电子情书- Love Virtually #3

Feb, 13th, 2011, 10:45 p.m. Subject: Me Do you know what, dear Emmi? I have decided to tell you something about my life. Here it goes: her name was Marlina. Once upon a time I would have written her name IS Marlina. A few months ago she found somebody else, a pilot, from a Spainish Airline, I mean can you believe it? When I found out I was suddenly sure that Marlina was the one and I had to avoid losing her. I did everything I could for an entire week and she was actually on the verge of giving me one last chance, Chiristmas in Paris. I was planning to propose to her there. The afternoon before our departure I got a sickening Email from her. "Leo, it won't work. I can't do it. Paris would just be another lie. Forgive me." I wrote back right away, begging her to give me one last chance, begging her to come to Paris please. Then I waited, hours and hours. I set myself a deadline of 9:00 p.m.. If she had not Emailed me by then, our last chance would be gone. It was 8:57, and then, suddenly a message! I opened it, and what did I find? "A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year" from Emmi Rothner. There you go. Have a nice evening. Leo Dear Leo, What a great story. I'm rather proud to have played such a fateful cameo role. Now, do you mind I get a bit tough with you. You seem to be a man who's only interested in a woman at the beginning and at the end of things, when he's just about to lose her for good. Am I right? You‘ll be prepared to send her up the aisle just to get a Spanish pilot out of your girlfriend's bed. That testifies to some lack of respect for the marriage vows. You've been married before. Am I right? Do you want me to go on writing? Have good day. Emmi Hello Emmi, I'm at work so I will keep this brief. Please do not presume that you know me better than you can. Sorry, but I've never been married. You? Several times. Am I right? Leo Oops, now I've upset you. I didn't mean to really. I'm so sorry. ps Yes, I've been married, once. And I still am. Feb 23, 2011, 10:08 p.m. Subject: Hello Dear Leo, Hello?! Leo, it's been a whole week! Are you there? Are you still upset? Have you lost interest in me because I'm spoken for? You could have at least be man enough to tell me. Best wishes Emmi Feb 26, 2011, 07:03 a.m. Subject: Three days later and no reply, Arsehole! March 1st, 2011, 6:16 p.m. Subject: A Lovely Message from Emmi Hello, Emmi. I just got home after an exhausting conference in BookArrest. Thanks for the warm welcome. I never intended to get to know you more than this electronic correspondence could allow, neither have I ever wanted to know what you look like. So it makes no difference to me if the real Emmi is married. But here's one thing I don't understand: why is a married woman so keen to correspond with an unknown, sometimes grumpy professor-type who's damaged by relationships? And what, for that matter, did your husband make of it? Sorry about the "arsehole", but it had to be said. If you would allow me to be the tiniest bit provocative, my dear Mr. Language Psychologist, the fantasy Emmi that you are creating can't possibly hold a candle to the real Emmi Rothner. Oh, Leo, I've got a bit of a crush on you. I like you. And I just can't understand why you don't want to know what I look like. I have to say I wouldn't mind knowing what you look like. As for my husband, Bernard and I have a fantastic harmonious relationship and two children, not my own. Pheona is sixteen. Joanath is eleven. And Bernard is considerably older than me. We don't really keep secrets from each other. I told him I've been Emailing with a nice language psychologist and he just asked me if I wanted to meet you. I said no, then he said "so what's it all about?" And I said, "nothing." And he said,"I see." And that was it. I don't want to talk about my family any further, okay? So, over to you. What do you look like? Tell me, please. March 3rd, 2011, 09:15 a.m. Subject: An Experiment Dear Emmi, So, you are dead set on know what I look like. Okay...I propose a game. I bet that out of, let's say 20 women, I could identify the one and only Emmi Rothner, where as you never guessed the real Leo among the same number of men. Do you fancy having a go with this experiment? Have a nice morning. Are you kidding? Definitely! Let's do it! So how should we proceed? Shall we send each other 20 photos with one of ourselves amongst them? I suggest we meet in person without knowing it, that is, we should stay in a crowd. We could go to the Cafe Huber, that big place in town. There's always a very mixed crowd in there. We could choose a window, of say...two hours perhaps on a Sunday afternoon when we both have to be there to try and work each other out. What do you think? Dear Leo, I can't concentrate on my work today with your experiment in mind. But there's just one problem: I'm worried that we won't like the way we look. Will that be end of our journey? I'd rather remain anonymous and get Emails from you for the rest of my life. Kiss Emmi I'm not worried about our meeting. You won't recognize me. And I've got such a clear picture of you that it needs only to be confirmed. A kiss from me too. Leo Next Sunday between 3 and 5 p.m. at the Cafe Huber. I'll be there. And ps, I think we should have an Email Embargo until then, okay? Until Sunday then. Yours, Leo