" A Work of Art" by Anton Chekov

Edgar Allan Poe "A Dream"

Epistolary .

Arnold Carlson Kevin Carlson

September 24^th 2004

114Saint Andrew str

.Manhattan NY.

My dearest son Kevin,

How are you? I know that it has been a very long time since we’ve spoken to each other and for a dominant part of that period the silence has been killing me.

I have come to the conclusion that this nonsense must come to an end and as father and son we should be united. I don’t know if you can forgive me for ignoring you all the years we spent together before you left but I’m willing to make up for our lost time and I’d also like you to know that I will support you and the goals you want to achieve no matter how strongly I disagree with them.

I have tried contacting you on your cell phone but you probably aren’t using it. Anyhow, I’ve been thinking that over the past years I have supported you quite a lot as far as your expenses go and I feel that if I ever needed your help, you should be there for me. As my son, I mean.

So I’m just going to come right out and say it. Kevin, I desperately need your help and I hope you will be of assistance to me, and act like an adult for the first time in your life; take responsibility. My problem has to do with a co-worker in my building named Jonathan Frank. He’s been hovering over me, and trying to get my position for over a year now, and ever since he brought up that he was after what I had, strange things have been happening.

Strange things such as weird e-mails from people I don’t know threatening to destroy me. I feel like I’m in high school all over again where I steal the captain of the football teams’ girlfriend and he wants to pound my face out by the fountain area after school. Only this seems to be much more serious than that. This man has strong communications and I’m afraid his paranoia will lead him to the extreme and I won’t be able to stop him.

I was hoping you could help me by hacking into his email account or something that has records of who he talks to or what he plans to do. That is what you specialize in isn’t it? Well we need to be one step ahead of him if you want to continue the comfortable life you’re living now. After all this is cleared out I’ll leave you alone if that is what you wish, but until then I am begging you to look past your anger and help me overcome this difficulty.

I will be looking forward to your response, that will arrive soon I hope.

Best wishes your father, Arnold.

September 27^th 2004

213 Amsterdam

and West End

Dear Arnold,

I’m fine, but apparently from what you’ve told me in your letter, you’re not. I’m not sure I can

help you and it’s not like I’m holding any grudges against

you, but I don’t feel like we can ever be connected as father and son. And I want to make it clear that I don’t believe your sudden guilt for the way you’ve acted these past years. I’m not sure if I even want to help you because even in your letters you insult me and boss me around as if I’m some little kid you think you can control; and the thing with you supporting me financially is your duty, not something that you’re forced to do.

Anyway don’t expect any miracles from me. Why don’t you send me the guy’s information; this is what I need: his email, home address and zip code, home number and cell, the name of his block, I already have his full name from your previous letter, and date of birth. I’ll take care of the rest and when I find something I’ll let you know. In the meantime you can’t show him you dislike him because if he’s into any business with anyone dangerous then he’ll know. Just play it cool and we’ll talk.

And Arnold? Don’t try to look for me okay? After all this is over I don’t want to have anything to do with you… things are better the way they are and the only thing that we would end up doing is making them even more complicated.

I hope things go well, Kevin.

October 1^st 2004

114 Saint Andrew str. Manhattan NY.

Dear Kevin,

Thank you for your decision son, but I want you to know that if you ever change your mind about wanting to improve our relationship, please I beg you, let me know immediately. It’s never too late my boy but until you realize that I won’t look for you.

Okay let’s get down to business. I have all the information you need in order for you to find out who he’s working with and when he’s planning to take me out. His email is JonathanFrank@gmail.com, his address is 15691 Silver Spur rd. Manhattan NY, zip code 92504, his home phone number is 909-780-1507, his cell number is 347-479-6480, and he was born July 19^th 1958.

More things have been happening Kevin; last night at around twelve thirty or so, I heard noises outside of the garage and when I walked outside to see what was causing it someone broke the bathroom window. I went back inside and I found a note tied to the piece of rock that did the damage, and it re

ad, “You don’t want to do this the hard way”.

I must admit I’m quite terrified, so please Kevin, make this as quick as possible wont you?

Again I’d like to thank you so much for this and please, think about my offer son. This is my cell phone number if you ever need to reach me: 951-264-3095. Please don’t hesitate to talk to me or ask me for anything you need. I don’t mean to be pushy but it’s unfair to both of us Kevin and I’d like you to meet me at Kelly’s Café this Friday so we can talk in person. I would love to see you and I want to be a part of your life. I have no one else but you and it’s a shame things had to come to this point for us to communicate. Let me know when and what time you can meet me please. I’m looking forward to your next letter.

Love, your father, Arnold.

October 5^th 2005

213 Amsterdam and West End

Dear Dad,

How are you? Not too good I bet…

It’s been a year since you’ve been gone and I still can’t stop myself from writing you letters. I don’t know what I expect will happen by writing so many since you will never be able to read them, and I blame myself for that. I never answered your last letter and obviously I never helped you with that unfortunate situation you were in last year and look what happened… I lost you. I never quite had you, but I guess its human psychology that works in a way where when you have something, you don’t realize how much it means to you until you lose it.

Remember when we used to go fishing when I was eight years old? You showed me how to get the bait onto the fishing rod and I remember hating to wake up so early but loving the trip in the car. I look back at those times and I see how ridiculous we both were; fighting over which school I would go to, and how foolish I was to walk out on you the way I did.

I hope you can forgive me father. I tried to make it to you as soon as I could on the day of the shooting but I was too late. They tricked us both. That Frank guy made you think that I had been captured by his men, and told you that if you didn’t quit your job and showed up at the meeting point with half a million bucks they would kill me. But they never had me… then they told me that you were in this with them and all you wanted to do was shut down my business and force me to go to law school like you wanted. I can’t believe how annoyingly stupid I was to believe them.

People tell me I should stop living in the past; I should stop trying to find ways that could save you since your murderers have been shoved deep into prison, but I find it impossible. Thanks for trying to get to me first by the way. And also, thanks for wanting to be my dad even though I was a disappointment to you.

I have written countless letters since the day of your death but this is the first one I’m going to send to you. I hope you rest in peace father, and hopefully we’ll meet face to face again one day. I love you and I will until the day I die. I’ll visit you soon, I promise.

Your son, Kevin Carlson.

P.S: I’m in school now dad and I’m planning to master in Law. I found out that this connects me to you, and surprisingly I love it! I guess I’ve always had a little bit of you in me, and I want you to know, that I couldn’t be more proud to be your son.