| Mandy & Hannah, Part 1 The Hannah character in this story, and her family and associates, were created by another author who has given me permission to use them. We may be collaborating on future installments. This installment introduces the main characters through the vehicle of email correspondence. Letter to Hannah Simpson with postmark from USA Hello, Hannah: Let me introduce myself. I am your cousin from America. I'm 11 years old and my name is Amanda Jane Cooper, but everyone just calls me Mandy. My mommy's sister told us last week that we had cousins in England. She gave me your name and address so I'm writing to say "Hi!" I live in North Carolina with my mother, Gloria, my step-dad, Jim Dunham, and my step-sister, Amy Dunham. (My mom just got re-married 14 months ago.) I'm including a picture of us sitting on the sofa in our living room. I'm the one with the brunette hair. Amy is the pretty one with the blonde hair. Then it's my mom and step-dad. We live in a nice house in Chapel Hill. Amy, who is 12, and I share a bedroom. Do you like school? Amy is a brain; I don't like school too much. I don't do so well I guess because I daydream too much. That's what my teachers say. (What do they know?! Ha!) There are a bunch of colleges nearby. My step-dad works for a company in Germany that makes computer software, so naturally we have computers all over the house! He consults at the colleges. I'm also including my e-mail so if you have an e-mail address, we can write back and forth faster than with a letter and a stamp! I'm really happy to have a cousin in London. I hope you'll write back soon. Love, your American cousin, Mandy XXX OOO P.S. Send me a picture! E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dear Mandy I'm so pleased to hear from you. I knew we had relatives in the States but I didn't know where. I live in London, as you know. I live in a council house with my mum, Michelle, and her boyfriend, Sean. I'm 10 years old and am in Year 6 in my school. That's the English equivalent of the fifth grade in America. Do you have a lot of friends? I don't have many friends because Sean doesn't like me bringing them home. Sean is nice sometimes, though. My mum works nights as a nurse. I don't see her too much except on weekends. Does your mum work? Thanks for sending the photo. (I tacked it up on my bedroom wall.) Your family looks very nice. I think you're very pretty! I'd like to meet you in person someday. Do you think you'll ever travel to the UK? I looked up Chapel Hill on a map. It's in the American South. I attached a picture of me when I was 9. (My middle name is Louise.) I used to like school. Now I don't so much, though I have a nice teacher. I keep forgetting things and, like you, I daydream. Sometimes I get so angry at things! Then I can't figure out why! Silly, really. I like to ride my bicycle around the neighbourhood. I always feel good riding my bicycle alone. No one bothers me. I'd like to have a dog or a cat but we can't have one. Do you have any pets? I have so many questions about life in America, but I suppose I don't have to ask them all now!LOL! Thank you for writing me. I'm really happy to have a cousin in America. Your British cousin, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper to Hannah Simpson Dear Hannah, You're so beautiful! I showed your picture to Amy and she said the same thing. Amy says "Hi!" She's very nice; you'd like her. I'm glad she's my sister. I used be alone most of the time and wanted friends but I never had them. Now I have Amy. I hope you can meet her someday. My mommy does work, though she doesn't have to. (My step-dad makes a lot of money.) My mom does what she calls public relations work. Amy and I help her. Daddy travels to Germany every once in a while. I asked him if we could go with him as far as London. He said "maybe." I would love to go to London! Amy has a cat named Snowball. I attached a few pictures of him. He's a nice cat; I like him. Amy lives with her mother every other week. That's when I take care of Snowball. I miss her when she's gone. Are you sad sometimes? It looked like it in your picture. If you are, I'm sorry. You're too beautiful to be sad! I hope school doesn't make you sad. I'm actually doing better because Amy and Daddy help me. I'm just so stupid sometimes, though! You can ask me stuff about America. If I don't know, I'll ask Amy. She'll know. I hope you're doing well. Write me back when you get the chance. Your cousin in America, Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dear Mandy I liked the pictures of Snowball. He looks like an awesome cat! It must be ever so much fun to have a cat. I'm not so sad. Even though I don't have many friends, Sean has friends that have little girls so I get to meet them and play with them sometimes. So you work with your mum? What do you and Amy do? Do you get paid? I should get paid for playing with Sean and his friends! Sometimes they're rough! It rains a lot here. Does it rain a lot where you live? I know it's warmer than London. Do you ever get snow? I like snow. It makes everything quiet. Thanks for saying I'm nice looking. I was surprised. