Skellig

A Letter to Joy

By: Maria Colsa

Dear Joy:

These past few weeks have been very stressful for all of us. When dad bought the house I was angry I felt he was moving me away from my friends, my home, my confort zone. I was even more angry when mum became pregnant with you. I apologize for those feelings I had towards you. You are special..you are my baby sister who I love and will always help take care of. Dad has worked so hard on making our new home perfect for us all. I have been helping dad clean so that your home coming would be even more welcoming. While cleaning out the storage shed I found something or someone whom I believe to be your guardian angel and my friend, "Skellig." I also made another new friend, Mina whom I am sure you will get to know very well; she will make sure of that. Sometimes she's a little on the "uppity" side, a Miss Know it All, but mostly she's extraordinary.

I know you are too young to understand any of this right now but someday you will. Mina has become my best friend she helped me understand my true feelings about you and what you were going through when you were ill. She taught me how to really listen. While you were in the hospital I could not only feel your heart beating, but I could here it. We were connnect you and I. During your surgery I could feel you died. Skellig brought you back; to me, to us. Mum thinks Skellig is nothing but a angel in her dream, Mina and I know differently. He was with you, caring for you, making you better and strong enought to survive the surgery. He is gone now, he has gone to help others. He is well thanks to Mina and I; and you are well thanks to him. I only hope we will someday see him again. He is truly amazing..."Extraordinary."

I love you little sister.... Michael

P.S. Joy fits you well, thank god dad and mum didn't go with Butch, Gus, or Buster.

Writers Note: I chose to write a letter to the baby. I believe Michael and her will forever be connected in more than one way. By writing a letter it will force Joy to ask questions when she is older and able to understand. Michael will be able to discuss with her what he experienced with Skellig and what he believed Skellig represented to her or himself. This story showed the love of family and the trust of friendship. Mina and Michael where meant to be together. They were able to learn from each other and felt a need for one another. Michaels parents were comforting towards him never making him feel less important. Mum always expressed her love towards him and dad expressed concern for Michaels feelings allowing him to stay home, having dinner with him, etc.

Hillary Williams Extra Credit
Dear Diary:

I am so sick to my stomach right now and I can’t sleep. I feel like a lost soul who is extremely lonely. Every day lately I have had to put up a front and pretend like everything is okay. I cannot say anything about the weird person in our garage and act like I really know my sister is going to live. I try to be okay and act like my parents should be just paying 100% attention to my sister and not me. All this is really bothering me deep down inside and I have no one to turn to talk to about this. I really want to talk to my neighbor girl Mina about the man in our garage. She told me a secret today, but do you think I should tell her my secret tomorrow about the man in the garage? Can I trust her? Will she run and tell dad? Why does mom and dad always ignore me? I don’t want to go to school anymore, not even to play basketball or recess with the boys. Its just no fun anymore. All I think about is the man in the garage. Who is he? Where did he come from? Why #53 and #27? I have so many questions. Who can I talk to about all this? Will I ever have a baby sister in the future? Is she going to make it? I am really worried about her, but I would like for dad to talk to me and at least play with me. Why is mom so mean to me? I know they are worried about my sister, but they still have me! I am their son. Please help me! What should I do? I think tomorrow I am going to talk to Mina, which might help. Maybe that will take some stress off of me and she will know who the man in the garage is. She is a really smart girl, don’t you think? I will write again tomorrow night letting you know what Mina says about the man in the garage. Until then I have so many unanswered questions and many emotions that are eating me up inside. I’m glad you listen to me though, it helps to write this down. Until tomorrow night, good bye.

Thanks,

Michael

Writers note: I think this diary entry done by Michael toward the beginning of the novel would totally explain his emotions and frustrations that I could see him as a character having. When I was first reading this book I could feel what Michael was feeling. He was definitely feeling a sense of frustration and loneliness along with not knowing who to turn to and talk to about the man in the garage. His parents were so busy with his little sister, not giving him the time of day. Not only that but he was really worried about his sister. He felt like his parents was keeping a lot from him and not telling him everything, which also frustrated him. When Mina reached out and told him a secret I think he realized that she wanted to be his friend and be there for him so he figured that he could tell her about the man in the garage (Skellig). I think that was probably one of the best things that happened to Michael as a character. Without Mina and her mom along his side for the rest of the time during the story I honestly don’t know how he could have gotten through this point of his life.

Brittany Proctor
 Dear Skellig:

Hello!! I wanted to say hi again since you have been gone a little over a week. I miss you terribly. I miss not waking up at 12 am to come visit you, and feeling like a rebel since I always would pass through the “DANGER” sign. I miss ordering #53 and #27 for you from the Chinese place, now instead I order #19 and #42, yum! I miss not hearing you say “sweet as nectar.” You know I saw that quite often now, and I always think of you.

So, right after you left us the builders came in and knocked down the garage. I’m glad we moved you over to Mina’s secret spot though, that way the birds were able to help bring you food so you could eat. I was extremely worried about you all the time, I would lay in bed and think about you-I even asked doctors about you, you were someone I worried about Skellig.

So I must thank you again for saving my little sisters life! You are amazing, and I don’t know how I could thank you enough. I must tell you we named her Joy, and she is so cute! Also, Mina brought over a big picture of you and you are hanging on Joy’s wall in her room. It’s an amazing portrait of you, I love just sitting there staring at it because I miss you so much!

Well, I hope you are doing better and not in as much pain anymore and living happily ever after. Thank you again for saving my sisters life, you are a true angel. I love you Skellig. Just remember, “Sweet as Nectars!”

Love always- your friend Michael.

Writers Note:

I chose to write a letter to Skellig from Michael saying thank you and basically updating him with what has been going on around the house and with his sister. I thought this was important because Skellig played a major roll in saving Michael’s sisters life and taught Michael a lot along the way. Skellig was Michaels’ outlook when his sister was in the hospital severely sick, so when Skellig left, it hit Michael hard, so I could see Michael wanting to writing Skellig a updating letter about what’s been going on lately and thanking him again for saving Joys’ life. So, I think this is letter would show the direct connection and relationship that Skellig and Michael had while Skellig was staying out in the garage, however it is just kept going by Michael writing him a letter.