Know each other, can mountains and seas be flat?

Whether it is "crazy songs among bamboo forests, no drunkenness, no sleep" or "eyebrow-eye circulation is better than a thousand pen and ink, and all kinds of lingering" are probably all.

What if we haven't seen each other for twenty years?

If someone else comes, I'm afraid I'll make a joke: I haven't seen you, so I'm not a bosom friend; If I were you, I would be silent: if I can't see you, where can I find a bosom friend?

But Hailian, who has written to Frank for twenty years, has never even set foot in the bookstore she yearns for.

The first time I knew 84 Charing Cross Road was because of the movie Northwest 2. The film is based on this book, and the ending is of course satisfactory, but the film is an artistic expression after all, and Hailian and Frank in reality never met in the end.

? In the last article, I mentioned that I had never met before, so I decided to write this article.

I like this sense of unknowable destiny. Many strangers suddenly appeared in my life. They live in a corner of the world, meet by chance, and then go their separate ways. Our meeting may be meaningless, perhaps the water has passed without a trace, or perhaps this postcard in front of us is a hint of a little fate thousands of miles away. So, do you have such a bosom friend that you have never met before?

? When I first learned about No.84 Charing Cross Road, I was moved by the slow communication in the book. Because the loan time is slow, I will be full of expectations and make people happy. This kind of heart * * * sounds through the long years, through the glare of time, let's meet! The WeChat message that can be reached in less than a second now makes people lose their sense of ceremony in life. Although they can bring people the pleasure of reading, they may not give people the feeling of piety and heartache!

? The story begins in new york in the early autumn of 1949. Helene hanff, a 33-year-old female writer, came across an advertisement about an out-of-print bookstore. She likes books, and she wants to keep some English literature. So on an impulse, she wrote a letter to Max Cohen Bookstore, 84 Charing Cross Road, London, listing the old books she searched all over new york, hoping to help him find them and satisfy his old appetite for books!

Unexpectedly, after only 20 days, Hailian received a reply from an "assistant" who signed FPD, saying that all the books he wanted were on his way. In May 5438+065438+ 10, Hailian received the book she dreamed of. In fact, the "assistant" who signed the FPD was Frank Del, the general manager of the bookstore. In this way, Hailian kept writing letters and listing books. Frank kept looking for books to send, and the two began a correspondence for 20 years. About Frank's Marx-Cohen Bookstore, Hailian's friends once described it like this. As soon as she entered the store, the noise was shut out, and the old smell of ancient books came to my nose. It is a smell of dust accumulated for many years, plus the smell of wood and books.

? Hailian is a talented person, not beautiful, but because of her sense of humor and enthusiasm for life, people feel beautiful and comfortable! Even if life is a little embarrassing, she lives alone in an elderly apartment without heating during the day, and her biggest concern is books. Reading makes her heart pure and romantic forever, and she likes redemption. Frank is a warm English gentleman with a family, and everyone around him praises him for his modesty and gentleness! He cherishes books very much, and often travels around Britain, visiting private houses and searching for good books. He is knowledgeable and has a sense of humor connected with Hailian, but he doesn't always show it. He likes Hailian's hearty and spiritual book reviews, so he has been in contact for a long time, and his slightly equity character has also been infected by Hailian, and he often pops up some English cold humor! They talked about books in almost every letter. Hailian, who has a straightforward temper, often urges Frank to look for books. When he sees exquisite books, he will sigh directly in his letters.

? If it weren't for * * *, it's hard to imagine that two people who have never met can talk for 20 years across the distant time and space. I believe this relationship must have a tacit understanding, so Hailian also said, Frank, you are the only one who knows me. You spared no effort to find a good book for him, and Hailian also gave a generous return. Although she is poor and helpful, she is like a woman, chivalrous and fearless, without reservation. After learning about the shortage of materials in Britain after the war, I sent Frank and his colleagues ham and eggs that can only be seen on the black market in the bookstore, and even sent Frank's wife and two daughters nylon stockings. Slowly, the two people not only had the exchange of books and ideas, but also had the feelings of their loved ones. The name was changed from Miss Hanfu to Dear Hailian!

? In today's fast food era, perhaps Hailian and Frank will meet in less than a year. However, because I know each other's spiritual world, I choose to keep this tacit understanding. Hailian once planned to go to England to see Frank, and go to the birthplace of his beloved English literature to see the coronation ceremony of the Queen. Frank even said that all I can say is that if you come to London one day, there will always be a bed waiting for you here, and you can stay as long as you want, but for various reasons, the plan finally ran aground!

After 20 years of correspondence, Frank's heart is not unaffected. He once read Ye Zhi's poem "If I could have a splendid heaven", as if it were a kind of bitterness that two people could not meet. In their letters, you can also see their unspeakable feelings for each other. They wrote the following words: "In those gaps in time and space that they thought they were saving, many beautiful things were lost! I mean not only what I left behind when I wrote it myself, but more importantly, once communication becomes too efficient, I no longer need to expect it. I look at each other, and some friendships will depreciate quickly without being noticed!

? For various reasons, they never met again after 20 years. 1969 One day, a desperate letter declared that the dream of this life would never come true, because Frank died suddenly, leaving Hailian to sort out the love books collected by Frank for her for 20 years in the apartment. After many years, Hailian finally went to England, but the small bookstore that Frank used to run by himself has closed down. Perhaps leaving such a regret is also a tacit understanding between them.

Today, "No.84 Charing Cross Road" has been changed to "No.24 Cambridge Circle" (No.24 Cambridge Bridge Circus). But people can still see such a nameplate on the wall: "No.84 Charing Cross Road, the former site of Max Cohen Bookstore, is famous for Helene Hanff's books. I envy their slow communication and their mutual feelings about Marxism, and I suddenly think of Mu Xin's poem:

"Once upon a time, the color changed slowly.

Cars, horses and mail are all slow.

Just enough to love someone for a lifetime. "

In the form of letters, this book records the true story between helene hanff, an author who has lived in New York for nearly 20 years, and the second-hand bookstore at No.84 Charing Cross Road in London, from 10/949+018 in October to 1969 in April. Here, if you want to know more about the slowness of that kind of letter, you might as well read this book!

For those who have never met before, we always outline their appearance with our own ideas and imagine those lives far away from us with a little speculation and curiosity.

I think some people have seen such a person in their lives. Good morning and good night in just a few days may be a habit. Maybe the friends who walked side by side with you warmed you, inspired you and comforted you for a while, or maybe some of them are people you will unconsciously think of. You share your life and become each other's trash cans. Over time, you gradually become familiar with each other's living habits and know each other's likes and dislikes. Later, you may feel that this object has gradually enriched your imagination!

Although you know that there is no need for anyone in this world, this person you have never met has quietly become your expectation! Before you know it, your emotions may be lost in personal influence thousands of miles away. Some people think that such dependence is illusory, but I believe that whether it is the burning pen and ink temperature or the brightness of the screen, there must be real feelings behind it!

People who are destined to have an intersection must have a story. No matter what they do, they feel gratified. It is not easy for us to meet such a bosom friend and such a feeling in our life. I hope everyone? Cherish it. Perhaps, you are reading this article, and you have such a bosom friend that you have never met before!

Text: Yike Yk

Image: Network