Sequel: Faithfully Yours ›
Lots of Love, Mike
Happy Christmas
"You look fabulous with that tan," said Jessie. "How was it?" she asked.
"Fantastic apart from one thing. Mum met some Spanish waiter over there. He was a bit creepy and she's only gone and invited him over to stay with us during the winter when he finishes his season"
"Yuk!" said Jessie
"Yeah he is yuk," I laughed.
"Hey did you send Mike a postcard while you were away?"
"Yes. I hope he got it. Oh, I never did show you that photograph that Mike sent of his friend Billie Joe. Come upstairs and I'll show you him"
When we got upstairs I took out the scrapbook and opened it at the latest page.
"Aah he's cute," said Jessie.
"I don't think he would like to be called cute," I said. "I feel sorry for him a bit as his dad died recently from Cancer."
"Poor Billie Joe" said Jessie. "Have you mentioned me in any of your letters yet?" she asked.
"No" I laughed "but don't worry I will do."
Dear Mike
I hope you got my postcard from Spain. I had such a great time but it seems like it was ages away now that I'm back at school. I hate school do you? Sorry if you do like school but I think it is soooo boring. The only things I seem to want to do at the moment are listen to my music, go to piano lessons, take out Fatso for his walk and hang out with Jessie. Yeah Jessie is my best friend and to be quite honest she is my only friend. She doesn't go to school with me she lives just across the street. We've been friends for ages and are very similar but look so different. She is blond with blue eyes and is very feminine and girly. She likes painting her nails and wearing make up and all that. Not like me really. I live in trousers and never wear make up. I also like going to the cinema sometimes. Oh I'm enclosing a photograph of Jessie so that Billie Joe now knows what the girl who was asking after him looks like.
Bye
From
Stella xxx
"She's hot," said Billie Joe.
"Billie!" said Mike "that's Stella's friend Jessie"
"Hot Jessie then" said Billie Joe. "How old is she?"
"I think she's 11 like Stella"
"Fuck it! She looks about 14"
"Well you're only 11" said Mike
"Oh Yeah. She's still hot though," said Billie
"You're weird. You never usually think anyone's hot," said Mike
"Well she is" said Billie Joe. "Do you think English girls kiss differently from American ones?" asked Billie
"How would I know?" said Mike. "I've never kissed anyone and neither have you"
"Well.. You never know - when we're rich and famous we could kiss ourselves round the world and see which country has the best kisser."
"Yeah sure" said Mike pinning up the photograph and letter.
Christmas eve...
England...
"You have a parcel," shouts mum from downstairs "and it's an airmail one".
When I heard that I bounded down the stairs. It was a small parcel and it had an American stamp on it. Mike.
I opened the brown parcel and inside was a card and a small gift wrapped up in Christmas paper.
"You're not opening that now young lady," said Mum. "Put it under the tree until tomorrow" she said.
"Oh mum. Please?" I pleaded.
"No. Under the tree" she laughed, so I put it under the tree. I opened the Christmas card though. It was of a cool picture of Santa playing a guitar. His red suit was full of glitter, which got all over my hands. Inside it read:
To Stella
Have a lovely Christmas and I hope Santa brings you all you wish for
From
Mike xxx
Billie Joe says Happy Christmas too and he says to say Hi to Jessie
I put the card on my window ledge and couldn't wait until tomorrow. I think mum has bought me my very own keyboard to practice on. There is another gift there from dad, not a very big one, just an envelope.
Christmas morning...
After opening my keyboard, which is really cool I couldn't wait to open my gift from Mike.
"What is it?" asks mum. "Hurry up and get it open will you, I'm dying to know what he has sent you," she says.
"Oh look mum. It's a silver charm bracelet with a music note hanging from it. It's gorgeous." I immediately put it on.
"How lovely" She says. "What a thoughtful boy Mike is. I hope he likes your gift. Now come on, you'd best open your dads present." She said handing me the envelope.
I open the envelope and out falls a check. The usual pay off I thought. Still it will help with my savings. I was going to open a bank account and put everything dad gave me into it and when I was older I'd decided to travel the world with Jessie.
California, Christmas morning...
The Armstrong living room is littered in wrapping paper then Billie's mum shouts out. "Mike, there's a present left here for you. Its right at the back under the tree."
"That'll be the one from Stella," says Billie. "Remember when it came we thought we'd put it right at the back to stop you opening it before Christmas day. Come on buddy, get it open, I'm dying to know what she's sent you."
Mike starts to open the gift.
"Now that's definitely a video," says Billie Joe.
"Shut up Billie" everybody shouts at once, watching Mike open his gift.
"It is a Video," says Billie "and man, what a video!"
"It's the Sex Pistols video," said Mike "Wicked. The one I've wanted for ages. Cool"
"Cool" says Billie Joe. "Great gift" and with that he gets all the wrapping paper and starts throwing about the room. A wrapping paper fight breaks out and all the family join in. I love living here thinks Mike throwing wrapping paper around but still holding on to his video.
