Vancouver 1958-59
Dear Sava,
I really don't know what made me search for Peter Pinney tonight. I had done this so often without any luck but today dust on my shoes popped up and the lady whose mother I talked into having her. It was a Vancouver day, meaning a really dark and rainy day and I was visiting your parents at their small apartment. Peter and I were playing chess all Sunday afternoon (or maybe it was on a Saturday?) and Alice was talking about the baby that was supposed to come about a week later. They already had a name for the girl: Sava. She was to be called Ca va, French for "how are you". But how would no-French speakers pronounce that? They had checked encyclopaedias and dictionaries for the meaning of that word and stayed with Sava, the name of a river in Serbia because it came closest to joyous "ca va?" Alice talked about getting her baby like there was nothing to it. She was looking forward to it.
Next day I got a call from Alice: "You talked me into having her"
...I am Franz Orschel, a friend of your parents when they lived in BC and ended up in Nicaragua. I still have that fare well letter that Peter wrote because he couldn't send me off with a hug. I never heard from Peter nor Alice until tonight.
Blessings,
Franz Orschel
Letter
from Bill James
2007
The Barbarians
Dear Sava.
I was in the navy WW11 and for the first time have read the above book.I thought it was terrific and a view of the soldier at his best and worst.
With all the emphasis ot the Kokoda track, I reckon this book should be reprinted and promoted.
Best Bill James
**Hi Bill, The Barbarians has now been reprinted!