A letter to Rosey

Dear Rosey,

I hope you don't mind me writing to you.  I thought we that we might be related in some way and that it would be nice to have a kind of cousin, even if somewhat distant, to share things with.  Adventures, memories or simply just every day life.

My name is Anne-Marie, or Annie and I live near London in England.  I can't remember exactly where and when I came to live but I do know it was a long time ago - somewhere between 1914 and 1924 I believe - gosh it could be almost 100 years ago.  The time certainly flies by.

My last memories before arriving here in the United Kingdom are of sitting in an auction room in Maryland, USA.  Do you know where that is?  I'm sure you must do having lived in the USA.  Just in case you don't, I thought I would tell you what I have found out.  I have discovered that Maryland is in the mid-atlantic region of the United States.  Apparently it was the seventh state to ratify (not quite sure what that word means yet) the United States Constitution and it even has some nicknames!  Funny thing is though, they are not the sort of nicknames you usually think of.  These nicknames are a bit strange, such as 'Old Line State', the 'Free State', and the 'Chesapeake Bay State'.  Hey, I think I have herd of that last name before.  The Hittys in Rose Cottage often talk about the 'Chesapeake Bay Hittys'.  Anyway I digress...that means I've been distracted.  I've also discovered that out of the 50 states, Maryland is the ninth smallest, the 19th most populous (this word confuses me) and would you believe the fifth most populated.  Wow, there must be an awful lot of people that live there!  

I do hope I'm not boring you Rosey, as I know some of this is very confusing, but I am fascinated about finding out about things, places and the history of everything!  The most populated city in Maryland is Baltimore and the capital is Annapolis.  Gosh, I wonder if that is how I came about my name?  Maryland, the state, was named after Queen Henrietta Maria.  There are even similarities to my name there as well!  Anne-Marie, Anna-Maria; see, what do you think?  What a coincidence indeed as my person said that her 15 years old son named me, and yet he didn't know any of this!

Anyway, back to that auction room.  It was certainly very busy in there and I really can't remember much of it as it was all very confusing and I kept getting all muddled up trying to follow everything that was going on. I was so hoping that my next home would be a permanent one as it had seemed to be so long since I had felt loving arms around me.  But no, at the end of the auction I was bundled in a box with a lot of other things and travelled in a car to yet another place where I was photographed and put into another auction, although this time it was a rather different type of auction as I didn't have to go anywhere during the actual auction.  Instead it was an 'online' auction called eBay.  On what line I wondered?  Well before I knew it I was wrapped up in  a lot of tissue paper and this plastic stuff called bubble wrap, placed in a box which was sealed with lots of tape and bound for foreign shores - a place called England.  Gosh I hadn't ever been out of the US before so this really was quite an adventure!  To my greatest disappointment though I never got to see anything, just heard a lot of engine noise, felt a kind of motion and froze.  It was just so cold on that aeroplane.I can't remember a lot more of the journey I am afraid as there seemed to be lots of different noises and movement, like doors opening and closing and being carried from one place to another.  Finally after 12 long days of travel I arrived at my new home.

I waited anxiously to see if my new person would like/love me.  I was worried I was going to be shifted on again.  I have quite a few battle scars that I have accumulated over the years, my hair was messy and so I wasn't quite sure what response I would get and what she would think of me.  I needn't have worried.  She unwrapped me carefully but with enthusiasm that I could sense and when my face popped out she gave a huge smile and gave me a wondrous hug.  She exclaimed how lovely I was and talked to me about how much I was wanted while she looked me over and admired Amelia, my little wooden doll I had brought with me.

Well I really have written quite enough for now.  I do hope I haven't exhausted you dear Rosey, and that someone has been able to read this letter to you.  I will write again soon.

With kindest regards,

Anne-Marie


Copyright 2012 Lorraine Tyler