England... A few days later...
"Are you OK mum?" I ask. She was looking fed up.
"Its Pepe" she says. "You remember the Spanish waiter"
"Oh him" I say
"He's not coming now" mum replies
"Oh that's a shame" I lie
"It turns out he's married with six children" then mum bursts out laughing.
"Oh mum" and we laugh together. "Its good to see you laugh - I thought you were going to be down again"
"You know sweetheart. I've come to terms with the fact that your dad has gone and got himself a new life. It had been on the cards for ages and I was so unhappy with him here that now he's gone I am able to do just what I like, when I like and haven't got him to answer to. I'm happier than I've been in years"
"I'm so glad Mum" I reply.
Two days later...
A little card arrives in the post with an airmail sticker on.
Dear Stella
Thank you so much for the Sex Pistols video. It's awesome. I've played it six times already and I love it. Billie Joe loves it too so you've pleased both of us. I had a wonderful Christmas here at Billie Joe's Here's a photograph of us all sat at the table about to eat our Christmas lunch. I hope you had a great Christmas too.
From
Mike xx
At the same time in California...
Dear Mike
Thank you so much for my bracelet. It fits me just perfectly and I haven't taken it off yet. I had a great Christmas too even though it was just me and mum. It was very quiet so we just watched TV most of the day and mum likes to watch the speech by the queen on Christmas day too, which is always very boring. I ate so much chocolate I hope I don't get spots. Mum says I have to be careful as I'm at the age where I'll start to get spots. How awful. Hope you enjoyed your Christmas too.
Write soon
From
Stella xxxx
"Have you ever played a bass guitar?" Billie Joe asked Mike as he pinned up the letter.
"No" said Mike "Why?"
"I think it would suit you," said Billie
"Why?" said Mike
"I just do," said Billie. "We have one in the attic. I'm going to get it, tune it up and then you can give it a shot," said Billie
"What if I don't like it? I enjoy playing what I've got," said Mike.
"I bet you'll love it," said Billie "I have this feeling"
"May be" said Mike.
Billie went off to get the bass guitar from the attic, tuned it up and handed it over to Mike. Mike took to it straight away.
"Billie. I love it," said Mike "I love the deep sound it makes."
"I'm glad" said Billie "because if we want to make a band up one day one of us will have to play bass and I hate the fucking thing" he said laughing. Mike laughed and spent the next two hours practicing on his new bass...
"Fantastic apart from one thing. Mum met some Spanish waiter over there. He was a bit creepy and she's only gone and invited him over to stay with us during the winter when he finishes his season"
"Yuk!" said Jessie
"Yeah he is yuk," I laughed.
"Hey did you send Mike a postcard while you were away?"
"Yes. I hope he got it. Oh, I never did show you that photograph that Mike sent of his friend Billie Joe. Come upstairs and I'll show you him"
When we got upstairs I took out the scrapbook and opened it at the latest page.
"Aah he's cute," said Jessie.
"I don't think he would like to be called cute," I said. "I feel sorry for him a bit as his dad died recently from Cancer."
"Poor Billie Joe" said Jessie. "Have you mentioned me in any of your letters yet?" she asked.
"No" I laughed "but don't worry I will do."
Dear Mike
I hope you got my postcard from Spain. I had such a great time but it seems like it was ages away now that I'm back at school. I hate school do you? Sorry if you do like school but I think it is soooo boring. The only things I seem to want to do at the moment are listen to my music, go to piano lessons, take out Fatso for his walk and hang out with Jessie. Yeah Jessie is my best friend and to be quite honest she is my only friend. She doesn't go to school with me she lives just across the street. We've been friends for ages and are very similar but look so different. She is blond with blue eyes and is very feminine and girly. She likes painting her nails and wearing make up and all that. Not like me really. I live in trousers and never wear make up. I also like going to the cinema sometimes. Oh I'm enclosing a photograph of Jessie so that Billie Joe now knows what the girl who was asking after him looks like.
Bye
From
Stella xxx
"She's hot," said Billie Joe.
"Billie!" said Mike "that's Stella's friend Jessie"
"Hot Jessie then" said Billie Joe. "How old is she?"
"I think she's 11 like Stella"
"Fuck it! She looks about 14"
"Well you're only 11" said Mike
"Oh Yeah. She's still hot though," said Billie
"You're weird. You never usually think anyone's hot," said Mike
"Well she is" said Billie Joe. "Do you think English girls kiss differently from American ones?" asked Billie
"How would I know?" said Mike. "I've never kissed anyone and neither have you"
"Well.. You never know - when we're rich and famous we could kiss ourselves round the world and see which country has the best kisser."
"Yeah sure" said Mike pinning up the photograph and letter.
Christmas eve...
England...
