No letter in life

It was just before 1130pm that we arrived at the Central post office to check the post box before leaving for Khumas a city about 100KM from Tripoli along the Mediterranean where I was posted at the Army training center. To our dismay there was nothing in the mail, my wife got very upset since there have been no news from home for almost six weeks. We decided to send a telegram. We were told that the official form to write the telegram was with the clerk at the counter. The gentleman sitting behind the counter was sipping his coffee, on my asking him for the form he informed me that "telegrams are sent in emergency situations only", I told him that I am fully aware of that, he gave me the form telling me that he knew English and will read it and send the telegram only if he thought it was urgent.

I wrote the telegram," No letters received, wire welfare"and took it to the clerk ,who read it and said , what is so urgent about it , i told him that my wife and myself are very upset as we have not received any letters from our homes for almost two months. He laughed and said so what is the urgency I have not received any letter in my life and I am not upset, however i take pity on you and will send this telegram, we thanked him and paid the telegram charges.