Dear Sadie

3: Deal with the Devil

Sadie writes Ethan back. What's the worse that could happen?

29th of July, 2020

Rodriguez, Rizal

Greetings, Ethan.

The fact that you wrote to a girl you're not acquainted with and sending it right to her home address already gave me the creeps. The whole content of your letter is just an additional stalker factor. Can I just say, how dare you read my journal entries! Not because some pink notebook was twinkling from afar, you'd come and get and read it! And goodness, don't easily assume things. Not because it's pink and sparkly, it belongs to a woman; well, it does belong to a girl, but that's you being someone who generalizes too quickly. And besides, if it's in the trash, it means it's rubbish. Why get it?

Jeez! God knows how frustrating this is! I'm pissed at whoever you are, Ethan, and thank yourself for not giving away your name and full address immediately because I swear I'll kill you when I find you. And to answer your first question, no, I am totally not okay. No one's going to be okay upon discovering that some random stranger has read her diary! Just imagine my humiliation right now, Ethan! I hate you to the core! And what were you doing on the farm? Are you even allowed to go there?

Whatever you say, Ethan. I've already given up trying to see whatever silver lining there is. The world had become too cruel and greedy enough for me to take my hopes back. And besides, you don't even know me. It's not your responsibility to keep me company or to cheer me up. I've decided long ago to live in solitude; besides, the world has become too greedy; anyone can be a snake. I don't want to befriend someone only for them to hiss and bite behind my back; 'cause that's what snakes do best, right?

Give me my diary back, Ethan. And don't write to me ever again.

Yours,

Sadie

Mama Susan rests her hands on her hips, her brows furrowed in confusion as she notices Sadie tiptoeing across the living room. Susan just got out of the restroom, so her daughter probably didn't see her there. She catches a glimpse of a short envelope on Sadie's hand. "Sadie? What are you doing?"

"Shit," she mutters under her breath. "Mama! What are you doing here?"

"This is my house; of course I'd be here," she crosses her arms. "And what about you, kid? Why on earth are you tiptoeing across the living room with an envelope in your hand?"

"Shit," she mutters to herself again. "Oh, uh, this? This is just..."

Mama Susan treads toward her daughter, oblivious to Sadie's slight trembling. She was about to snatch the envelope from the young woman when Sadie came up with a foolproof excuse. She holds the envelope near her mother's astonished face. 

"You see, Mama. I got the wrong mail yesterday. I was supposed to receive my letter from the writing competition for—"

"The Val Wood?" Susan's eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. "Where is it?"

"As I said, I got the wrong mail," responds Sadie. "And Ma! Don't be too noisy! People are still sleeping! Jeez, what's the point of tiptoeing when your mom is—"

"Ungrateful child," Susan mocks the girl. "Get out and switch the letters! I want to know if you won. And goodness! Wear a mask! Where's your face shield?"

"I know, I know! Can you wait?" Sadie wears her mask, immediately rushing out of the door to prevent Susan from shooting her more questions. 

She grabs her umbrella as she heads to the post office. But as she was nearing the said post, Sadie takes the letter out of the envelope, scanning it one more time as she unfolds the paper. For a while, the young woman contemplates whether to send it now to Ethan or to add some more things into the letter.

Suddenly, Sadie grabs another letter from her pocket, the one Ethan had sent. She unfolds the letter and begins to read his notes, her face scrunching up in irritation. Letting out a distressed sigh, she begins to tread towards her destination, only to feel water droplets on her skin. 

Sadie shifts her gaze to the sky, just as when the heavy rain started to pour! She panics as she scans the area in a search for cover, only to find the post office a few meters away, but too far away to make a run for without getting soaked.

Then, out of nowhere, her lips started twitching into a small curve, just as she came to notice that she was holding an umbrella right there on her left hand. She clicks the small umbrella button, and it opens, its size just enough to provide Sadie shelter from the rain.

Shifting her gaze to Ethan's open letter, finally, she smiles—for something written on the young man's letter has now become a new memory for Sadie. It read, "Little things such as realizing that you have an umbrella in your hand when the rain starts to pour."

"Very well," she mumbles with a tiny grin. Sadie makes a run for the post office, leaving her umbrella on the small stand before proceeding to the office counter. "Can I borrow a pen?"

Ethan,

Sorry. You'll probably think we lacked bond papers at home because I'm adding this note below my signature instead of using a new paper. The funny thing is, I'm already at the post office when I decided to add something to my letter.

Today, as I was walking to the post office, the rain poured out of nowhere. And I was panicking because I have a paper in my hand, and we'll both get soaked if I don't run to the nearest shelter. The nearest I saw was the post office, but still, it was too far to make a run for without getting wet. Then I realized I had an umbrella. And what a coincidence, because at that very moment, I was reading the letter you had sent me.

I wrote this because I wanted to say that I changed my mind. Disregard what I said earlier. That's what a pissed-off Sadie looks like, and I wouldn't say I like that version of me. And if you want to keep me company, suit yourself, and let's see how long you'd last.

Write me back, Ethan. I'd love to exchange letters with you.

P.S. Mmmkay. Maybe there are things to be grateful for. Like my umbrella :p

Yours,

Sadie