The Bullet and The Rose

16
December 1998

Miss Seda E. Atbridge:

            You’ve
never met me before, but my name is Casey Baliff-Atbridge.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  I found your address in some of my father’s
old papers several years ago, but I was too hesitant to write up until now.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  There are reasons to my silence, but that
will be revealed in the course of this letter. 
I’m afraid that I’m the one left to break the news to you.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  My mother is too afraid of repercussions and
my sister’s too young, so it comes to me.

            Your
father, a Mr. Albert Atbridge, is also mine. 
I know it must come as a shock to you, and I’m sorry this is the way you
have to find out.  My mother’s name is
Catherine Baliff, and she was your father’s mistress.  My sister and I live in Liverpool where your father worked
sometimes, in a little flat on the east side of the city.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  I would like to stress to you that until
your father died I had no idea that Mr. Atbridge, or I guess Father, even had
another family.  My mother kept it from
me until his death three years ago, and even then she was secret about your
location.  It was then I remembered a
scrap of paper I had found discarded in the trash a few years ago.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  That scrap of paper had your address on it,
and for some strange reason, I saved it. 
I just found it interesting that you had the same last name as mine, and
I thought maybe you were a cousin or an aunt. 
After your father died, my mother told me about his other family, with
other children, and your name came up. 
It’s taken me a good three years to get up the bollocks to tell you
about this, but you must admit that it’s a difficult thing to tell someone.

            I’m young,
only nineteen, so forgive me if I’m not polite enough or if this isn’t the
formal way to do things.  I don’t know
anything about you, other than you’re my half-sister and you have two other
siblings, my other half-sister and my half-brother.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would love to meet you
one day, so if you ever want to come up to Liverpool, please write me.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  I don’t think you could stay with us; Mum
wouldn’t allow it.

            I once
again apologize about the nature of this letter, but I felt that someone had to
write it.  Please forgive me any agony I
might have caused you or your family.

Sincerely,

Casey G. Baliff-Atbridge.