Sort of a character development and tone shift on a different medium, written between e-mails. What do you think?


Recall Alice When She Was Just Small

Hey Réka,
It’s only been a couple of days, I miss Hungary and everything.  How are you?  I can’t believe these three weeks passed by so quickly. Write back.  God bless.

Viszlat,
Zachary

7/5/2006 10:41 PM

Zachary!
Not much has happened here, you know, boring Sopron is kind of small.  I am visiting my friend in Romania, she is an old friend of my family.  God, I can’t believe the camp is over already!  What else are you up to?  Will you come back for the next camp in two years?

Bye Bye,
Réka

7/8/2006 4:36 AM

Hey Réka,
That’s so cool you are going to Romania, I’ve never been there, do you like it?  Do you go there often?  Yeah, I wish I was still in Hungary with all you Hungarian kids.  I still have so much to do, go in the longest park in Europe, go around the Sopron castle, eat more langos.  I kind of hate it here in California, everyone is so superficial, no one seems real compared to everyone else I met in Sopron.  In Hungary, things were different.  I am not looking forward to sophomore year at all.  I wish I was done with high school and could just go to Hungary or travel around, you know?

God bless,
Zachary

7/8/2006 11:55 AM

Zachary,
Why don’t you like the OC?  You can make new friends, this change happens to everyone. So, I went on a date with this guy in my class…  We were walking around and we met up with some of his friends.  I do not like them much, but I did not mind meeting them.  It took him for so long to ask me out even.  We went to the park with them, and they all started smoking weed and he passed out!  I was sitting there and we were laughing with those guys until I had to go.  How are you?  What’s new?

Réka

7/10/2006 9:28 AM

Réka,
Why were you hanging out with these guys who were smoking weed?  I don’t think that’s cool at all.  I’m praying for you.

Zach

7/10/2006 9:36 AM

Réka,
Shit, Kirsten won’t talk to me anymore, and I have no clue what I’m doing in school.  I wish things were easier.  I don’t want to tell anyone because of what happened last year.  I hated therapy.  Everyone thinks I’m gay and nothing’s the same as it was during the English camps in Hungary, or even how everything was last year as a freshman.  What is going on?  Anyway, how are you?

Zach

9/3/06 4:45 PM

Zach sent a message while you were offline: 9/4/2006 12:11 PM
It’s been a while… What’s up?

Réka sent a message while you were offline: 9/4/2006 12:21 PM
Zach – are you OK?

Hey Réka,
I got your AIM, yeah, things are ok.  I just, well, I am not having a good time at school at all.  But I sort of freaked out earlier.  Sorry about that.  I shouldn’t be telling you those kind of things, sometimes I’m kind of needy and stupid.  Again, sorry.

God bless,
Zach

9/10/2006 6:53 PM

Zachary,
It is a long time since I last wrote you an e-mail.  How are you?  I have not been doing much this year since my friends and I just like to meet each other and “chill” =D.  It is nice to not be swimming for the team anymore, I did not like it very much.

There was a storm this week, it reminded me of the storm in the summer when you were here.  Do you remember this?  So, I am going to the IFC next year!  The IFC is the school in Germany, my sister Dorotya, went there.  It will be so cool.  There are lots of parties and it is very fun.  And for my birthday we went to a hookah bar and then to the cinema, it was very fun.  How are you?

Bye,
Réka

11/25/2006 12:01 PM

Réka,
Yeah, it has been a while.  Sorry I haven’t written much.  I’m ok, I guess.  I was in West Side Story, do you know it?  It’s a musical based on Romeo and Juliet, but based in New York… it’s kind of cool.  How are you?  

Wow, that storm was so long ago, I haven’t talked to you in ages, this summer seems so disconnected to what’s going on now where I am.  That’s cool you are studying in Germany, I would love to study abroad, but my parents don’t think I’m doing well in school this year, and they don’t like my attitude.  Happy birthday by the way, sorry I forgot.  Did you get any cool presents?

Zach

11/25/2006 12:56 PM

Zach,
Yes, I will stay with Inke, my friend, while I live there and study in the IFC.  We have a lot of fun, she is like a sister to me.  We will go to parties and everything, I can stay with her family for Christmas and it will be great. It will be so fun.  =D

That’s stupid Zach, how do you disappoint them?  I don’t see how you can, you are pretty smart.

Réka

11/30/2006 2:13 AM

Réka,
I hate this place.  My dad caught me smoking last week, he’s so stupid I’ve been smoking for months.  What do you think about religious people?  Why can’t my parents just let me think differently than they do?  I’m only looking for something that fits me…  What if it’s not Lutheran or Christian or whatever?  What will they do then, especially if they don’t like smoking?

Zach

12/2/2006 3:15 PM

Zach,
What do you mean?  That’s a hard question to answer just like that…  What made you think of that? Some religions are stricter on the people, and so on.  I am Catholic, but I do not live the old Catholic life-style, you know?  I am sixteen and party and all this.  But here in Hungary, I think we are more loose about drinking and smoking.

How did you get caught?  What is wrong with your dad?  He is so nice.  It must be harder having a pastor as a father, but he is a good guy.  Happy Birthday! =D

Réka

12/18/2006 5:53 AM

Réka,
Thanks, that was cool you remembered. :) I don’t know what I mean, I can’t stand people telling me what to believe anymore.  It doesn’t make any sense.  Religion and life, it just doesn’t make sense.  If there’s a God why does all this shit happen to people?  My dad has been an example of Christianity for me for ages, and I had never realized how much of a hypocrite he is.  I wish I were studying in Germany, with you, far from here next year.  

Oh, I came home and I had just smoked and I smelled, it was kind of stupid really.  I wish I didn’t get caught, you know?  But only because I don’t like being grounded.

Zach

12/19/2006 6:14 PM

Zach,
I still believe in God and everything, but you are right, it is confusing.  But I don’t know if deciding an entire religion is bad because of your dad is right either.  I think you would like Kelly, he is one of the Americans in the IFC program this year.  He is an atheist, but he loves talking about it.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! =D It has been so long since I’ve seen you.  It’s snowing here, so that is very nice, but it is really cold and will be for months. I wish I had California sun.

Réka

12/23/2006 9:25 AM

Réka,
I’m not sure anymore, I’ve always been told that God and Jesus was right, but it sounds so fantastical when I think about it.  Not real.  Oh.  I wish I was in the IFC with you next year. That’d be so much cooler than going to high school here.  Haha, you like the warm, but I wish it was snowing here instead. Funny how that works.  Merry Christmas.

Zach

12/24/2006 4:27 PM

Zachary,
Happy New Year!! I hope you had fun parties and all this, we had a cool house party at Inke’s house, and I met with all the students in the IFC this year.  They are all really cool, I’m so excited for next year! How was your holiday? =D

Réka

1/2/2007 2:14 AM

Zach sent a message while you were offline: 1/2/2007 2:18 AM
Réka – my grandpa died.

Hey Zach,
I hope everything is ok at your house and everything.  How is your family?  How are you?  I don’t know anyone who has ever died before. I didn’t know your grandfather but I’m sure you are sad about it. =(

Réka

1/5/2007 9:33 AM

Réka,
No, of course I didn’t cry, not really. I mean, I sort of did, everyone else was.  It was weird.  I don’t think it’s hit me yet, that he’s dead you know?  It’s a bizarre concept to think about, he won’t be at Christmas next year, I won’t see him at his home, he seemed old but timeless… I just didn’t think he’d die.  Sorry this is all weepy.

Zach

1/5/2007 10:46 AM




Short story by Zachary P. B.
Read 1374 times
Written on 2008-01-10 at 02:07

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