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Do you? I don't think I want to be a nurse. Sean thinks I should be a model but I don't think that would be right for me. I like writing to you. I hope you won't mind if I can't write sometimes. Sometimes I'm busy and cannot write. That doesn't mean I don't want to. I hope you'll be patient. Good-by for now; tell Amy I said "Hello!" You're right; she's very pretty and so are you. I'd like to meet you both. Your British cousin, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper to Hannah Simpson Dear Hannah Well, Amy and I work with my mother's clients; sometimes by ourselves and sometimes together. It's kind of complicated. She's teaching us the business. We do make some money but Mom keeps it for us in a bank account. It doesn't rain a lot here, not like it does in London. At least that's what I read! What do you like to eat? Amy and I like barbecue stuff: pulled pork or chicken with barbecue sauce and Cole slaw (chopped up cabbage and stuff). Do you have that in England? We like pizza, too. How was school today? What kinds of things are you learning? Like I said, Amy and her dad help me with my homework so that makes it better. Since my Mom married Jim, Amy's been teaching me about computers. They're fun. Well, so long for now. Your American cousin, Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dear Mandy You asked me what I like to eat. I like doner kebabs and I like Indian food, but I don't especially like fish and chips. That makes me unpatriotic, I suppose! Kebabs are flatbread filled with sliced chicken or lamb and vegetables and other things. I like pizza, too. We've heard of barbecue, but I've never eaten it. It sounds like it would be tons of fun! School was okay today. This year we have to prepare to take national tests in English, maths, and science. I like to read but don't really like school much. Do you ever wish you could run away? I do; I think about it a lot. But I wouldn't want to leave my mum. It's starting to get cold, now. I look to see what the temperature is in Chapel Hill every day. I try to imagine you and Amy going to school and how you are dressed. If you can, send me a picture of you two in your school kit. I've attached a picture of me in my school uniform from earlier this year. My teacher, Dan, took it. 'Bye for now. Your British cousin, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper to Hannah Simpson Dear Hannah I'm sorry that you want to run away. Maybe you could come here! Amy and I would love to have you. I used to want to run away. My real father was mean to me. He used to hit me sometimes and do other stuff. He let his friends do bad things to me. Then, he got caught selling drugs and had to go to jail. (He's still there.) He was mean to my Mom, too. She divorced him after he went to prison. Jim is so nice to me! I really love him and so does my Mom. He's never mean and never hits me or yells at me. My father used to yell at me a lot! It sounds like people are mean to you. If you lived here with us, no one would ever be mean to you. You could have a bicycle and ride with me and Amy. The three of us could share a room. It would be fun. I'm going to ask my Mom if you can come here. I attached a picture of me and Amy that Jim took of us yesterday when we got ready to go to school. We don't have uniforms. I liked your uniform. You look very grown up in it! (You look so serious!) I don't want anyone to hurt you. You said Sean and his friends were rough with you. What did you mean? If you can't tell me, I'll understand. Your cousin in America, Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dearest Mandy Thanks ever so much for wanting me to stay with you. I wish I could. I'm so sorry your father was mean to you! From what you told me about him, I wonder if he and his friends did the same things to you as Sean and his friends do to me. I'm glad Jim is nice to you. I wish he was my dad. Do you ever have nightmares? I do, sometimes. I don't like them. They make me scared. The picture of you and Amy is so lovely! Thanks for sending it. Your British cousin, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper to Hannah Simpson Dear Hannah My father and his friends used me for sex. They were very rough and it hurt me. My mom took care of me and finally was able to keep them away from me. Jim