Agnes lost her reading glasses during my first winter. She had become my favorite address to visit. We broke the unofficial rules against social gatherings and ate lunch together. Meanwhile I read her the letters she received from her people on the mainland. I wrote replies with a golden fountain pen with her name on it.
After she recovered her reading glasses Max lost his. It became a long letter exchange between the two of them before Max finally believed Agnes had not robbed him. Agnes sent him a long list of suggestions on where his reading glasses might be. Max was so ashamed of his misplaced anger he didn’t open the door for five days when I came to his house to deliver him stories. I wrote them in the sand in front of his house. The sixth day he came outside to meet me and complained about his violated privacy. I apologized, of course.
