Dad's Last Letter

• Danika Penson, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2010

The white sand at Brember felt soft between my toes, I kicked the sand with my bare feet. The sun glistened on a piece of glass just revealed by kicking away the soft, white sand. As I knelt down to the ground a cool wind blew away some sand revealing more of the object, which now looked like a glass bottle. Sticking my fingers under the mysterious bottle in the sand I pulled it gently out of the sand and blew the remainder off. Doing that revealed a piece of paper inside with neat cursive writing on it. There was a cork in the top so the writing wouldn’t fall out. I tried to pull the cork out but didn’t succeed, so I ran to Mum knowing she’d know what to do and she did...
We drove home a few minutes later and Mum rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the corkscrew. When she had pulled the cork she gently reached inside the bottle for the paper and read it. As she read tears came to her eyes. She put it on the table and said,

“Oh Jenny, it’s from your father,”

I snatched the tattered piece of paper from the table and read it. I hadn’t got half way through when I couldn’t read on. You see my father disappeared two years ago while fishing with his mate Bluey. The police searched and searched and finally found bluey hanging onto the boat, barely alive. Bluey couldn’t remember seeing Dad and two days later the police gave up looking.

Mum read the letter aloud,

“Who ever should find this must promise to deliver to;
54 Dai Street ALBANY WA 6331
It is extremely windy and the waves are huge. Bluey’s boat isn’t built for this weather and neither are we. All the petrol has leaked out and the boat is about to tip over. If I never see you again my dear Virginia and Jenny always remember I love you and always will.

Mum and I cried for what seemed like a day then discussed what to do with the letter. A week later we bought a wooden photo frame for it and hung it on the wall and 8 days after finding it I have memorised Dad’s last letter.