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Hi there,
My name is Raleigh Becket. Back in 2003 I found a message in a bottle washed up along the Anchorage coastline.
I couldn’t read the return address because the water had got in, but I still kept the letter and I've been thinking about my reply for the last eight years. Now I’m trying to track the writer down through social media.
It was signed Chuck Hansen. If this sounds familiar to you, please message me back!
Hope to hear from you soon,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
Sorry about the late reply. I’ve been really busy with school.
I thought that bottle was lost at sea and no one would ever see it. I gave up on it years ago, so I’m pretty surprised to hear from you now.
Can you send me a picture of the letter, I just want to make sure this is real and not a hoax or something.
Chuck Hansen
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Hi Chuck,
That’s okay, I’ve got a lot on at work too. I attached a photo of the letter – you’ve got great handwriting! (ha ha)
How old are you now? Did things work out with your Dad? I don’t know how long that bottle had been floating around in the sea before I found it.
I wanted to reply because when I found the message my mom had recently died and it would have been good to talk to someone who understood. I mean I had my siblings but my sister was too young really and my brother was working so I didn’t want to make a big deal.
Sorry it’s so late. I hope you’re still interested. I wish sixteen year old Raleigh could have talked to eleven year old Chuck.
Yours,
Raleigh
Attachment: Chuck’s letter.jpg
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Raleigh,
I don’t really know you and I’m not an eleven year old kid any more so I’m not going to talk about my feelings with you on the internet. But that is the letter I sent, so… I guess I owe you.
Mum died, it happened and I’ve learnt to move on I guess. Dad, not so much. But he’s trying. Maybe I’m lucky in a way because I was so young when she died, so I can’t remember a lot. It sounds like you were older. That must have been hard.
I’m 19 and I’m studying Marine Biology at the University of Sydney (and my handwriting is better now, thanks). Sorry if it takes me a while to reply with these messages, I don’t get on facebook very often. You can probably tell from the amount of friends I have on here.
Chuck
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Hi Chuck,
I’m so glad you replied! And I totally get your not wanting to share your deepest darkest feelings with me. I’m just so happy I finally get to talk to you :) Hope you don’t mind if I spill though!
Yeah I remember Mom dying, lung cancer is a bad way for it to happen as well. My dad left us soon after and we haven’t heard from him since. It was tough for a while but my brother Yancy held us together and got a job when he should have been starting college, he gave up everything for me and my sister and I’ll never be able to repay him for that.
Maybe you want to hear about me? I’m 24, I finished college a couple of years ago and majored in French. My mom was French so I guess I have a natural aptitude for it, even though I was never the top of the class in any of my other classes. Now I work for a translation company here in Anchorage, Yancy is store manager at the Safeway, and Jaz is in high school.
Is that your dog in the picture? (or are you really a dog ha ha) I love dogs, I always wished we had one when I was growing up.
Hope it’s okay if I add you on here.
Yours,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
Not gonna lie I think you’re a bit mental for spilling your life story to me. Like you said, I’m just a picture of a dog to you. But yeah, he’s mine. His name is Max and I’ve had him since I was 17, when Herc finally got his shit together and started trying to be my dad again.
I feel stupid for carrying on with this but you’re right, it’s kind of good to talk about it. I guess I’ve been sitting on it for a long time.
Lung cancer is rough. I’m sorry to hear about it.
Chuck
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Hi Chuck,
Ha ha, you wound me :) So what do you really look like, if you’re not a dog? No pressure if you don’t want to send a photo, it’s nice just talking finally.
Sorry if I don’t reply for a while! Yancy, Jaz, and I are going on vacation together. It’s going to be the first time that we’ve got enough money and can all get time off work for it since before Mom died. We’re going to her hometown in France, Saint-Saveur, to finally scatter her ashes, and then we’re renting a house just outside Orleans for a couple of weeks. Hopefully we can go to Paris for a few day trips, and maybe some hiking in the Orleans forest. I’ll send you some photos when I get back!! :)
Yours,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
I don’t send photos to just anyone on the internet. But it only seems fair since you’ve kept talking to me for so long. And you seem like an alright bloke. I’d better not see this anywhere else online!
I haven’t been on holiday since before my Mum died either. I mean we went to Perth for her funeral cause there’s where she was from but that doesn’t count really. I wanted to go travelling after I finished secondary school but it just didn’t happen.
So who’s that girl in your profile picture? Is she your girlfriend?
