Letters From Sheila

Both of us had just graduated from Biola. Sheila moved out and got married. I moved out and flew to Papaua New Guinea to student teach for a term at an international school there. So technically, this post doesn't come from within the apartment, but it's close enough.

Here are some excerpts from letters I received in PNG from my former roomie, Sheila.

"Stuart and I are doing just fine. Marriage is fun, takes a little adjusting but on the whole greatly pleasureable. Sex is --CENSORED!!! CANNOT REVEAL SEXUAL INFORMATION UNTIL PRE-NUPTUAL SEX TALK!!!-- I'm working at the post office still, and it's ok..."

My poor mother. She so wanted to be the one to give that talk, I think.

"Don't worry about this until you get back, K? But I wanted to let you know it's out there.
PACIFIC BELL CHARGES - PLEASE MAKE CHECK OUT TO SHEILA CHEW
Sherry's Amount = $4.45
Charged for phone call to Washington DC 202-745-3680 - May 20 - 9:28 am
(I figured this was you about your passport)"

I don't recall ever paying this. Should I still send you that check, She? I love that you specified first and last name of who I should make the check out to. I think you just liked seeing your married name in print.

"I'm glad you like the K-Y Jelly ad and are putting it to memory. I can personally recommend the product. (Although I must admit we haven't had a need for it in a while!) (No, not because we aren't having sex. Because we don't need to...well, I'll explain later.)..."

I think I'm clear on this topic now.

I can't believe you clipped that ad from a magazine and mailed it to me. Getting mail was a rare and special event for all of us over there, and people would actually swarm around the person who received a personal letter at the post office. I learned quickly not to open your letters until I had walked the long mile to my flat, however, because I never knew what might fall out of the envelope--LIKE AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR K-Y JELLY!

"Marriage is so much fun. For the first few weeks, Stuart kept telling people, "It's fun; you should try it." The only bummer is that life really slows down, and you realize that you have been spending all your energy to be with this person that you are now with without any effort at all. Let me clarify: we were watching TV, and I kept thinking, Gee (thoughts are in italix [sic]) it seems I don't do very much anymore. I am finally getting all my sleep! Hmm, what did I do before marriage that took so much time? Oh, I know. Calling Stu, driving to see Stu, planning what to do with Stu, driving home from seeing Stu. Now I just am with him all the time. Kinda neat...So I figured it out. THIS is why women do crafts. It's because they have all this energy that they used to exert on getting a man, dating a man, etc. Now, you just have to keep your man, and while it takes much more patience than I can muster, it takes less energy..."

Brilliant deduction.

"Say hi to your roommate for me--she sounds like fun. Tell her to take care of you--like make sure you SLEEP at least 5 hrs. a night and EAT once or twice a day! I hope she doesn't think I'm some sort of sex-crazed maniac. Albeit true, still I hope she doesn't think of me that way..."

My roommate, Brenda, enjoyed these letters as much as I did. We shared mail, of course, so it felt like we each got more.

Still to come: Sheila's New Marriage Cooking Tips.