"You have a parcel," shouts mum from downstairs "and it's an airmail one".
When I heard that I bounded down the stairs. It was a small parcel and it had an American stamp on it. Mike.
I opened the brown parcel and inside was a card and a small gift wrapped up in Christmas paper.
"You're not opening that now young lady," said Mum. "Put it under the tree until tomorrow" she said.
"Oh mum. Please?" I pleaded.
"No. Under the tree" she laughed, so I put it under the tree. I opened the Christmas card though. It was of a cool picture of Santa playing a guitar. His red suit was full of glitter, which got all over my hands. Inside it read:
To Stella
Have a lovely Christmas and I hope Santa brings you all you wish for
From
Mike xxx
Billie Joe says Happy Christmas too and he says to say Hi to Jessie
I put the card on my window ledge and couldn't wait until tomorrow. I think mum has bought me my very own keyboard to practice on. There is another gift there from dad, not a very big one, just an envelope.
Christmas morning...
After opening my keyboard, which is really cool I couldn't wait to open my gift from Mike.
"What is it?" asks mum. "Hurry up and get it open will you, I'm dying to know what he has sent you," she says.
"Oh look mum. It's a silver charm bracelet with a music note hanging from it. It's gorgeous." I immediately put it on.
"How lovely" She says. "What a thoughtful boy Mike is. I hope he likes your gift. Now come on, you'd best open your dads present." She said handing me the envelope.
I open the envelope and out falls a check. The usual pay off I thought. Still it will help with my savings. I was going to open a bank account and put everything dad gave me into it and when I was older I'd decided to travel the world with Jessie.
California, Christmas morning...
The Armstrong living room is littered in wrapping paper then Billie's mum shouts out. "Mike, there's a present left here for you. Its right at the back under the tree."
"That'll be the one from Stella," says Billie. "Remember when it came we thought we'd put it right at the back to stop you opening it before Christmas day. Come on buddy, get it open, I'm dying to know what she's sent you."
Mike starts to open the gift.
"Now that's definitely a video," says Billie Joe.
"Shut up Billie" everybody shouts at once, watching Mike open his gift.
"It is a Video," says Billie "and man, what a video!"
"It's the Sex Pistols video," said Mike "Wicked. The one I've wanted for ages. Cool"
"Cool" says Billie Joe. "Great gift" and with that he gets all the wrapping paper and starts throwing about the room. A wrapping paper fight breaks out and all the family join in. I love living here thinks Mike throwing wrapping paper around but still holding on to his video.
England... A few days later...
"Are you OK mum?" I ask. She was looking fed up.
"Its Pepe" she says. "You remember the Spanish waiter"
"Oh him" I say
"He's not coming now" mum replies
"Oh that's a shame" I lie
"It turns out he's married with six children" then mum bursts out laughing.
"Oh mum" and we laugh together. "Its good to see you laugh - I thought you were going to be down again"
"You know sweetheart. I've come to terms with the fact that your dad has gone and got himself a new life. It had been on the cards for ages and I was so unhappy with him here that now he's gone I am able to do just what I like, when I like and haven't got him to answer to. I'm happier than I've been in years"
"I'm so glad Mum" I reply.
Two days later...
A little card arrives in the post with an airmail sticker on.
Dear Stella
Thank you so much for the Sex Pistols video. It's awesome. I've played it six times already and I love it. Billie Joe loves it too so you've pleased both of us. I had a wonderful Christmas here at Billie Joe's Here's a photograph of us all sat at the table about to eat our Christmas lunch. I hope you had a great Christmas too.
From
Mike xx
At the same time in California...
Dear Mike
Thank you so much for my bracelet. It fits me just perfectly and I haven't taken it off yet. I had a great Christmas too even though it was just me and mum. It was very quiet so we just watched TV most of the day and mum likes to watch the speech by the queen on Christmas day too, which is always very boring. I ate so much chocolate I hope I don't get spots. Mum says I have to be careful as I'm at the age where I'll start to get spots. How awful. Hope you enjoyed your Christmas too.
Write soon
From
Stella xxxx
"Have you ever played a bass guitar?" Billie Joe asked Mike as he pinned up the letter.
"No" said Mike "Why?"
"I think it would suit you," said Billie
"Why?" said Mike
"I just do," said Billie. "We have one in the attic. I'm going to get it, tune it up and then you can give it a shot," said Billie
"What if I don't like it? I enjoy playing what I've got," said Mike.
"I bet you'll love it," said Billie "I have this feeling"
"May be" said Mike.
Billie went off to get the bass guitar from the attic, tuned it up and handed it over to Mike. Mike took to it straight away.
"Billie. I love it," said Mike "I love the deep sound it makes."
"I'm glad" said Billie "because if we want to make a band up one day one of us will have to play bass and I hate the fucking thing" he said laughing. Mike laughed and spent the next two hours practicing on his new bass...