173 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean L.A.S. “Mermoz,” Buenos Aires, December 25 [1928], to his “Dearest Mom”; 1¼ pages, in-4 format, on tissue paper, via Aeropostal. He is sending her two checks, having found his checkbook “after 8 or 10 days of searching. […] How did you spend Christmas? […] As for me, I spent it back home, on a beach in Brazil. We managed, however, to have a fairly pleasant Christmas Eve. At 2:00 a.m., with the help of a few bottles of wine and champagne that I had on the plane to Buenos Aires, I sang “Minuit chrétien” at the top of my lungs with my mechanic—both of us “black” enough for the occasion. And after a quick nap under the wings, we took off again at 3 a.m. with a damn indecipherable reading. I’ll never forget that malfunction! I’m planning to set off next month. The Director has granted me a two-month leave of absence in Paris to attempt my crossing and has asked that no one try to hinder my project, as has already happened in Paris regarding the purchase of the aircraft. – Ah! If only I could pull it off! What luck! Instead of effective help, I’ve got nothing but opposition, supposedly because after that, I won’t be returning to the Company. I had to give my word that if »... Correspondence, No. 158. Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family