What a pleasant surprise!

Tomato was enjoying a quiet day of studying...


Tillo: Miss Tomato!!!!!!


Lamina: Mr. Hobocat brought you a letter baaccck!!!
Tomato: A letter... the letter? Really? So fast?


Hobocat: I wasn’t due back here for a while, but I figured you’d like this. They left a pie with the letter too. Good pie, that. Well, I am off again. If you have another letter just leave it on your writing desk and I’ll take it.


Tomato: Well... let’s have a read...
Lamina: It smells good. Like good ink.
Tillo: Ooh, the scribblies are pretty.

Dear Miss Greene, it is a pleasure to meet you, and even more through the use of this so evocative medium that is about to become extinct -a mail letter. My name is Paul Von Nathusius, but everyone simply calls me Paul. I wonder myself how this letter arrived to my hands. I particularly don't believe in the existence of other alien races, but .... an acquaintance believes in the existence of parallel universes. In the world in which I live the wonderful things that you mention don't happen, but other miracles occur. I in particular belong to a race which is called 'Vampire'; the world is populated by humans though - race that I previously belonged to. I now feed from blood but I'd rather not talk about that.
I enjoy playing and listening to music. I also like reading good stories -or more likely, being read to-. I really do not like talking about myself, so what about you? Are there any fantastic stories about the world you live in? I look forward to a response from you.


Sincerely,
Paul


PS: I almost forgot... Some people actually eat flowers for dinner!


Tomato: This is most interesting. l never thought I’d get a reply in the first place so this certainly comes as a surprise...
Lamina: You should write back!
Tillo: Haha, they eat flowers! How silly!



Minerva: What is with all the commotion? I thought you were studying here.
Lamina: Miss Minerva, Miss Tomato got a letter from someone who is called a vampire!
Minerva: … vampire?
Tillo: They eat flowers for dinner!!


Tomato: Here, you can read this.
Minerva: Hmm... where did this come from?
Tomato: Oh... Mr. Cat brought it to me as a reply to a letter I sent off with him... it started with Lamina telling me about If-worlds....


Minerva: … yes, in that every action has multiple outcomes and each outcome leads to a different world and they all exist...? Surely it is possible, but it just came from Hobocat? This person says he is a “vampire”.... I remember reading about them in a novel once... it is just some sort of fantasy creature! Says here they feed on blood too, not a pleasant thought, who would have come up with that?
Really Tomato, for all we know someone is just pulling your leg.


Tomato: That is entirely possible. Of course. It sounds like it could at least be an interesting story to hear if nothing else? Besides, such beautiful penmanship, wherever did Mr. Cat find it? You never know with him.
Minvera: … well if you insist in writing a reply, just don’t be too... personal.



Dear Mr. Von Nathusius,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I must say I was not really expecting a reply. This sure came as a pleasant surprise!
From your letter I gathered that mail is not common for you and I cannot imagine why? Surely the people in your world would want to communicate with others who do not live close by?


About myself... I am but a simple girl in school. I don’t have any interesting talents other than growing plants. One of the duties I am entrusted with here is to look after an impressive green-house, we grow a lot of different plants in here... we gather them and do research on them. You see, we use a lot of different herbs in our daily lives. We have recently just succeeded in growing this....



Minerva: … Tomato, perhaps you should not pour your entire herbal lore out to a complete stranger?



Tomato: *chuckle* I suppose you are right.


I used to do a lot of reading to younger children, and having done that, I can safely say I prefer reading to others than being read to. Seeing the listener’s change of expression as you narrate the ups and downs of a story is quite a reward in itself. I also enjoy music, though since I am not a player of any musical instrument I just have to settle with listening. Music and literature, I suppose we do share more things in common than I’d expect.


I hope this letter will find its way to you again.


Signed,
Tomato



Minerva: Except the part about vampires, of course.
Tomato: You don’t suppose I should ask about it?
Minerva: It doesn’t sound like sound like something I’d want to know about.
Tomato: Leave it for another time then?


P.S. Our little messenger enjoyed your pie a lot. Many thanks.


Minerva: Perhaps he will have another pie then?