and Amy know about it. I'm worried that Sean and his friends do the same things to you. I hope not. If they do, can anyone help? Can your mom help? My mom helped me. She taught me that sex wasn't bad; it was just bad that I was forced to do it. I didn't tell you this earlier but my mom has sex with men (and women!) for money. That's her "public relations" job. Amy and I help her by having sex with her clients. My mom never forced me, though. We both introduced Amy to sex, even though Amy's older than me. Amy likes it, too. I like sex now because I'm not being forced to do it. I have sex with both men and women. Amy and I have sex a lot. (I love my sister in more ways than one!) I have sex with my mom and with Jim. Jim loves all three of us. Please don't tell anyone! I hope you don't think I'm a really bad person now. I like writing to you. I wish we lived closer together so we could hang out and so you could stay with us when things got bad. Your American cousin, Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dearest Mandy I'm sorry it took so long for me to answer your e-mail. I spent a long time thinking about how to reply. First, yes, Sean and his friends use me for sex. They have me suck their things and they put them into my bum and the other place. It hurts when they do it in my bum, but not as much as it used to. I don't like it so much when the stuff goes in my mouth, but that's not too bad, either. I have to admit, that I like the attention sometimes and I like the sex sometimes. Do you think I'm bad for liking it? I worry about that. Second, I want to thank you. You are so kind and caring; you're the only person I can talk to about this. There's nothing bad about you that I can see. Third, my mum knows about it but I can never talk to her about things because Sean is always there. I think my mum is afraid to lose Sean and she's afraid if he and his friends get caught she'll get in trouble because it's gone on so long. (It started when I was 8.) My teacher, Dan, is one of the men that I have sex with. He's really nice to me and loves me. The others like having sex with me, but they don't love me. I wish Dan lived with us and not Sean. But even Sean is nice to me sometimes. A couple of his friends would probably hurt me more but he watches out for me. Wow! So you and Amy have sex for money! That's amazing. I've never had sex with a girl. Is it nice? I think it would be a little weird for me to do it. But I don't mean you're weird! Far from it. I just think it would be different. The wife of one of Sean's friends asked me to lick her down there but I didn't do a good job of it. I didn't really know what to do and I didn't like the smell of her. It's so interesting that you like sex a lot. I like it a little; maybe I could like it a lot some day. What do you think? By the way, I don't think you're bad at all. I think you're awesome! I guess I like to be alone because the men make things hard for me. I think sometimes that I must be bad to be in this situation and that I deserve it. In any case, I cannot escape. I just have to hope that things get better. I don't wish to be whingeing. I don't mean to complain to you. Thanks for telling me about your mum and Amy. It will be our little secret! Love, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper to Hannah Simpson Dearest, dearest Hannah! I was so sad to learn about what those men do to you. When I got your e-mail and read it, I started to cry. I didn't let anyone see. I never let anyone see me cry; not my mom or my sister or anybody. I had to look up "whingeing" 'cause we never say that in America! You're not whingeing. I think you're very brave and you deserve better than to be treated like that. You can tell me anything. I told you all about me and you didn't think I was bad. Sex with girls is wonderful! Amy is so sweet and nice. I guess I should tell you that I have someone that I love very much. Her name is Jackie and she's 17. Jackie likes me but I'm not sure that she loves me like I love her. Do you love anyone? Is there someone special that you care for? I started out not liking sex but now I like it a lot! (Especially with Amy and Jackie.) I think that's because of my mom; she helped me a lot. When I have sex with Amy and Jackie, it's a way for me to let them know how much I love them. Knowing how good it makes them feel makes sex wonderful for me. I like sex with guys, too. I hope things get better for you. Let me know how you're doing. All my love, Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dearest Mandy Something terrible happened to me since you last wrote. One of Sean's friends got too rough with me and I got badly injured. He tried to force his thing down my throat and, in doing so, dislocated my