Letters between Malcolm William Keshan and Dorothy Williams, 1941 - Part 8
S.A.G
Received 4/4/41
37 Byrnes Street,
Bexley
Monday Evening 31st March '41
Hullo there Mac!
How are you? Where have you been - Libya, Palestine
or where? I can't keep up with you these days - you're
moving so rapidly. I sit glued to the wireless when the
news session comes over - especially now that there's some
news of Libya coming over. But won't it be grand when
you're back and you can tell me all about it, instead
of writing. Have you planned it all out - just what
you'll say when you do get back. I often lie in bed &
think of what I'll say, but then the next night it all
seems wrong. Anyhow, most likely I'll howl, and spoil
everything. Wait and see.
I've just returned from [[physie?]] - my usual Monday
Evenings pastime as you know, & a few minutes ago was
sitting on the floor, reading some of your letters you
wrote me, before you left. Didn't you know I kept them
all? They keep me going when I don't hear from you.
And right on the top of the bundle is the telegram -
"Leaving Soon - lots everything & great big cheerio". I know
it off by heart. I'll never forget how wild I was - with
myself, - because I missed our last night to-gether. I've
gone over it dozens, no - hundreds of times. Do you mind
if we change the subject darl. When I think of it, I
don't feel so good.
2
Mac, would you think me rather forward if I asked
you to do me a favour? Would you let me have your
mother's address? You see, its like this Mac (Don't say
I'm being morbid, now.) Waiting those five weeks or so
for a letter from you, I thought all sorts of things had
happened to you, and of course I had no way of finding
out. In the natural course of events, if anything should
happen to you (Heaven forbid) they would send word
to your Mother immediately, and I thought perhaps I could
get word from her, if you wouldn't mind. Oh, I really
wouldn't pester her Mac, wouldn't be writing every
fortnight if your letter didn't arrive. But you do understand
what I'm trying to tell you don't you? Do you think
Mrs Keshan would mind Mac? Please don't be
afraid to say so, if you would rather not sweet.
This isn't a very nice subject either. Lets have another
try shall we.
Well my sweet, I've won my fourpence halfpenny.
I didn't fall even once on Saturday night! And I even
went in the fast, too. It was great to be on the ice
again. (Make a note of it - that's another port of call
for us - if you like skating that is.) And there was a
huge crowd there too. A lot of the old faces, some in
uniform, with lots of the hockey boys & good skaters
conspicuous by their absence - overseas most likely.
We're going on Wednesday night next again, so I'll try
& keep my record clean & have no spills. Let you know
3
next week how I get along.
Daddie's working back these nights - at the Showground.
It's going to be a bumper show this year so he says.
I'd like to go one night to see the Exhibits - before Easter
& then again on the Tuesday night after we return from
the Valley to see the ring events. I wouldn't miss the
ring events of a night, for the world. Anyway I'll see
how time & the budget fares.
We lost our match on Saturday last Mac. We're just a
lot of mug players I'm beginning to think. That's two
we've won, & two we've lost, so far. Still, you never can
tell!
I suppose you've seen some pretty wonderful sights since
I heard from you last. That's something they'll never
take from you - lucky you.
Outside Mac, the searchlights are like so many shafts
of silver, piercing a star spangled sky; it's the prettiest
sight - I wish you could see them. They criss-cross
and then sort themselves out again, only to form
weird patterns straight away.
As I write this, my eyes are attracted by a certain
brilliant colour moving across the page with my pen.
You wouldn't appreciate that brilliant colour though.
You've no doubt guessed it - I've my fingernails painted
red. Remember the last time I had them done with red
nailpolish? You hated them. I reckon they look
gay & sparkling against a coloured frock. Only the
4
trouble is, no body else seems to think so. And you just
should hear from Pop on the subject. He's as bad, if not
worse than you were.
There is no news this week Mac. I hate these short
letters as much as you do, but it's no good filling a page
with rubbish (more rubbishy than usual I mean).
I hope sincerely that you are behaving moderately well
(Of course I know you're no angel.)
Reading some of your early letters & then comparing them
with your later ones I can't help noticing how you've grown
older Mac. Don't think I've gone silly, it's a fact, you
have got older. Don't ever change will you Mac? 'Cause
the world needs nice folk around. To make up for all the
Dot Williamses that haunt the place.
It's getting late dear Mac & Mum has said I must go
to bed by ten thirty to-night or else there will be no
dancing for me to morrow night. Not that that would
worry me, if I had anymore news to tell you, but
I honestly haven't. Betty was here for a few minutes this
evening looking brown & very fit after her holiday at
Lithgow. When I read her parts of your last letter
she made the same remarks as I did "It's better
than a newspaper." So keep it up darlin.
