Tuesday, June 16, 1942
Dear Folks: Received two letters from you, written in May. You ask about me not air mailing it. Well I just don”™t, for reasons I cannot mention. I have never received any letter from Marie or Sted. I received a letter from Elaine with another hanky.
I had my foot operated upon and they promised they wouldn”™t”™ give me ether, but they did and oh I was so sick, I threw up blood and such. But Johnnie was here most of the time and so good to me. I received ten letters that day and he read them to me. Also one of my patients sent me three dozen red roses and a puka shell necklace which costs around $3.50. Then I had such a pleasant surprise, two boys off a Burch boot came to see me, one is from Sale, Cheshire England and one from Lancashire, England. They sure were swell and they want me to come to visit them, so I have a standing invitation for Australia, New Zealand and England ”“ I plan to make them too.
But first of all you two are going to get to come over here and see this place. I really think you would enjoy it. And then when I get thru touring around I am planning something else for you, but now it is a secret. Gee, Johnnie has a trip planned to South America and New Zealand for us. I can”™t make up my mind. Jr is swell and good looking, but he don”™t have the personality Johnnie has, but I promised Jr I would wait for him. I will ”˜cause I”™m not in the habit of not keeping my promises.
Today I get some crutches, sure am tickled. Dopey is here with me, everyone likes him, but the English boys think he should have a limey suit on instead of a Yankee suit so guess I will have to change it. I am in a school house they have rigged up for a hospital. We have no hot water; we wash in a hopper where they empty bed pans, but shucks we are getting used to almost anything anymore. You would be surprised and then they say we are soft. Well we may have been, but I think “thar has been some changes made”. Have you ever experienced Marshall Law; more fun, no.
I can speak some Hawaiian and Pilipino, along with pigeon English. About the flower seeds Mom, they are mostly trees here and they don”™t permit the carrying or sending of such. It seems strange that flowers here are trees but they are and some of them grow fairly well in Florida and a few in California, but they don”™t grow much any other place.
The Royal Hawaiian band played for us yesterday. Too bad about the rain taking out the garden, but so goes life. I”™m glad it was rain and not a bomb, boy one of those babies dropped on your garden would burn the whole place and ruin all buildings around them.
Sure hope I will see Archie Dobelstein and soon. Aunt Marge got her purse and was real proud of it. Too bad about Bud Boypen. Forest is in Washington D.C. now and is going into the Air Cadet Corp, if his eyes hold out. Yes I received the package I wrote you a letter stating I did. Did you receive it? Anyhow thanks again, so very much. Well must close, tell all hello.
Aloha Nui ”“ AraBelle