The Mail Truck

In my creative writing class today, I was given an assignment. Write a short short story using this sentence as my cue: The mail truck goes down the coast. Carrying a single letter.

I didn't have a hard time with this, I love being given a cue. My problem was keeping it as a short short story. Here's what I wrote:




The mail truck goes down the coast. Carrying a single letter. The last stop at the end of a long day for Hank, the letter he has seen has a postmark from California. It could mean that his secret love, Angela is leaving him to finally be married to her fiancé. Angela, he adores her and cherishes her from afar, they have known each other their whole lives but she is rich and well, he’s the postman. Angela with her long flowing auburn hair, her pale skin and full lips she is a natural beauty – Hank dreams of her every waking moment. His mind shifts from Angela back to the letter; he selfishly hopes the letter from her fiancé is a curt goodbye. Her love has found someone else and they are to be married soon. Hank knows this will hurt her, but she would heal with time. Maybe Hank could be the one to comfort her and console her. He rounds the final bend in the quiet coastal road and sees Angela’s home. She is working in her garden with a large floppy hat protecting her skin. She is gracefully cutting roses and placing the delicate buds in a basket she is carrying. She looks up as she hears the sound of the mail truck; she drops her basket and clippers and runs toward the mailbox. “Hi Hank, how’s it going today” Hank tips his hat and nods, “Why I am fine Miss Angela. You only have one letter today.” He places it in her hand, hoping she doesn’t notice his hand shaking. “See you next week Angela.” She mutters an okay; as she has already turned away and has begun tearing open the envelope. Hank turns the mail truck around and heads back down the lane. He watches in his rearview mirror and he sees Angela jumping up and down, waving her arms and running into the house. He rounds the bend and that is the last time he sees his love Angela.