Sikik G. Eegeesiak, Louisiana's friend in the far, frozen north of the Arctic Circle writes to her; she has lost her mother, and she is very downcast in nature.
January 24, 2004 (8:31, Alaska Time)~
Dear Louisiana~
Hello, my friend in Tennessee! I hope this finds you well; I haven't heard from you in quite a while, and I am wondering if you are upset at me about someething...I have heard from your children (Johnny and Ronee'), but I haven't heard a peep from you! Are you okay? Have you been ill in any way? If so, I pray that you feel better soon; I am very worried about you...
I also wanted to let you know that my beloved mother died. She was very frail and old, and she really never recovered from the pneumonia that she had several months prior to her passing (although she did have good days, and she did seem to be recovering well at times; but she was so weak!). She finally passed away last month, and her death hit me and my brothers and sisters very hard; it seems that we can never cry enough tears! We miss her so much!!
It is brutally cold here: snowy days and incredibly cold, biting temperatures; even I have been complaining about the cold--and I am Inuk! Isn't that silly?? We also had no power for nearly a week, and we kept warm by lighting seal oil lamps and lighting small fires. Our food supply froze, too, so by the time the power came back, we were ready to start eating one another! But now our power is back, and we have food again; went to the store, and we stocked up; we have bread, milk, meat (seal, whale, caribou, ptarmigan, etc.), and we have really been pigging out! I hope the weather is a lot nicer there in Tennessee; it must be delightfully warm there! I know it sounds funny, but I hope spring comes soon; I think my Inuk blood has turned to ICE! LOL
How is your Northern Lights family? I pray and trust that everyone is well; please tell them all (especially your sweet Johnny and Ronee'!) hello from the frozen wasteland here in Barrow, Alaska! (I personally think that they ought to change the name of Barrow to BRRRRRRRROW or BARREN, Alaska!! LOL) I would love it if any of them would write; I have been so depressed lately since the death of my mother that it isn't a bit funny!
Please write back to me; I want to know if you are angry at me for any reason; if you are, I am indeed sorry for anything I may have said or done, and I hope that you forgive me. I really would love to hear from you; I am so lonesome right now it isn't funny!
Tearfully yours,
As always, your friend (?), Sikik Eegeesiak in the Arctic Circle. :( >tears<
Yankee Doodle Daddy is a historical Appalachian Family Saga. The story follows a mother's reckoning as she struggles to survive and keep her four daughters alive.
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January 24, 2004 (8:31, Alaska Time)~