jaw. It hurt so much! Dan and my mother took me to the NHS clinic emergency room and they reset it. It still hurts and it's all black, green, yellow, and purple. I was so frightened! I wished you were there to help me. I had to tell the doctor and the nurse that I fell out of a bunk bed and hit my jaw on a padded chair. I'm sure they didn't believe it. Oh, by the way, NHS stands for National Health Service. It's how we get medical care. It's not like America. Something else is going to happen in the future. This is something good, or at least better. Dan and my mum are now going out. Sean is no longer my mother's boyfriend. Dan said that he, I, and my mother are going to move to an island in Scotland where he will be buying a house, away from Sean and his friends. I like this better than being with Sean. At least I won't be hurt any more. Only Dan will be having sex with me. I really wish it was you having sex with me! You asked if there was someone I loved, someone special in my life. Well, I love you, Mandy. You've become the most special person in my life. You've shown me the most love of anyone I know. Amy and Jackie are so lucky to be loved by you and to have sex with you. Scotland is a cold, wet place but it will be heaven to me if Dan is my only lover. He never hurts me. But I wish I was with you. I'd like to you teach me how to have sex with a girl. Could you send me a picture of Jackie? She must be very special for you to love her so much. Please tell me about her. I must go now. I have to let Sean and a couple of his friends do some stuff with me for just an hour, then I can go to bed. Don't worry; the guy that hurt me is gone. They won't make me do things with my mouth seeing as how my jaw still hurts. I hope I dream about you and Amy tonight. Love, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper and Hannah Simpson Dearest Hannah Thank you for saying that you love me. I love you, too. I was so sad to know you were injured. That is terrible! If I had money and was grown up, I'd fly to London and take you back here with me. I told Amy about it and she was shocked and felt very bad. We are both worried about you. Is there anything we can do to help? I've attached a picture of Jackie. I met her through Jim. He made friends with her and helped her to be happy. Jackie was very sad when Jim first met her. Her father started having sex with her after her mother left them. Jackie was nine years old. Her father started losing interest in her when she was 14 or 15. Jackie was always alone because her father wouldn't let her have any friends. She didn't know what to do about her situation because she had no one to talk to. Then Jim, the dad I love, talked with her and gave her advice. Jackie came over to our house one weekend. We all had sex with her (and each other), which made Jackie happier. She never had sex with a girl before then. I guess I fell in love with her that weekend. She slept with me that one night. I'll never forget it. I told her that I loved her but she didn't really believe me. I'm going to visit her in New York in two weeks. That's where Jackie is going to school. She's a brain just like Amy. I will send you an e-mail to tell you about my visit. I wish you could have sex with me, Amy, and Jackie! That would be wonderful. I would love to hold you and kiss you. Oh, Hannah! I'm so worried about you. Please keep writing to me. I'm going to ask my dad if we can visit you. I really want to see you face to face and to give you a hug and a kiss. Your loving cousin in America, Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Amy Dunham to Hannah Simpson Dear Hannah I'm Mandy's sister, Amy. Mandy has been telling me about you so I thought I would write you myself. I hope you don't mind. I wanted you to know that I think you're very brave and very beautiful. You're like a heroine from a Sir Walter Scott novel. I'm going to ask my Dad if we can visit you soon. When Mandy told me you were injured, I started to cry. I felt so terrible! No one should ever hurt you! I'm glad you can write to Mandy. I love her so much! I was an only child until my Dad married her mother, Gloria. Mandy told me that she told you about the sex that we have. It's never rough and no one ever gets hurt. That's how it should be. If you ever want to leave there, write to me and Mandy and tell us. We'll find a way to rescue you. Your friend, Amy E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Amy Dunham Dear Amy Thanks so much for the kind message. I'm all right; just a little bruised! As I wrote to Mandy, things have gotten better for me. My mum's new boyfriend, Dan, isn't letting anyone hurt me or even have sex with me other than him, of course. I don't mind it with him. He's very kind and he