"THE PINK LETTER"

Hi folks, this is Two Texas PawPaw , and today you get a double dose. This is not a poem, its a tale about a man in his 30's and the adventure of his life because of a letter he received. It goes like this:----- A MAN LIVING IN A BOARDING HOUSE IN A SMALL TOWN RECEIVED A LETTER ONE DAY IN A PINK ENVELOPE. HE OPENED THE ENVELOPE AND FOUND A LETTER WRITTEN ON PINK PAPER THAT MATCHED THE ENVELOPE. IT WAS WRITTEN IN A FORIEGN LANGUAGE WHICH HE COULD NOT READ. HE LOOKED AT THE POSTMARK AND SAW IT WAS FROM GERMANY. STANDING ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE BOARDING HOUSE, STAIRING AT THE LETTER, THE LANDLORD CAME OUT THE FRONT DOOR AND SAW HIM. HE TOLD THE MAN HE HOPED IT WASN'T BAD NEWS. AFTER THE MAN TOLD HIM WHAT HE HAD, THE LANDLORD REPLIED THAT HE COULD READ GERMAN AND HE WOULD BE GLAD TO TELL HIM WHAT THE PINK LETTER SAID. THE MAN HANDED THE LETTER TO THE LANDLORD AND AFTER READING THE FIRST TWO LINES, THE LANDLORD TOSSED THE LETTER AT THE MAN RAPIDLY, SOCKED HIM IN BOTH EYES, KNOCKING HIM DOWN TO THE PORCH, AND SCREAMED AT HIM TO GET HIS BELONGINGS OUT OF HIS BOARDING HOUSE AND LEAVE BEFORE HE DECIDED TO SHOOT HIM. THE MAN HURRIEDLY PACKED AND LEFT. WALKING DOWN THE STREET CARRYING HIS SUITCASES, HE MET AN OLD WOMAN, SHE LOOKED TO BE 85 OR 90 YEARS OLD, SHUFFLING ALONG WITH A WALKER FOR ASSISTANCE AND A CANE HANGING ON HER ARM. SHE SAW THE MAN WAS BRUISED IN THE FACE AND ASK IF HE WAS ALRIGHT. HE TOLD HER WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE REPLIED THAT SHE COULD READ GERMAN AND SHE CERTAINLY WAS IN NO POSITION TO HARM HIM AND SHE WOULD BE GLAD TO READ HIM THE CONTENTS OF THE PINK LETTER. THINKING THAT SURELY HE WOULD BE SAFE FROM HER, HE CONSENTED TO LET HER READ THE LETTER. SHE TOOK THE LETTER, ADJUSTED HER GLASSES, READ THE FIRST COUPLE OF LINES, WADDED THE LETTER UP, THREW IT ON THE GROUND, AND BEGAN HITTING THE MAN OVER THE HEAD WITH HER CANE. A POLICEMAN DRIVING BY SAW THIS ACTION, STOPPED, AND RUSHED OVER TO THE SCENE AND ASK WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE. THE OLD WOMAN ASK THE POLICEMAN IF HE COULD READ GERMAN AND HE SAID HE COULD. SHE PICKED THE LETTER UP FROM THE GROUND AND HANDED IT TO THE OFFICER. HE READ THE FIRST TWO LINES, REACHED FOR HIS BILLY CLUB AND KNOCKED THE MAN TO THE GROUND, SLAPPED THE HANDCUFFS ON HIM AND HAULED HIM OFF TO JAIL. THE NEXT MORNING THE MAN WAS TAKEN BEFORE THE JUDGE AND THE JUDGE ASK WHAT WERE THE CHARGES AGAINST THIS MAN. THE COURT REPORTER HANDED THE PINK LETTER TO THE JUDGE, AND, ABLE TO READ GERMAN, READ THE FIRST TWO LINES, SLAMMED HIS GAVIL ON HIS DESK A COUPLE OF TIMES AND YELLED TO GET THIS MAN OUT OF HIS COURTROOM AND SEND HIM TO PRISON FOR 20 TEARS. WHILE IN PRISON, THE MAN WAS BEATEN 147 TIMES BECAUSE OF THE PINK LETTER. AFTER TWENTY YEARS, HE WAS RELEASED AND HAD DECIDED TO GO TO GERMANY TO SEE IF HE COULD FIND OUT WHAT THE PINK LETTER WAS ALL ABOUT. HE BOUGHT A TICKET AND GOT ON A BOAT TO SAIL FOR GERMANY. THE FIRST NIGHT ON THE BOAT HE WAS STANDING ON THE DECK WHEN THE SEA CAPTAIN OF THE BOAT CAME UP TO HIM. THE SEA CAPTAIN WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR AND ONLY HAD ONE ARM. THEY STRUCK UP A CONVERSATION AND SHORTLY INTO THEIR CONVERSATION, THE MAN TOLD THE SEA CAPTAIN HIS STORY. OF COURSE THE CAPTAIN OFFERED TO READ THE LETTER BUT BY THIS TIME THE MAN HAD LEARNED NEVER TO TRUST ANYONE AGAIN.. THE CAPTAIN TOLD HIM, LOOK, I'M IN A WHEELCHAIR, ONE ARM, AND YOU CAN STAND OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DECK WHERE I CAN'T REACH YOU, AND I PROMISE I WILL READ YOU THE ENTIRE CONTENS OUT LOUD AND NEVER HARM YOU. NO ONE HAD EVER PROMISED THE MAN BEFORE LIKE THE CAPTAIN DID, AND, CONSIDERING HIS CONDITION, THE MAN AGREED TO THE CAPTAINS OFFER. HE HANDED THE CAPTAIN THE PINK LETTER, WALKED OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DECK, AND AS THE CAPTAIN LAID THE LETTER IN HIS LAP WITH HIS ONLY GOOD ARM, HE REACHED INTO HIS POCKET FOR HIS GLASSES. JUST AS HE DID, A PUFF OF WIND CAME ACCROSS THE DECK AND BLEW THE LETTER OUT TO SEA, AND THE MAN NEVER KNEW WHAT THE PINK LETTER SAID.-----This is Two Texas PawPaw signing off, and, the good Lord willing and the creeks don"t rise, and I don't get shot, I'll be back tomorrow.