Friday fiction: Letter home

Dearest Father

I do hope this finds you well. I really must insist that you arrange my return home as soon as possible. I do not wish to complain about Aunt Anne as I understand that she is your sister, but she has been very unkind to me since my arrival here. The thought of three more months in this old-fashioned backwater is simply too much to bear.

Aunt Anne seems to be at odds with me at every turn. In the days that I have been here I have made a number of suggestions about how she could improve her home to make it more in keeping with what is considered to be a la mode on the East Coast. To my exasperation she is disinclined to take my advice.

In the hope of coaxing a smile from her I have played for her. Her piano is really rather poor, but I explained that any fault in performance was due to the instrument and not my level of accomplishment.

I have even made a point of meeting as many of her friends and neighbours as I can, in the hope that this would please her. I think it my duty while I am here to enlighten local people. However, I have to say that their manner has been quite gruff and Aunt Ann appears to take their part rather than mine.

Anyway, I must cut this letter short as she has said she has something to discuss with me upstairs. She said something about 'old-fashioned methods', so it may be that she has seen sense about the drapes and wallpaper.

So, I must end here by requesting again that you forward a train ticket to me by return.

I remain, your loving daughter

Carolina