Envelope
Written 57-C15 [2025-09-29], Edited 57-C15 [2025-09-29]
Image credit: Twitter Twemoji
Like other corporate mail, the envelope had a clear plastic window displaying a portion of the letter within. The visible portion of the letter said
Xavier Bolton
28 Harrier Road
Flin Flon
Manitoba, Canada
R8A 204
It was indeed Xavier’s freezing fingers picking up the paper and plastic, and his tired eyes reading address by the light of a lonely street lamp. But his new residence was actually in the Saskatchewan side of Flin Flon - it was just Canada Post that considered this new home to be part of Manitoba.
The howling, freezing winds threatened to pull the envelope out of Xavier’s hand and into the dark biprovincial sky. Xavier quickly put the envelope in his pocket, closed and locked the mailbox, and trudged towards the house his uncle built.
Snow, snow and more snow. It had fallen for months without being shovelled, and now Xavier had to step through it. His boots crunched through the flakes. Then they landed with thuds upon the wooden porch.
The lock clanked and door creaked as he entered an un-lived-in living room. He tried to pull the light switch. A naked bulb turned on while hanging precariously from a wire. No furniture, just beige walls and dusty floors. After about ten seconds, the light flickered and died. Xavier was thankful the damn thing didn’t fall.
There better be a working thermostat in this shack he thought. But at least there was no wind in here. Before looking for the thermostat, Xavier decided to pull out the envelope again.
Xavier could feel the texture of the envelope - most of it had the friction of paper except for the window which was almost slippery. Most of the envelope bent easily in Xavier’s stubby fingers, except for one vaguely rectangular region which refused to yield.
Xavier grinned in his lightless haunt. At long last, he could start to live on credit.
Feedback from the Joy of Writing Group
- no need for “precariously”
- used “Xavier” too much - replace with some pronouns
- need 2 wires not 1
- liked “biprovincial”
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