164 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean L.A.S. “Ton Jean,” Buenos Aires, September 6 [1928], to his “Dearest Mom”; 2½ pages, in-4 format, on Aeroposta paper. He wrote to her and sent a telegraphic check… “Now three successive mail shipments from the ships stranded in the Atlantic have been seized by the Moors. Of 350 kg, only 12 kg have been recovered”… She must not doubt his deep affection: “My little Mom, this separation does not create a rift between us… […] it’s just that I am far away… very far away, and I cannot write to you as often as I would like. America is not yet crisscrossed by commercial flights as it is in Europe. When I’m in Chile, for example, on a study trip, my only means of communication is my plane. I may be leaving for Peru and Bolivia. Well, for a month or a month and a half, I won’t be able to write to you. […] My role here is to always be on the move… naturally… this often forces me into oversights or situations I can’t avoid. But as for my love for you diminishing because I’m far away—that won’t happen… […] I love you just as I always have… absolutely…” He advises his mother to settle temporarily in Lille while she waits for his return. “In any case, I’ll certainly be going to France in late October or early November to test my aircraft. I’ll stay there for at least a month. That way, I’ll have time to help you settle in. If I were to make my flight around that time and head to Buenos Aires, I’d have you come here at the same time; since my four-month leave has been granted for March, we’d return to France together... And that way, you’d get to meet my fiancée and her family, who are returning to Europe around the same time. […] I’ve spoken to her father, who couldn’t be happier—as long as I fly a little less and am no longer required to fly. In a year, I couldn’t ask for anything better… since I’ll be able to take a job, having fulfilled my aviation ambitions. Anyway, everything’s settled [...] My dearest little mother, you must have faith in your son’s love… you see, and forgive him for all the harm he has once again caused you unintentionally”… Correspondence, No. 146. Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family