Chuck
Attachment: 1002492.jpg
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Hi Chuck,
Wow thanks for sending me that photo! I didn’t think you would! Promise I won’t distribute your likeness without consent ;)
France was amazing, I mean it was sad letting Mom go, it felt really final, but having been messaging you for a while now it felt like everything had come full circle. It was the right time, I think. Thanks for humouring me, it really has helped.
Most of the photos from France are in their own public album on my Facebook page, but I took this one especially for you. Hope you like it!!
That’s Mako in my profile picture, she’s my best friend. She’s in college like you, except she’s majoring in Engineering. She’s the smartest person I know and I’d be lost without her (she told me to write that. But to be fair, it’s true). She works part-time in the coffee shop where I go on the way to work, that’s how we met. Jaz says we should get married but it’s not like that, we’re just best friends.
Yours,
Raleigh
Attachment: beckets YMCA louvre.jpg
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Raleigh,
That photo was pretty funny. Max thinks you’re a nerd.
Does Mako see these messages? I thought they were just us.
Chuck
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Hi Chuck,
Don’t worry, Mako doesn’t see your messages! I was just telling her about Max because she loves bulldogs! But she doesn’t know anything else I promise!!
Max thinks I’m a nerd?! That hurts, you know!
At least you like me :)
Yours,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
Don’t be stupid, I don’t like you. I don’t like anything. I’m a lone wolf, except for Max, who is also a lone wolf.
I guess I don’t mind you telling Mako about me, but nothing about my Mum or Herc yeah? I’m kind of amazed I even talked about that with you.
Chuck
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Hi Chuck,
Oh no, I’m so sorry I offended your lone wolf status! Guess I’m lucky that lone wolves can still use facebook :)
I told Mako a little bit but nothing important I promise!! She wants me to ask you for more pictures of Max though. She’s insatiable!
Yours,
Raleigh
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Hi Chuck,
Hope everything is alright. If the thing about Max made you uncomfortable I’m really sorry. I totally respect your privacy and I promise I won’t tell Mako anything else.
Hope you write back soon.
Yours,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
I’m not mad, I was just busy with exams for a while.
Its okay I don’t mind you telling Mako about me. If she likes dogs she must be alright.
How is your summer going? I’m so glad exams are over, I can’t wait to lie on the beach all day and hang around with Max.
Things as home seem a lot better recently. Maybe my talking about things to you has been helping. I’m happy that you found me on here
Chuck
Attachment: max asleep on my bed.jpg
Attachment: max dreaming about chasing wallabies.jpg
Attachment: max with his head stuck in a beer box.jpg
Attachment: max wrecked this shoe.jpg
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Hi Chuck,
Sorry about that, I panicked! Thought I’d gone too far. It’s so hard to tell inflection with these messages.
You know, I never realised how much I’d miss school until I stopped having those long summer breaks. I’m so jealous! Wish I could hang out at the beach with Max too (you can come too I guess).
It’s good to hear things are going better at home. I always wonder what things would have been like if my Dad had stayed.
Mako says thanks for the photos of Max and I accidentally scrolled too far and went onto the picture of you and she told me to say that you’re pretty. So. You’re pretty. Hope that’s alright.
Yours,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
I don’t think I’ve ever been called pretty before. But thanks for letting me come to the beach with you and Max, that’s just great, you’re so charitable!
Hey don’t even think about your Dad. He’s not worth a second of your time and you don’t need him anyway. You’re a top bloke Raleigh. I’m glad we’re friends.
Chuck
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Hi Chuck,
I was reading your message in the shop where Mako works and I was smiling at my phone so she asked what was going on and I said that you’d said we were friends and she’s been laughing at me for ten minutes straight.
Hey there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. The thing is I’ve been promoted and I need to come to Sydney for a meeting with some clients. They want to meet me first so they feel comfortable that the company will do a good job on the contract. And I was wondering if you maybe wanted to meet up?
I’ll be in town next Thursday, if you’re interested. My meeting finishes at four.
Yours,
Raleigh
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Raleigh,
I’d like that.
I’ll be in Belmore Park at four with Max.
Chuck
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//
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Dear Mr Hansen,
My name is Mako Mori. Raleigh may have mentioned me to you before.
I am writing to inform you that, should you hurt Raleigh, I will hunt you down and gut you.
Have a pleasant day.
With regards,
Mako Mori
P.S. Say hello to Max for me!