Suppose your father had died...
Illustration
Suppose your father had died shortly after you were born. You would have no first-hand memory of what he was like. As you grew up, you would wonder about him. You might imagine that he must have been the most wonderful father in all the world. You would dream about how much he would have loved you and the things he would have done for you -- teaching you to ride your bicycle, playing games of Monopoly with you, taking long walks together. But then again, you might doubt it. You might grow to suspect the things that your mother said about him. Maybe she wasn't really telling you everything. Maybe she was hiding some of the unpleasant things. Maybe, indeed, he actually hadn't died but had run off and left her and you and she just didn't want you to know. You would speculate and wonder, but there would be no way of knowing the truth for sure.
Unless, one day, by accident you came across a collection of his letters all tied neatly together in a bundle. Would you read them? To do so would mean that your picture of your father would be forever altered. You could no longer pretend. You might not like what you found. Still, there is little doubt about what you would do. Of course you would read. It is the only way to know for sure what he was like.
Unless, one day, by accident you came across a collection of his letters all tied neatly together in a bundle. Would you read them? To do so would mean that your picture of your father would be forever altered. You could no longer pretend. You might not like what you found. Still, there is little doubt about what you would do. Of course you would read. It is the only way to know for sure what he was like.
