Letter from Burma 6

By jeand

Mon, 22 Feb 2016
  • 1666 reads
6 comments
 

Heinda Mine

Tenasserim

Southern Burma

February 9, 1935

 

Dear Mother Day,

How are you? I understand that Jimmie has pneumonia. I hope he is soon better. You have had such a hard time in your life, with your husband dying so suddenly, and now your son also being so ill. What will happen to Patrick if Jimmy dies? Is he in a good school? His mother died shortly after his birth, I seem to remember, and he is an only child.

We have had a very busy time of it this last week. And the mosquitoes have been unbearable.

We are trying our best to get some baby chickens. I put one hen on 10 eggs last Friday, and another one on the same number on Sunday. Today I put one hen on eight duck eggs. Perhaps Harold would be the one to ask about eggs, or does he only have pigs?

We have had a pleasant time with our friends the Newnhams who live in Pyningyi. We stayed overnight at Kanbauk, which is a tin mine similar to ours, where John Newnham is in charge, and then back to Pyningyi for tennis on Wednesday, and Tiffin with the Mayfields on Thursday.

I expect Harold will know something about tin mining, so I will add in some details for you to pass on to him. At Kanbauk the lodes are often drusy. The area is very good for deposits of alluvial cassiterite. I don't know what it means, as I expect you don't – but I took notes when we were there, so I could remember what they were talking about.

Do you have flying squirrels in England? I can't remember. We certainly are entertained by the ones we have here. On Sunday we climbed round on the rocks,
and in the afternoon had a bathe. The weather was almost perfect.

 

Love,

Gwenllian and Mark

 

Certificate U
Story
Letters from Burma 1935
Historical Fiction

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Would Jimmy be a brother of Harold and Mark? Good to talk about ordinary things, after showing concern. I think this chapter ought to be no. 6? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Rhiannon

Yes, Jimmy, whose real name was George, was the brother of Mark and Harold. They had another brother, Bobs, who died in 1919, of Spanish flu - but while in the army. Their father, killed himself by throwing himself under a train shortly after that, and their mother moved to Canada to avoid the scandal, to live with Mark and Gwenllian. Then when they moved to Burma, she went to live with Jimmy. I know Jimmy's   granddaughter, who has a business driving horse-drawn carraiges for funerals, and also along canal paths.

I changed the chapter number.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by celticman on

drusy. I like that and casseterite better than tin because it tells the reader more. 

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks CM

I like interesting words, and often use them without knowing much about their meaning.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jean,

I can't imagine having to put up with mosquitoes in Winter, it's bad enough in Summer.

I was just wondering what Tiffin was, I've never heard that expression before.

Another enjoyable read.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Jenny

Tiffin is a meal time - sort of like brunch I think. And it is an Indian word, I think.

Jean

Jean Day