Letters Unread

15th February 1942

Dear Mother
Singapore fell today.
I wish I could deliver this message to you in a better way. Perhaps I should reword that, but that's the only way I can convey to you the truth of what's occurred here. Be that I could share with you glad tidings instead. After just one week of fighting the 'Gibraltar of the East' just fell to the Japanese. There have been tremendous shelling from above, causing severe damage to our depot. Our command did not predict where the Japs would land and the number of soldiers left are small as compared to our accursed enemy. Our command has just surrendered to the Japanese. Our flag with the white colour of cowardice... I fear they would be incarcerated in PoW camps, hardly the Ritz in my opinion.
To think that I should be with you and the family at this time, no matter how cold it must be at home now. This land of endless sunshine and intermittent strong wind and heavy rain; seen to be a land of adventure and opportunity have turned into a fearful hell. I am furious that I a mere clerk with this merchant company here should be trapped in this fearsome situation.
I am now hiding in this miserable office but I know I will not be safe for long. They are scouring buildings in this side of town to get at any 'white devils' that may yet be holed like rats.
Mother, I also want to inform you and father, that I have been living with a girl here, which may be the actual motivation that kept me here after merchant ships left for safer harbour several months back.
She is a beautiful woman of Chinese and Portuguese descent. She had taken care of me during my bouts with the cursed Malaria. She is caring and tender and I have intentions to make an honest woman out of her. Mother she is also five months pregnant with my baby. I hope I will be around to take care of her until our dying day. I however fear that my dying day may be sooner than later.
I therefore beg of you mother, and my family as a whole to accept her as my wife and companion, and for my child to be part of us. Her name is Myra Hwang.
I will hand this letter to her and I hope she will find someone to hand this to, so that it may reach you.
Send my regards to father and also Percy and Lance, the terrible twins...I wonder if they will enlist soon. Turning 18 as they did.

I remain, as always
Your Son
John J. Smith



1st March 1942

Dear John
Oh my son, my son.
We heard about the fall of Singapore, and we prayed and prayed that we would hear from you. In vain. We heard that the British command there had surrendered to the hated Japanese. We are ashamed that he had done so but we hope that with the surrender lives will be spared, if the enemies show mercy.
Here we wait for any news from our children far flung into the world. I  wish that I had been more firm with you and not allow you to sail off and work for that merchant company. I find them a little dubious and at times I wonder if they are not  slave ships after all. Travelling so far into the East, for spices that I hardly touch.
At this moment, I only want you to be home safe. I pray that you are safe my son and come home soon. Surely clerks are not harmed, they are not soldiers.
Mr Jessup next door is close to being committed to a sanatorium. He has been shouting about conspiracies between good Mr Churchill and that horrible Stalin. His son Albert is at his wits end as to how to deal with his father.
Percy and Lance send their love, as do your father.
I hope you come home soon.

Yours as always
Mother
Gemima L.Smith


>>10th February 1962...It was her wedding day and she had just said her I do's in church. She sat on her bed feeling happy and sad at the same time. This was the happiest day of her life but it was also her mother's tenth death anniversary. This was the day that she would open a gift from her mother; her mother had told her to open it during an important day of her life, when she was dying. She thought her wedding was a very important day and decided to open her gift. What she found were old photographs of her mother and a thin tall Caucasian man, a few letters and a diary. She sat down on her bed and began to read.
An hour later, her new husband walked into the room looking for her and found her sobbing  hard into the pillow. He gathered her into his arms...<<

(WWII-the fall of Singapore)