Stamps and Letters | From Manohar

It’s World Letter Writing Day today (September 1). 

In this post, I’m sharing a story about my very first Indian penfriend, Winston Manohar Karkada. 

In response to my mother’s encouragement for me to engage in letter writing, I sought opportunities through various means like buying magazines and song hits. I would browse through the Penpal Section and select names to write to. Who can relate?😊

I couldn’t remember exactly where I got his name. I sent a letter to Freddie R. Enriquez, requesting for pen pals.

I enclosed this self-addressed stamped envelope that he returned to me together with his reply. 

My heart fell… I couldn’t recall how deep, but had to pick up the pieces. There was a ray of hope! I just had to write one more time. This time to Operation Friendship. 

After some months, this letter came. Not from Operation Friendship though. An aerogramme. The first I ever received… from my very first penfriend from India.

My father, the town’s postman, brought home the letter. He himself couldn’t seem to believe how the letter arrived in its destination. 

As he wrote in his letter, Winston just heard my name announced by Far East Broadcasting Company radio station. 

Amazing how the mail found its way to me when other than my name and country, everything else in my address was misspelled!

I salute all the Bureau of Posts sorters in every processing center for that great job!

Winston and I started exchanging letters and stamps in 1976. He was 28; I was 16. I was a senior high school student, he was a bank employee of Indian Overseas Bank in Mangalore, India. I was a Roman Catholic, he was a Christian, a Sunday School teacher. He played the violin in his church in Mangalore. He wanted to have a pen friend from another country. 

The letter and stamp exchange continued for two years until I wasn’t able to do my part anymore as college life demanded more time. 

Letter writing has come to a halt until one day I saw the box of letters my mother had safely kept together with my stamp collection. That prompted me to reconnect with him so I sent him a letter using the same address he used in the past. In my letter, I shared with him how I became a born-again Christian, how I met my husband in the church and that I already had two kids attending a Christian school. 

He wrote back with an update of himself. In his reply, he shared that my letter was forwarded to his new mailing address by the bank where he used to work. He was also married and he wrote about his wife and retirement from the bank.

That was the last letter exchange we had. Attempt to reconnect with him through the social media in early 2000 led me to an obituary published by his family. 

Today, while writing this post, I google searched for his name and was surprised to find his genealogy. Click here to read. 

With all certainty, this is he… Winston Manohar Karkada, my penfriend. 

It’s heartwarming to know that he has long slept in the Lord yet memories of him forever live in the hearts of his loved ones and friends… including mine.  

More letter writing stories in the coming posts. Do share your story in the comment box below!