she felt, and never to see the last written words of her true love. I still felt driven, more driven than before, I still can’t explain why, but I had to make some phone calls to see what happened to her. I went back to my apartment. I realized that if Joanne was still alive, she would be about eighty two years old now. I had this crazy idea she could still be living in the same house and have the same name. I picked up the phone and called directory information for the Philadelphia area. I couldn’t believe it when I asked for her name at the address in the letter and the recording came on with a telephone number. I excitedly wrote it down, then hung up the phone. This was too easy I told myself, but this uncontrollable urge to make this connection would not quit, so I dialed the number. It rang about four times when the voice of a young woman answered. I explained who I was looking for and to my amazement, Joanne was still alive, living there, and her live in nurse had answered the phone. The nurse said that Joanne was still in good physical health and had never married after Jonathan’s death. She still talked about him like he were alive. I told her about the letter and I was so excited that I would deliver it myself tomorrow. Philadelphia is only about an hour away by airplane, so I booked a flight for 8:00 am the next morning. I ran down the street to Johnson’s grill and told Banny I found Joanne. He smiled and had no hesitation in taking the letter down, frame and all and giving it to me.

Morning finally came after a restless night, the flight to Philly landed about 9:10, and I hailed a cab in front of the airport. I gave the driver the address and in about twenty minutes I found myself standing in front of a large brownstone townhouse. Modernized, but still holding on to its history. I looked at the letter and then the black address numbers on the wall, 2134, they matched. I walked up the four steps and rang the doorbell, and waited. Minutes felt like hours until a small dark hared women in her early thirties answered. She knew by the look on my face who I was, smiled and asked me politely to come in. Upon entering the house, she pointed to Joanne, sitting in a chair next the window. Her silhouette was overwhelming. I felt like I knew her. I sat down on an ottoman in front of her and smiled. She looked up at me and smiled back. She asked if I had news about Jonathan, and I explained to her as gently as I could about the letter I found which was addressed to her and never delivered.