Have you found a job yet? I’m so sorry to be missing your graduation. I thought I would be there with your brother celebrating your glorious day. I know you will do well in life. You are such an endearing person, and you have been a beloved friend to me.
Please don’t be too mad that I still haven’t sent a return address. I miss you, Jane. Yes, I miss Jake as well. I still hurt, but I’m feeling more at peace about what’s happened between us. I think I’ve finally accepted my life to go on without Jake and I can say I’m content now.
Perhaps it was a good thing Jake left me. I’ve become a more independent person. I used to fear being alone. I’d skip meals rather than eat by myself, and spend every weekend with Sarah and Charlie so I’d be among people. Isn’t that sad? Now, I am confident enough to walk into a restaurant, be alone, and not feel sorry for myself. Not only that, I travel to different cities and converse with strangers—as everyone is a stranger to me in this country. I just bought my ticket to go visit Hong Kong next weekend. Can you believe how bold I’ve become?
If I were with Jake I’d probably lean on him, and trust him to take care of all my needs. Though I’ve taken care of myself since high school, I finally do it with a happy heart and a peace of mind.
There’s joy in my heart when I teach, and traveling and exploring a new land, even by myself, is so rewarding and exciting. I finally feel comfortable in my own skin, and it took a huge heartbreak and moving to the other part of the world to figure this out.
I’m sending you an early graduation present. I hope you like the stationery. A man in my village actually makes each one of these sheets. It’s painstaking to make artistic paper. I will think twice before ripping up any more of your brother’s unmailed letters (or I will just use regular paper instead of these nice ones).
Hope all is well. Study hard, it’s almost over.
Emily
May 10
Hello Nick!
I’m so excited for you on your graduation. Aren’t you glad to be done with undergrad? Although, I’m sure you’ll jump right back into school, as Jake told me that you’re the smartest one in the family. If you decide to become a doctor, don’t be a cardiac surgeon like your brother. He has no life outside of the hospital. Become a dermatologist—no emergencies—and I can come to you for my Botox shots when I get older (ha ha ha).
Anyhow, you are the first person to enter my mind (well, maybe a very close second?) when I eat yummy food in Japan. Not only are the dishes visually stunning, they also taste just as good as they look. I’ve been visiting the bigger cities over the weekend and I go in search of noodle, tempura, and oden bars. You and I could have gone on a carb binge. In retrospect, I should’ve had you meet me one of the weekends I was in Tokyo.
I was so bloated on all the ramen and udon houses I visited. I even went to Masaharu Morimoto’s restaurant. It was expensive! I sorely missed your brother funding that eating trip (just kidding).
I’m sending you a foodie picture book as a graduation present. I salivated at each picture. The Japanese know how to make their food look beautiful. Congrats again! Take care.
Emily
May 12
Dear Jake,
Happy birthday! I did my best to have this reach you on your birthday. I hope I was successful. What did you do for your birthday? I guess it’s silly to ask since you can’t answer back.
I’ve been doing well here in Japan and my Japanese has improved quite a bit. Have you ever visited Japan? It’s absolutely gorgeous here. The food, of course is heavenly. Do you know people here don’t eat as much sushi as they do in the States? Though of course, I still eat it a lot.
I hope this has been a wonderful day for you. I’m sure your family has showered you with copious love and attention. This probably wasn’t the best idea, but I’m sending you a gift. I found these cufflinks during my trip to Tokyo last week. I was at a department store when I noticed these beautiful pieces with your initials on them. What are the chances of that? I thought these would look nice with that blue shirt you were wearing the night we met at the grocery store. They will both bring out the beautiful blue in your eyes.
If you don’t like them, I understand. You’ve given me so many gifts while we were together, I wanted to reciprocate in a very small way. I’m sorry I was always so selfish. I don’t think I ever gave you enough—whether materially or emotionally. I was always on the receiving end. Lucky me!
I wish we had spent more time together before we separated. There aren’t enough memories for me to think about when I’m here by myself. I guess we won’t be celebrating our birthdays together, huh? I had looked forward to our back-to-back celebrations. It will be difficult to spend those two days without you.