A Letter to God - Summary

 A Letter to God 

About the Author : 

            "A Letter to God " was written by G.L.Fuents. He was a Mexican novelist and poet. During his childhood days, he spent his time in his father's shop. So from the shop, he came to know more Indians, farmers and labours, latter this was reflected in his works. Most of his works were based on common people in Mexico. This short story "A Letter to God", reflect the Mexcian farmer's life. 

Characters:

1. Lencho 
2. Women - Lencho's wife 
3. Elder and younger children - Lencho's children 
4. Postman 
5. Postmaster

Themes :

1. Humanity still exits 
2. With a pure heart, if you have faith in God, He will surely help you 
3. Sometimes people misunderstood the persons who helped them

Summary:    

                                            Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh from Pexels

            Lencho was a farmer and his house was situated on the crest of a low hill. The ripe corn was about to harvest after a shower from the sky. He was expected the rain so he saw the sky towards the north-east. He went inside his home and his wife was preparing supper for her family. His elder sons were working in the field and his younger childer were playing near their home. His wife called all of them for dinner. His instinct told him that big drops of rain should arrive because the north-east huge mountains were approaching. He went outside and feel the pleasure of the fresh and sweet air. He enjoyed the raindrops when it was touched his body. He said,

"These aren't raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten-cent pieces and the little ones are five."

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            At that time, with a sudden change, there was a heavy wind began to blow. Along with it a very large hailstorm also arrived. He wished to stop it quickly but with his bad luck, the hailstorm was extended up to an hour. So he is the whole field was covered with white snow. There was not a single green leaf left. Lencho stand in the middle of his field and worried a lot. He said,

"A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn"

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            As a farmer, Lencho's life and family always depended on his farms and fields, but after the hailstorm, his full hope towards the future was disappointed. The entire valley was destroyed but even though he had a single hope that God will help him. Even though he was a farmer he knew to write. So finally he wished to write a letter to God asking for help. So on the following Sunday, he moved to the town, for posting the letter. He reached the post office, he began to wrote a letter and in the envelope cover he wrote in the to address "To God". In that letter, he wrote, 

"if you don't help me, my family and I will go hungry this year. I need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again and to live until the crops comes, because the hailstorm..."

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            The postman opened the postbox and took the letters. He saw the address from the posted letters. There he came to saw the address "To God". He was laughed at and handover the letter to the postmaster. At first, he too laughed at the address then only he realised about the strong belief of the person to the God. He wished not to shake his hope in God so he began to write a reply letter to Lencho. But when he read the letter he came to know that he needed hundred pesos. So he collected the amount from his family, and friends in the name of charity. He too gave his part of his salary to this charity. But it was not possible for him to collect the whole hundred pesos. He somehow managed and send the little amount to the farmer Lencho. The letter containing only a single word which was his signature as God. 

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            On the following Sunday Lencho went to the post office, he asked the postmen that he had any letter. The postman handover the letter to Lencho. The postmaster early looked for Lencho's reaction. But without any expression, he received the letter and opened it. But his facial reaction was changed and he became angry. He went to the counter asked him for paper and pen and started to write. Then he posted it in the post box. After Lencho went out from the post office, with more curiosity, the postmaster opened the post box and read Lencho's letter. Lencho wrote, 

"God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don't send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho."