Free Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe Page B

it’s about. A bunch of literary types doing laundry and making salad—or something.
    Me: I think I’ve given you a letter to my sister by mistake.
    I was joking, but “many a true word spoken in jest” because, when he gave it back to me, it did seem very similar to one of my letters to you. Anyway, AB thought it was funny and that’s the main thing.
    Thanks for sending Moussaka recipe. Will try out, but with turkey mince.
    Love, Nina
    *  *  *
    Dear Vic,
    Nunney thinks I should go to university. And I agree and MK agrees. It’s a funny thing because I was pretty much told that I’d never be allowed to go to university because of leaving school too soon and that only people who slog it out till they’re eighteen are allowed. Nunney says, one, I’m too bright not to go and, two, the universities are desperate for anyone these days. So, I have decided to study for an A level (English Lit) so I can. Have enrolled with C— College to sit exam next June. I have to study all on my own.
    I didn’t have a clue how it all worked. Thank God Nunney has just done his (A levels and applications). In fact, he’s done his A levels twice because of not doing quite well enough the first time to go to the university of his choice (which is not Oxford or Cambridge by the way).
    Nunney: So have you got all the books on the syllabus?
    Me: The what?
    I.e. I didn’t even know what a syllabus was. It’s just a list of books that you have to study but they call it a syllabus rather than book list.
    Nunney is going to read the books (on the syllabus) at the same time as me so we can discuss (study). When he looked down the list of books (syllabus) he said, “You’re on your own with Seamus Heaney—Selected Poems. ” He said that because he’s not a huge fan of poetry, but I think he’ll read them anyway—I hope so. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We’re starting on Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (of Far from the Madding Crowd fame).
    Have told S&W all about my plans. Will laughed when I said my ambition was to be a proper student. He just thinks of The Young Ones.
    Hope you are well. I hope Miss H is recovering on the Ripple bed.
    Love, Nina
    *  *  *
    Dear Vic,
    Mary-Kay’s good friend from university has just come back to the UK from South Africa (Mary Hope). She’s very nice (in a good way). She smokes, even when eating sometimes. Not that she continually takes puffs, or takes long puffs, she just lights up a lot. It’s a habit from the 70s.
    Her fingers are like sausages at the moment (temporarily) because they’re swollen for some reason, possibly an allergy. She loved being in South Africa except they couldn’t get SR toothpaste and of course they abhorred the situation.
    I mind Mary’s daughter Polly sometimes while Mary sorts out their new house and her life. She’s buying a house just behind us on Regent’s Park Terrace. Mary Hope often says she’s pleased that the three children (S, W & Polly) get along so well. The thing is—they don’t. I get along with Polly (very grown-up and funny), but she finds S&W tedious.
    Mary will arrive to collect Polly and ask, “Have you had a super time?” and I’ll say, “Yes, they’ve all had a great time.” And Polly will say under her breath, “Except William’s a complete idiot.” And Will’ll say, “Yeah, and she’s so boring.” And Mary will say, “Marvelous, sounds like you’ve had a super day.”
    Good about you giving up fags.
    MK’s trying to cut down. She used to smoke Camels or some brand like that. Then went on to Silk Cut Extra Mild. And tried just holding it and pretending to take puffs. Anyway, now Mary Hope is back, MK’s lost her will-power and now smokes as much as ever (about 5–6 per day). I smoke about 5 per day (Silk Cut ordinary).