December 3, 1970

Dear Mr Keon

I was so happy to see that you scored against Los Angeles. I think you could win the sportsman award again this year. I did not tell you but I do not have to hide these letters like before. Gladys my foster mother gave me a notebook. She said she would personally mail them to you at Maple Leaf Gardens. She promised to remember to put my name and address and a stamp on the envelope. I still hope you will write back or visit me even if it is at Gladys house.

Barry was in the hospital a long time and had to go back a few times to change his bandages. One time he had to stay because the pain was so bad. But tomorrow they will take the last of his bandages off and he will go back to his foster parents. Too bad he does not get to go home to his mother and too bad we were not in the same foster home. He said he has burn marks that will never go away but he did not show them to me but that is good because that would have been gross because I have some skin that is going to be different colour now too. Gladys let me go see him and he would save me all his leftover food even melted ice cream. My mother and father also still visited him in the hospital and in the foster home on Baldwin Street. Mother still makes him dumplings. She said she will always have a plate ready for him like he was family. I guess that makes us like brothers. Maybe he will find his for real father too.

We said we would write to each other but I know he hates to write. He should try. It is not so hard.

Thursdays is the day mother and father have to go to talk to someone and show that they are ready to be parents, especially mother. Mother always did her best to protect me and besides I do not understand why we could not just stay with father. But maybe soon Jane and I can go home and if Barry is still on Baldwin St we will be neighbours at least.

Your friend,

Johnny Wong