Hommel Mangas
A few weeks ago, I was delighted to open up the mailbox and find a brown papercraft envelope with a Dutch shepherd dog forever stamp in the right corner. It was addressed in neat print to “Janet and Steve Mangas.” My first clue was the return address in the upper left hand corner from a local elementary school.
I was given permission by the author to share his letter.
“Dear Janet,
I was wondering if you need any help whenever is good. I was wondering how you have been. Also thank you for [w]rapping the prize for the game we played, that was fun. Just letting you know the lottery tickets that I won, I did not get anything but at least I got ten bucks — better than lottery tickets you don’t even need to try and win anything cause you just get it atoematicly. If you’re a part of the Hommel’s than you can get a lot of stuff, so if you ever need help then I do not know?
From your favorite nephew,
Drew Hommel”
Before you all start judging me, the game we played was the oven mitt game where you wrap a bunch of flat prizes (candy, dollars, gift certificates, etc.) into a ball of plastic wrap. Sitting in a circle the person with the plastic wrap ball puts on the oven mitts and tries to unwrap as much as they can while two people to their left attempt to roll doubles with dice — when doubles are rolled the next person gets a chance to unwrap a prize.
I actually had a kid’s version with no lottery tickets and an adult version where I placed a few flat lottery tickets, but a few kids ended up playing with the adults, hence why Drew learned the lesson that a $10 bill is better than a $0 lottery ticket.
I mailed a reply the following day:
“Dear Drew:
Thanks for your letter. It was a nice surprise.
If this was an assignment from your teacher, I think she is very creative and brilliant! Unfortunately, she doesn’t know how much I like to write! Do you think she’ll sigh really loud and roll her eyes likes she’s annoyed when a huge bag of my letters is delivered every week?
Do you think the mailman will get a back-ache carrying in all those letters?
Do you think your classmates will cheer if I send in a bag of treats with the letter next time?
In answer to your question in your letter — yes, I can always use your help when you have time. Uncle Steve and I haven’t had time to pick up sticks and limbs from the last two storms. You can drive the golf cart and I’ll drive the Dixie Chopper with wagon and Steve can drive the John Deere with front bucket. It will be quick work with three of us.
Love you! (You don’t have to read that part out loud to your class!)
Your favorite Aunt,
Janet”
Janet Hommel Mangas grew up on the east side of Greenwood. The Center Grove area resident and her husband are the parents of three daughters. Send comments to [email protected].
