A letter in the mail

Sometimes, occasionally, one can be glad that not everyone has a computer. This is purely selfish of me because it meant I received a real letter in the mail the other day. My cousin in South Africa had her laptop stolen soon after she got it and hasn't been able to replace it. So she wrote to me.

Now, she and I have been companions more or less all our lives and she's more like an older sister to me than a cousin -- especially as I never had a sister of my own. We went to the same school in Johannesburg and our paths crossed when she came over to England. Then, in the early 80s, we both returned to South Africa, this time to live in the Cape.

There it was that she opened a tea-garden called The Pink Umbrella. Yes, she can cook and cater but she's never been able to spell. In her letter she reminded me that, the first time I went into the garden and saw the menu she'd written, I pointed out 'June, you have five spelling mistakes'. She blinked at me and said with her sweet expression, 'How can you tell?'

How can you tell, indeed. Although learning difficulties and what we used to call dyslexia has been much researched over recent years, I don't think we really know these things, the whys and wherefores, even tho they tend to be explained genetically.

Anyhow, June writes so amusingly and her letters are a real treat. Last year she completed and published a truly delightful memoir/cookbook which should soon be available digitally. I'll be sure to let you know when.