by Annie Ladley of Rockland, Maine
Annie's Picture

It's early May and I'm working like a demon painting my garden. Creating a new courtyard, working in my greenhouse, putting in a door through to the dining room, building, digging, planting. it's such a short season.

The drunk up the street I'm nuts about sold us a little sail boat and another drunk in the neighborhood is selling us an engine, so we'll be sailing this summer. You'll come and enjoy this. You're right about Maine people being different, more down to earth and therefore the humor is different. It comes from a different part of the anatomy.

I was in NY for a week and have asthma. The air is poison there. We are still playing with real estate. Larry makes the deals and I'm then stuck with them. I try to sell the places immediately. But we still have a little apartment house.

I make deals with everyone who lives there and the result is no one seems to pay rent. I have one guy taking care of lawns, another painting. They just send little notes saying what they did. Then I sold the little house Larry bought to Polish immigrants.

I said don't worry about the bank; Larry will co-sign. They were happy. They asked for the key to study the house. When I stopped by later they had torn out the kitchen. I asked nicely what they were doing. "Don't worry," said Andrew, the husband, "when we get finished making it nice we're going to have a big party and invite you."

I tried to tell L. they didn't understand. They're new in this country and have an idealized notion of democracy. So far they've been there a month. L. says I am the manager and have to ask them whether they want to buy the house or rent it. I did and Andrew said, "No we think we will rent for a while until we get used to the country; then we'll buy the house. We make plans to ren,t" he said. I asked him for the hours he put in tearing the house apart and it looks like we won't be collecting rent until Februrary and, of course, Andrew isn't done. He has more plans, he says.

I told him that was a good idea because I think we should support immigrants and that we would put some of the rent, when he does begin paying rent, if he ever pays rent, toward the cost of the house which I had offered at 40,000 dollars. L. says we'll make about $4.73 when we sell.

I don't think I'm a business woman.

We expect you in the summer.

Much love, many thoughts, all good... annie

©1996 Annie Ladley.

Editor's Note: Annie lives in an old Maine house overlooking the harbor and tall ships in Rockland, a fishing town in the middle of the Maine coast. She writes mysteries and funny books. She thinks it's pointless to publish things on the web, so please send her email if you read this letter. Thanks. Sherry