Once again, the heat and humidity take center stage in Dot’s letter. She babysat Eric and Chris again – the task not too difficult, but enduring the sweltering heat was a grueling test. It’s hard to imagine what daily life must have been like before air conditioning was commonplace.
She mentions seeing Dart’s favorite actress, Katharine Hepburn, in Dragon Seed last night. Her critique: “K.H. was surely the perfect actress for the part of ‘Jade.’ The picture gave one a vivid realization of what the Japanese are doing and have done to China and her peace-loving people.” I’m a bit of an old film buff, and I’ve never heard of this particular movie. I wonder if it was one of those popular propaganda films that Hollywood studios churned out at an alarming rate during the war years, most of which faded into obscurity when the war was over.
She hopes that by now he and Fred have caught up with each other, which, of course we know they have, however briefly.
She tells Dart she’s in the mood to tell him all the thoughts and feelings she has within her, but she reminds him how poor she is at translating those feelings into words. She’s still cursing her shyness while he was home, wishing with everything in her that she had voiced her love. She looks forward to an opportunity very soon when she can correct her mistake. “Thank goodness we are both still young and there will be other times; many of them, I hope.
In wartime, youth is no guarantee of having lots of time. Was it hard to keep the faith and go on believing that you would see your loved one again? Was the thought of losing them too much to contemplate, and therefore, ignored? Was everyone superstitious about even thinking of the worst possibilities? How grateful I am that these two kids actually did have decades together to say all there was to say to each other. In light of all the people they knew who were denied that chance, did they always carry a deep sense of gratitude?
Announcing she has picked up another summer cold, she decides to nurse it by getting more sleep.
