I've been married for more than 30 years and have never left the reservation, as they say. I might have peeked over the fence a few times but never strayed. A guy can peek, can't he? But I received an e-mail from a lady in Africa that is testing my resolve. How she found out about me, I don't know. Maybe she's a fan of Charleyworld and has read online  the many columns and blogs I've written over the years. My wit and literary dexterity have been known to turn a girl's head from time to time. (It has, too!)

Anyway, this young lady is clearly infatuated with me and I can't really blame her. The question is whether I should respond to her outreach. Not to start anything, you know. But just to let her know I appreciate her kind words and let her know that a personal relationship is not possible. I don't want to hurt the poor thing. She seems so sincere  and fragile. She should be let down gently.

Read the note she sent me and you'll understand ...

Hello my dear friend,
I am more than happy when I saw your mail. How was your day?, Mine a little cold and windy here in Dakar, Senegal. My name is Miss.Joy Brown of the Republic of Liberia in West Africa, I am 5.6ft tall, I have never married before and now I'm living here in dakar senegal, Looking to meet with a nice person who would be a good friend to me, a friend who put me in the guide and me in this journey of life, who shift my feelings and reason together,

What does this mean to ask you for the friendship, friendship is a promise made in the heart of quiet, unwritten, unchangeable by time and distance Unbreakable and will live in my heart forever. And what it takes to be a friendship, it can take years to find a place where love, peace and joy to observe. This is a place that calms your fears. And there's strength lies. Storm yet to come, the rain does fall, but the faith to get it to the end.

l'm very gentle, lovely, sexy, romantic, responsible, kind, good, honest, and trustworth, because my mother use to tell me that good wife, good food, good manner and good sex makes a man feel at home.

l don't smoke and l don't drink, l hate war, l hate fighting and qurrelling in the house and l'm very hard working. I am from a good family, l will also like to know you as you have heard about me,and l want you to reply me and send me your picture and phone number and i will return in kind to you, Remeber the distance or colour does not matter but love matters alot in life, I believe we can move from here! I am waiting for your mail.

Miss Joy Brown

Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Miss Joy Brown obviously knows how to treat a fella. And who can argue that a good wife, good food, good manner and good sex doesn't make man feel good at home?  I also  like the fact that she hates "qurrelling", whatever that is.

So, I'm not sure what to do. I think I'll talk the situation over with my wife.  She'll understand. I don't want to have a personal relationship with Miss Joy Brown. But maybe we can just bring her over as sort of a live-in house keeper. The missus would like that, I think. Not having to do windows and all the vacuuming.

The only problem I see is determining whether Miss Joy Brown lives in Liberia or Senegal. She's seems a tad confused on that point.

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E-mail  Charles Memminger at cmemminger@hawaii.rr.com

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