Kära Julia (del 2)

Efter mitt förra inlägg på bloggen om brevet till Julia har en handfull läsare hört av sig och sagt att de är nyfikna på själva brevet. Det vill säga det som handlade om hur Paul och jag träffades och så vidare. 

Jag har letat och letat, men jag hittar ingen kopia av brevet. Det är oerhört retsamt med tanke på att jag nästan aldrig slänger papper. Det enda jag har är ett dokument med "mer information" som Julias sekreterare fick efter det att mitt brev valts ut.

Det känns som ett slags trailer till berättelsen om mitt liv. A sneak preview innan filmen släpps. Fast i mitt fall alltså tills jag får en kopia av orignalbrevet från kontoret i Verona.

Det börjar så här:

I met my husband Paul in Johannesburg on the 13^th of February 1992, on the eve of Valentine´s day. It was not love at first sight, but I was drawn to his kindness, sense of justice and strong arms.   

Sedan:

In January 1994, I moved in with Paul in a small flat in Johannesburg. We had little money and the country was in turmoil. Paul was still politically active and we were shot at twice in our bedroom (by those who wanted to stop change). Once by a single bullet, once by a machine gun that shattered the ceiling, our wardrobe and a pot plant. I was working as a freelance journalist. 

Vidare:

Shortly after the first democratic election, we fell pregnant. It was not a planned pregnancy but we were very happy – and surprised. Paul had been badly tortured with electric shocks and had been told that he would never father a child. Our son Nils was born in March 1995.

Till slut: 

I wrote a letter to Juliette with the hope that my story might help or inspire other people in a similar situation. Few believed that Paul and I would make it. The differences appeared to be too many: He quit school to join the armed struggle, I had been to university. He was in his 40´s, I was in my 20´s. He was black, I was white. Never the less, I have never loved anybody as much as I love Paul. 

Soundtrack: