MS Ice Sandwich

by Anuska Saha

To the unnamed narrator with an unknown address,

I hope you are doing well.

I heard about your grandmother. I am extremely sorry for your loss. She was undoubtedly a wonderful lady, and her presence will be missed. I wish I could have attended her funeral, but my dimensional limitations made the visit impossible.

Life certainly works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? One moment you are mustering the courage to face your goals, and the next moment it takes something precious away. I may be a lot older than you, but I still have not gotten used to this simple fact. I guess I still have a lot of growing to do.

Do you know what I admire the most about you? It is your constant attempt to understand the world around you. No matter how discouraged you feel, or how puzzling something seems, you never stop confronting what is thrown at you head-on. In this process, you also come to terms with your precious feelings, something I still struggle with. Unlike you, I have avoided putting words to my honest opinions, and this results in me not knowing a single thing about myself. But enough about me. The focus of this letter should be on you.

To me, Ms. Ice Sandwich is nothing short of a blessing in your life. If you had not come across her at the supermarket, you probably would not have had the opportunity to grow as much as you did at this phase in your life. You are a sensitive and smart child. Therefore, I am not simplifying my words. I know you will not have trouble understanding what I am trying to say.

The way you see the world, your appreciation for your grandmother and your friend Tutti, your patient effort at Ms. Ice Sandwich’s portrait, your search for a story you no longer remember the title of, your horror yet fascination at the sight of chaotic violence on screen (and its imitation by Tutti), and your inability to comprehend hurtful comments towards someone you like are all extremely precious. You must never give up on them, because it is these seemingly insignificant things that build up and form the heart of a person (sounds familiar, doesn’t it? *imagine me smiling here*).

I am excited to see you grow as a person, although it deeply saddens me that I do not have the means to witness it due to dimensional limitations and the unlikely possibility of any physical continuation of your story by your creator, Mrs. Mieko Kawakami. But I do have a tool to bring me relief whenever I wonder about you, and that tool is none other than my power of imagination. Our ability to imagine is the greatest gift we possess, and I want you to rely on it as you meander your way through life, because imagination never disappoints. With this, I am sure that your future will be as bright as a clear summer sky.

Love,

Anuska