loves me very much. It's not like having a boyfriend my age but it's still nicer than all those other men. You and Mandy sound so wonderful! I told Mandy I've never had sex with a girl. Mandy told me it was gentle and didn't hurt. I'd like that. Did Mandy tell you that I wrote you are very beautiful? Thanks for being so concerned about me. You and Mandy are so nice! Best, Hannah E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper Dearest Mandy Thank you for your concern and thank Amy for me, again. Your sister was so sweet to write to me. It would be so nice to see you. Can you really come here some day? Oh, I would love to see the both of you! My jaw is much better. It doesn't hurt anymore and it's only a little black and blue. Good news: We're moving to Scotland next week! Dan had saved some money and got some money as an inheritance so he could buy a house on an island called Gigha. (It's pronounced, key' uh) He'll make money working at home, writing and editing articles on education for a Web site. My mum wants to get a job as a nurse on the island so we won't be poor. There is a small school on the island. I'll go there for two more years, after that, I'll have to go to the main land for secondary school. I'll be taking a ferry every morning and every afternoon. (I hope I don't get seasick! LOL!) I hope things will be better. I have to have sex with Sean one more time before I go. It will be all right; he never injures me. I'll still be glad to leave. Thank you for telling me about Jackie and for sending her picture. She's cute! I'll bet you make her very happy. I'll bet you make everyone happy! You make me happy! Tell me everything that's happened to you since you last wrote. How is Snowball? Do you like Indian food? Your British cousin, Hannah E-mail from Mandy Cooper to Hannah Simpson Dearest Hannah I'm so glad you'll be moving away from those bad men. I hope Dan will be nice to you like Jim is nice to me. Snowball is good. When Amy is away, I let Snowball sleep in our room. I have a stuffed Beanie Baby bear that I named "Mississippi." I sleep with Snowball on one side of me and Mississippi on the other. I do like Indian food! There is a really good Indian restaurant in town that opened two years ago. My dad says it is because there are so many Indian students and Indian computer workers in Chapel Hill. I have some news that I hope you will like. Jim says we can visit you this summer! Find out if it's all right for us to come. My dad has to go to Germany for a week in July. If it's okay with you and Dan and your mom, Amy and I can stay with you the whole time Jim is in Germany! We'll really get to know each other! I'd like to sleep with you every night along with Amy. We both want to hug and kiss you and tell you how wonderful you are. You can finally have sex with a girl! Actually, two girls! If Dan wants to have sex with me and Amy, that's okay; we won't mind. It will be wonderful to see you. Tell me if it is okay with your mom. We're very excited! Love Mandy XXX OOO E-mail from Hannah Simpson to Mandy Cooper My Dear, Dear Mandy! My mum and Dan say it will be fine for you to visit. They'd like to talk to your dad and mum over the phone soon so they can introduce themselves and discuss the arrangements if they don't mind making the trunk call. I can't believe you're coming! (I am looking forward to having sex with you and Amy, if you think that's okay.) I started school last week and so far I like it. There are only 14 pupils in the whole primary school! My teacher, Gwen Chambers, is very nice. The town has a Web site and they just posted pictures that the students painted. I painted a picture of a windmill and they posted it! (My mum is very proud.) Here is the link to the page: http://www.gigha.org.uk/kids/windmills/index.php I hope you'll like visiting here. We have ever so many sea birds around! They are so beautiful to see. In London, I only ever saw pigeons. And we have the Achamore Gardens nearby. I love to walk around them. Our house is very nice. It has central heating so the house is warmer than where we were in London even though it's much farther north. I'm so very excited that you're coming! Oh, Mandy, thank you for being my friend! You made me feel so special when I needed it most. Cherrio for now. I hope we can talk to each other when our parents have their call. Your (very happy) British cousin, Hannah "Hello?" "Hi, Dan? Can you hear me?" "Yes, you're coming through clearly. Is this Jim?" "Yes, it is. It's nice to meet you." "Same here, Jim. It appears our little girls have made contact and now want to visit. Hannah told me about her correspondence with your step-daughter, Mandy, and your daughter, Amy." "Yeah, the girls have been bugging me to take them to