No horse play - do take care of yourself Mac. Or Else.
Everyone wishes to be remembered to you. And you
will write as often as you can, won't you? On account
of - because. Lots of Love to you. My regards to
your pal Bullet Head (has his hair grown yet?)
[*I haven't received her snaps by the way. Your snaps I mean.) xxxxx
It's time to say goodnight once again m'darl. Sweet dreams to you.
Auf Wiedersehen. I remain Sincerely Always xxx
Dorothy xxx*]
BY AIR MAIL
No. NX11067
Pte Keshan, M.W.
"A" Coy., Batt
A.I.F.
Return to Sender on Military Board Instructions
For O i/c District Records Office
31-3-41
NOT WITH 2/4 BN.
S.A.G
F.P.O
12 JL41 9-10 A
E611
NOT OPENED BY CENSOR
A Coy 2/4th Bn
A.I.F.
Abroad.
2nd April 41
Dear Dot,
Well darl its taken me quiet a while to write this letter
I hope you didnt think Im getting to lazy to write or anything like
that; Im definately not, as Ive said before I get great pleasure out
of writing to you, and if I could I'd write every day darl, I simply must
keep that contact, or I'll loose altogether and I just cant do that, it's about
the only thing in this funny old world of ours, that's worrying me, and
believe me it does, but you cant say I didnt try. I'd better cut it out or I'll
be getting you confused darl. Do you know I havent had a letter from
you since the one with the two beautiful snaps in it, and gosh that
seems a long while ago, I was going to write this as soon as I came back
from leave but we couldnt post them so I didnt write it in case it went
astray, at present Im on a boat bound for, ?, I dont know, but I have
just been told that we may not be able to send mail for a few week
after we land, and there is doubt about the Air Mail, it is said there
may not be any air mail from where we are going, so dont be a
bit surprised if my mail takes longer to reach you sweet, I'll post
this as soon as possible, I wish we would hurry and get into the
fighting that has to be done in this war, so I can get back home,
right now I'd give anything to be able to see you. I'd just like to sit
Love 2 you
and look at you, and listen to you talk, thats just my bad luck
though isnt it. Well darl I'm fed up with the army Ive been mucked
around that much lately and now I dont know what my position is
at all a whats more, I definately dont care, they call me Pte, Im doing
a Cpls work, and getting Sgts pay, so you work it out if you can, there
like a lot of dogs fighting over a bone and Im sorry I didnt take
the stripes off and throw them at them. They also promised me leave
to see Cairo if I would do a spot of work for them a few days ago
and when it was finished wouldnt give it to me, well there was
only one thing left for me to do then darl, and that was take it, which
I did. I often think darl, its funny how different some peoples luck is,
take that Pat Garmin fellow for instance, your cousin sees his photo
and immediately wants to know all about him, as you said practically
a case of love at first sight, in other words he's done more without
even seeing your cousin, than I have in about 3 years right; as a
matter of fact he dont even know she inquired about him I haven't
seen him for a long time now. I had a great time on leave we
flew up to Cairo via Port Said, it's a great trip, the planes good
and the scenery wonderful, the Nile Valley which is all irrigated is
a real picture, it's just like looking down on a huge toy farm, we
only stopped at Port Said for about 10 minutes just long enough to
stretch the legs then on to Cairo, a car was waiting for us at the
air port to take us to a Hotel. We hadnt been in Cairo half an
hour before we were caught by a guide, though through rogue
(3)
ing us he done himself out of a good client; he started of by saying he
would take us to an old Church which was the place of places in
Cairo, then we went through all the dirty smelly narrow streets
in Cairo finally arriving at a Church that was of no interest
at all and then he started to spin his yarn, which finally with
the usual he wanted money for us coming in, also for him
luring us there and for the chap who kept the place, he was
bably disappointed however because we flatly refused to give
him anything and walked out; then we got a guide told him
what we wanted to see and asked him how much he wanted
we were not getting caught twice. We had a look at King
Farouks palace, which is much the same as Buckingham
Palace, then we went on to the Citadel as you get near it its
like a big old castel, I wanted to take a snap of it but its against
the Wog religion to take snaps of it so I was out of luck. Its a
high building and before being allowed to enter you have to
wear slippers over your shoes, then you enter the court yard,
a big white place in the center of which there is a wash stand
and a well 300 feet deep, before entering the main part the Wogs
draw water from the well and wash there faces three times
there hands and arms three times and there feet 3 times then they
are supposed to be clean and allowed to go in and pray.
Personally I reckon they would have to be boiled three times to
make them clean, and even then they might not be clean.
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