Here’s to Staying at Home Kid

Nina pushed the cobwebs out of her face, and adjusted her light. The attic was disgusting. She estimated that there was at least three generations worth of junk up here. She wished her grandmother had taken more time to go through it all before she passed. Now, with her mother in the throes of grief and the bank closing in on the old house there wasn’t much time to look through the attic for hidden treasures. Nina prayed she could find a Picasso or a Monet hidden amongst the junk. Anything really that could be sold off to help her mother keep her childhood home would be great.

After about an hour, she had a pile of items set aside to go to auction. She stood up quickly from her stooped perched and slammed her shoulder on to the edge of a hat box. The box toppled over, spilling its contents across the floor revealing a stack of letters. Curiously Nina picked one up and opened it noting it to be addressed to her Grandfather.

Scanning the letter briefly, she read the words, "You'd want to keep me. I'd want to be kept. What a disaster that would be." Intrigued, Nina scooped the stack back into the hat box and headed downstairs. Washing her hands of dust and grabbing a snack she headed in to the formal library. She flicked on the light and settled into her favorite reading spot.

Dear John,

You are without a doubt the greatest man I have ever met. When I am with you I feel safe, loved and protected. Which is why it is so difficult for me to tell you that I must turn down your marriage proposal. I wish I could tell you in person, but I don’t know when I would see you again. You have returned to the Army base after your furlough, and I have just found out that I will be leaving for the United States for my next film. I was just cast as a lead in a movie called Casablanca John, a lead! The fact of the matter is, that if I married you, You'd want to keep me. I'd want to be kept. What a disaster that would be. What an utter tragedy of lost potential. I could not possibly give up now on my dreams of being and actress. I know that lifestyle is not for you John, and I respect you too much to allow you to compromise your dreams for me.

Ever Your Darling,

Ingrid

Nina’s mouth dropped open. No, it couldn’t be. Could it? She knew the movie well, having watched it hundreds of times with her grandfather.  She flipped over the envelope and saw the return address for the first time. Miss Ingrid Bergman. The address was from Sweden. A quick perusal indicated that the entire pack was letters written by the World War 2 starlet. 

Nina let out a strangled shout. She looks up towards the sky, “Thank you Poppa” she whispered, and ran out of the room to show her mother.