My Dear Bennie,
I got your two letters yesterday or was it the day before? But i didn't feel like writing straight away. Forgive me, please - these non writing moods of mine are very powerful when present.
Bennie, do you know what I'd like to do? ......to take a long sharp steel spike, wrote one it "you can never {annoy, molest, irritate} me, my dear Bennie, and a taking a 16lb sledge-hammer, drive the aforementioned spike through your cranium! Rather too emphatic, you will say; there may be possible some other more gentle means of elucidating this all-important fact, but then there is no trace of half-heartedness in my little suggestion, is there?
Now we are coming to the fact that you do not seem to be very clear on. I love writing to you and never, never consider it either a troublesome duty, or a tedious obligation. How could it be, if it is writing to about the best pal I've got! But this the point you must realize: that a life-long habit of not writing to anybody for months cannot be done away with at a stroke! I am getting over it, thanks to you, my dear Bennie, steadily, but slowly, and I am very moody.
It is absolutely impossible for anybody to love not to want to want that love returned. Human beings are made that way; have it in the same way as a pair of eyes with a nose between them! The "Bridge of Sam Luis Ray" brings that out most vividly: Donna Maria loved her daughter most madly and her daughter's coldness and indifference caused her a terrible amount of suffering. If there were no suffering, or jealously, there would be no real love.
Dear fellow, I feel positively proud and happy that you tried to "take it out" on me! That's fine! Everytime you feel peeved or huffy and "out of sorts" in anyway, just take a piece of paper, a pen (machine is better!!!) and give me hell. Then I'll answer and pull you to pieces! It will do us both a lot of good.
I don't know what Venette's address will be. I have written to uncle three times but never got any reply. So I'll wait until I hear from him.
The letter from Lelek was very nice. In fact, so sweet that I would blush if I started to translate it to you. It was to the effect that he remembers Krasnoyarsk and our home with great pleasure and is sorry that we are so far away that we can't be together - don't you know! Thanks very much for your translation though. I must write to him. What does the "n Met" stand for? as in "Nove Mesto n Met???"
I am very glad to hear that your mother is better. It is rotten to be ill. I was sorry, too that i didn't have your mother and Auntie Lydia to doctor me up! The would have fixed me quick enough, I bet! Now I am O.K. except for a little bit of huskiness in the throat!
My roommate is gone for good. He was a good sort, rather rough and hard, but cheerful and find (under the "hide") and with a keen sense of humour. He is a student of Toronto University. I have heard that I have have a Jewish salesman in my room pretty soon and I await the dreadful ordeal with trembling! I can't get a small room to myself - they are all taken up.
The mornings and evenings are getting very cold and in a couple of weeks we'll get frosts. there may be snow in October. I shall ski (first of all I must learn how!). Otherwise, my life here is interesting only to me....we have been building a new shute and I helped mostly by keeping out of the way.
Well Bennie, these are about all the words I need scribble to keep your interest. What might have followed would make you yawn, dear. so, give my best love to mother and Auntie Lydia; to Devon, Freda, and all my friends. You, my pal, I hug most heartily - but with restraint!
Your Loving Gui Gui
P.S. No, I would not advise and restraint on your part. I think you're got a lot of it. But I do think that you are a bit nervous though you keep it under control pretty well!