England on my next trip to Europe. I work for the German firm, SAP. I will be visiting the home office for training. It's in Walldorf. I don't know if you know Germany but it's in the southwest part." "Actually, no; I'm not familiar with it. Hannah says that you'll be in Germany for a week?" "Yes, I expected to be abroad around 8 or 9 days. The girls want me to drop them off in Scotland, now, since Mandy says you've moved recently." "Yes, we live on an island up here. It's very nice. I think the fresh air is good for Hannah and her mother, Michelle, who's now my wife." "Congratulations!" "Thank you. Anyway, we'd love to have the girls for the whole week if that accords with your plans." "Well, that's very nice. I hadn't expected to leave them with you that long. After all, you don't even know us. I would be afraid we'd be imposing. Would you even have enough room for them?" "Oh, goodness, no; it's no imposition at all. If Hannah is excited about having them stay over, that's fine with us and yes, we have the room. We have a guest bedroom upstairs that's very cozy indeed." "That's very kind. I think it would be wonderful for our daughters to spend a week in Scotland with Mandy's cousin. We thought we'd arrive on Saturday, the 17th. My wife and I could stay in a hotel if one is available while the girls occupy the guest room." "Oh, Jim; we wouldn't hear of it. We can make room. Please, you must stay with us." "All right," Jim replied. "We'll look forward to it." "Um ... Dan ..." Jim wanted to discuss something that had been on his mind since Mandy told him about Hannah's life with Sean. "Yes, Jim ..." "Mandy's told us a lot about you and Hannah ..." "Oh?" "Yeah ... a lot. It seems the two of you are very ... close; am I right?" "Yes," Dan answered confidently, "I think in the same way that you and your daughters are close if I'm not mistaken. Hannah's told us a lot about your relationship to the girls. We were delighted to hear that." "Great!" Jim replied, relief evident in his voice. "Then I think we'll both enjoy getting better acquainted." "Without a doubt," said Dan. "We'll be looking forward to seeing you all in July. I'll be sending you directions and other travel information. It will be summer, but remember that it is Scotland – that means it still might be cold by the standards of North Carolina." Jim laughed. "Good point, Dan; good point. We'll come prepared. Nice talking to you ... Just a second, Dan." Jim obviously turned away from the telephone receiver. In the background Dan heard, "What Mandy ... huh ... okay ... let me ask." Coming back on the phone, Jim said, "Dan, Mandy would like to speak to Hannah. Is she available?" "Why, yes; she is. Just a moment." Jim could hear Dan talking in the background. "Hannah! Hannah! Darling, Mandy is on the phone and would like to speak to you." Jim then heard Dan say, "Jim? Hannah is here. I'm putting her on the phone." In the background Jim heard, "Here you are, dear." Then he heard a soft little girl voice with a charming English accent. "Hello?" Hannah said. "This is Hannah." Jim answered, "Hannah, dear, this is Jim, Mandy's step-father. It's nice to meet you. How are you?" "I'm well, thank you, and it's nice to meet you, too," the girl answered in her soft voice. "And how are you, Mr. Dunham?" "I'm fine, Hannah. And call me Jim. Oh! Here's Mandy." Jim's step-daughter got on the line. Mandy was excited to actually speak to Hannah after corresponding with her for more than four months. "Hello, Hannah?" she said. "It's Mandy!" "Oh, Mandy, hello! It's so nice to hear your voice! You sound so wonderful." "Hannah, you sound great, just as I imagined; you sound as beautiful as your picture looks." "Thank you, Mandy. I guess I'll be seeing you soon." "Yes, Hannah, you will. I can't wait to see you." "Oh, me too, Mandy. Oh, it's so nice to listen to you. You sound so kind, just like your e-mails." Mandy laughed with delight. Then she whispered to her English cousin, "I'm looking forward to holding you in my arms!" Hannah giggled and said, "Oh, Mandy; me too! I love you!" Smiling broadly, Mandy replied, "I love you, too, Hannah. I'll say good-bye now. We should talk again soon using Skype. Do you know how?" "No, Mandy, I don't." "Don't worry," Mandy said, "I'll send you directions in my next e-mail. I'm sending you a kiss!" Mandy then smacked her lips into the phone's mouthpiece. Hannah giggled again, and then did the same. "Cheerio, Mandy!" she said and then handed the phone back to Dan as Mandy gave the phone to Jim. "Okay, Jim, I'll be e-mailing you soon. Tell Mandy I've only rarely seen Hannah so happy. Cheerio, then." Jim chuckled. "All right, Dan. I'll tell her. Talk to you soon. Bye." And he hung up as Dan simultaneously rang off at his end. |