Umbilicus: An autobiographical novel

OPEN ARMS

28th September 1995

Dearest Charlotte

I'm still floating on air since you spoke to me! It's truly the most amazing feeling — a prayer come true. These past three years, since I learned your name, I've often had you in my thoughts; you became very real, and I shed many tears, and I prayed for your forgiveness for what had been the truly awful start to a young girl's life.

I don't know if I could find the courage to ever meet your mom and dad, but I know they must be wonderful people. Please never hurt them, ever. You were a gift to them.

I'm longing to meet you. In fact, I can hardly wait. I'm excited! We have so many things to talk about, and I'm not very good on the phone! I hope you managed to get Beth at the number I had and that everything turned out how you wanted it to. We have not been in touch since the meeting I told you about in July 1992.

I'm enclosing some recent pics of me and my wife Pamela, and our kids, Damien and Dorothy — your half-brother and half-sister, taken since you phoned (especially for you) — plus the few oldies that I have, a hand-drawn map of where I live, and some work pics so you can see what I do. I've also included a music tape of a recording done at San Lameer, where I performed for a while, and where I met Pamela. I stopped playing in bands and soloing in 1985 after Damien was born (this was after twenty-two years — I started my first band when I was in Standard Eight in 1964).

I will make a more detailed background history in my next letter, but as it's about 12:55am on Friday, and I want to get this off to you later in the morning, I'll end off now.

All my love

Dylan

AFTER RECEIVING HIS LETTER and all the photos he'd so thoughtfully put together, you want to return the favour. From a box you keep under your bed, you dig out all the negatives of your favourite photos taken over the past two decades, and the next morning you head off to CNA to have two sets of copies made, one for Dylan, one for Beth.