I have delayed my letter in hopes that it reaches you at home, and is not deferred from Egypt. Rupa would be very cross with me indeed if she were to fly so far south only to have to fly north again, and as you have witnessed, she is a temperamental creature already. If she could speak I am sure that she would berate me endlessly, if continue to begrudgingly deliver my letters.
I am not familiar with Essex, though am not a complete stranger where maritime pleasures are concerned. As a child might, I prefer playing in the surf, but would not object to more adult pursuits. I am sure I have more Charms for water survival and sport than I could ever use. You will grow weary of lessons from me if we continue in this way. Perhaps this is what I shall tell my mother and father, that I am employed for the holiday for private lessons in all things from languages to Bubble-Head Charms. I must think of what I should truly say and soon, as my time here is now less than a week. Zelma goes on as though I am not leaving at all, and I cannot yet tell if this means she intends for me to return after the holidays or if she has simply forgotten that I have engagements other than those she has arranged. We did a very hard thing today, observing a pair of Muggles here who had been Obliviated after a giant destroyed the schoolhouse in their village in the mountains. They lost both of their children and believe the incident to have been a natural disaster. Zelma did not want to speak with them, but was instead interested in my opinion on what it could mean to have lies standing in for true and genuine tragedy. She has an uncommon interest in grief, Zelma does. I felt like swallowing everything that I wanted to say about what was necessary to preserve the secrecy of our culture, but I did not. We have made sacrifices, as well. It is sometimes easy to forget that one resides within the eye of a storm, to mistake a sharp gale for a breeze.
I would hope that the word you are wanting is Sakhi. It is... not the same as the other, but the sentiment is. I shall tell you what it means when I see you, as I do not want for you to use it in error or false feeling. I suppose finding this out is gift enough.
Padma
1 December 1998
Dear Theodore,
I have delayed my letter in hopes that it reaches you at home, and is not deferred from Egypt. Rupa would be very cross with me indeed if she were to fly so far south only to have to fly north again, and as you have witnessed, she is a temperamental creature already. If she could speak I am sure that she would berate me endlessly, if continue to begrudgingly deliver my letters.
I am not familiar with Essex, though am not a complete stranger where maritime pleasures are concerned. As a child might, I prefer playing in the surf, but would not object to more adult pursuits. I am sure I have more Charms for water survival and sport than I could ever use. You will grow weary of lessons from me if we continue in this way. Perhaps this is what I shall tell my mother and father, that I am employed for the holiday for private lessons in all things from languages to Bubble-Head Charms. I must think of what I should truly say and soon, as my time here is now less than a week. Zelma goes on as though I am not leaving at all, and I cannot yet tell if this means she intends for me to return after the holidays or if she has simply forgotten that I have engagements other than those she has arranged. We did a very hard thing today, observing a pair of Muggles here who had been Obliviated after a giant destroyed the schoolhouse in their village in the mountains. They lost both of their children and believe the incident to have been a natural disaster. Zelma did not want to speak with them, but was instead interested in my opinion on what it could mean to have lies standing in for true and genuine tragedy. She has an uncommon interest in grief, Zelma does. I felt like swallowing everything that I wanted to say about what was necessary to preserve the secrecy of our culture, but I did not. We have made sacrifices, as well. It is sometimes easy to forget that one resides within the eye of a storm, to mistake a sharp gale for a breeze.
I would hope that the word you are wanting is Sakhi. It is... not the same as the other, but the sentiment is. I shall tell you what it means when I see you, as I do not want for you to use it in error or false feeling. I suppose finding this out is gift enough.