Andrew Fukuda - This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II

18 March 1935

Dear Alex Maki,

Hello! My name is Charlie Lvy. I am your new pen pal in France. Nice to meet you!

You are in America! Ouah, so far away! Last week Mme Dubois say to my English class avanc, Who want to do a letter exchange program with American school? And everyone is so happy. Me the most! Because I am wanting an American pen pal for a very long time. Now I am very excitedcan you see my shaking words? Sorry! And sorry for my poor English. Even though I am studying English for many years and have English nanny at home, I think I have a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes.

Anyway, Mme Dubois say I must introduce myself in this first letter.

My name is Charlie Lvy. I am ten years old. My Papa owns a big shoe factory. My Maman is busy at home with me. Our English nanny, Katherine, is from London. We live in Paris, a beautiful city. Do you know the Tower of Eiffel? It is famous! I can see it from my bedroom window. Maybe if you have a big world map you can find Paris.

What about you? Do you have brother and sister? Do you play sport or music? What are your hobbys? I like to study English, play cello, paint eggs, eat anything with Dundee marmalade, andswimming (but I hate swimsuits. I wish I was a boyit is so easy for them, no?) And now I have a new favorite hobbywriting to my American pen pal!

Do you like reading? I love to read! My English nanny say the best book in history is Jane Eyre, and one day I will read it. But only when my English is good enough. (I will not read the French editionthat is cheating, no?) My dream is one day I am studying English Literature at Sorbonne University. Do you know Sorbonne University? It is the best university in the Earth!

I tell you something funny now. I make a new friend last week. She is from Helsinki, Finland, and her name is Aleksandra Mki. We call her Alex so her nickname is Alex Mki! Like you, no? Maybe you are relatives? Maybe you are twins? (I am laughing now.)

Please write back. I am excited!

Yours sincerely,

Charlie Lvy

April 9, 1935

Charlie,

Wait youre a girl?

Alex

April 13, 1935

Charlie,

My teacher Mrs. Graff wasnt happy when she learned I wasted a stamp on a letter that was only one sentence long. So shes making me write a real letter now. It has to be at least one page, she said.

I actually complained to her about you being a girl. She said it was a simple mix-upshe thought you were a boy. Anyway, its too late to change pen pals because everyone is already paired up. Shetold me that Im just going to have to make do. So I guess Im stuck with you. The worst part is the whole class knows now.

Mrs. Graff is making me introduce myself, too. Theres not much to say. My dads a strawberry farmer, my moms a strawberry farmers wife, my brothers a strawberry farmers son.

I looked up France on a world map. Im not impressed. Its really puny compared to AMERICA, isnt it? And Paris is just a tiny black dot on the map. No offense, but thats your capital? Whats that like, living in such a small city? Do you feel trapped all the time? Is it hard to breathe?

So you can see the Eiffel Tower from your bedroom, can you now? Tell me, will they ever finish building it? Because Ive seen pictures of the Eiffel Tower, and it looks like they started building it, then realized how ugly it was going to turn out. So they just up and left. Nothing but the ugly metal scaffolding left behind.

I also read that you French people dont like to shower, and that youre all really smelly. I think thats true. When I sniffed your letter, I smelled something really foul. Like underarm odor combined with a fart. Maybe your farts are especially nasty because you eat too much Dundee marmalade. And just what the heck is Dundee marmalade ?

I dont have any hobbies. I dont play any musical instruments. I dont like to fish or hunt or play sports. I especially dont like writing letters. The only thing I like to do is read and draw comics. The Famous Funnies . #3 and #5 are cool. #8 aint too bad.

And now Ive finished filling up this one page so I can stop.

Alex

P.S. If you ever want to stop this stupid pen-pal thing, I wont be offended. In your next letter, just write two words, I QUIT, and Ill show it to Mrs. Graff. You dont even have to write it in English, you can just write Je quit if thats easier for you.

4 May 1935

Dear Alex Maki,

You are funny American boy! Let us keep writing!

Yours sincerely,

Charlie Lvy

THREE YEARS LATER

18 March 1938

Dear Alex,

Hello! This letter is celebrating our three-year anniversary as pen pals! Can you believe it? I cant. I never think we will be pen pals for so long. All my classmates stopped after only one year, but we are still writing. Thank you for putting up with all my poor English! Pouah, will I ever improve? You keep telling me yes, but I wonder!

Oh, and thank you for listening (reading?) to everything in my life: my fights with my parents, my different hobbies (now I like tap dancing!), and the new boy I like at school (as you say, my new flavor of the month!!).

Your letters and funny drawings always make me forget the horrible things that are happening here in Europe. They make me forget Hitler and his stupid moustache and his oily hair and his crazy eyes, and how he comes closer and closer to France.

Haha! You keep asking me what I look like! You are always asking me! Okay, I will tell you now: I think I am a little pretty but not very pretty. Maybe pretty but in a different way. I think I have a certain fire in my eyes, like a purpose? A sharp focus that boys find pretty? Sometimes when I am reading a book in English class, I see them staring at me. And when I look up, they quickly move their eyes away, blushing.