An elephant, a bird, and an offer

Carved elephant

An irresistible elephant

I wasn’t looking for any of the above but somehow they found me.  That’s what Naples does.

My elephant – she’s now mine – spent days for sale on the steep, wintery steps outside the huge post office near the city centre.

I passed her twice a week en route to class.  It was hard to miss her.  My head was full of elephants and there she was, big and awkward in amongst the trinkets and faded pictures.

Then yesterday, on an impulse, I roped together my Italian and my courage, and paused.

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Just nineteen – the words for winter and war are not easy

The 'in-box' at the Post Office (Photograph: Royal Mail courtesy of British Postal Museum & Archive)

The ‘in-box’ at the Post Office
(Photograph: Royal Mail courtesy of British Postal Museum & Archive)

Charlie was on active service and his little sister waited for news in Africa.   It was 1915 and nearly Christmas.

The letter below was what went into the envelope eventually, and the Post Office then made sure that it arrived where it was meant to.

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