A Message to The Boys

Before Twitter and Instagram, the only way to send a message to your favorite celebrity was through fan mail (you have to be at least 40 years old to remember this). You could send a letter to the fan club address via snail mail and, in return, receive a signed photograph of your favorite superstar. For example, my childhood friend and neighbor was crazy about Richard Dean Anderson, the main character on the popular T.V series MacGyver. After months of waiting, she wrote to his fan club and received an autographed photo of Richard Dean Anderson. I was blown away by that idea and knew I had to write to The Boys, specifically Hakeem (ha-ha).

And so I did. I discovered The Boys 'fan club address on the back of their vinyl record jacket in tiny print. I saved my pocket-money to pay for the airmail (international postage stamp) that was pricey for a nine or ten-year-old (I can't remember my exact age). In my letter, I told them how I loved their music and was probably their biggest fan in Africa. Could they please send me an autographed photo and poster?

I waited weeks and months and got no reply. So then I decided to send another letter if the last one got lost in the mail. So again, I spent all my savings. Spending all my money on a postage stamp was a considerable sacrifice. Pocket money (we called it tuck money) was a daily allowance that our parents gave us to spend on snacks during recess at the school tuck shop. So for days and weeks, I went without any treats/snacks, saving every penny. And still no reply.

I didn't give up, and I wasn't a happy fan. My third letter to The Boys was a long rant from a disgruntled fan. Yes, I did it. I wrote how selfish they were for not considering posting mail from Zimbabwe to the United States was expensive. Besides, it is downright rude to ignore a fan! Was it too much to ask for an autographed photo to show my friends? (I'd told everyone I was getting a signed picture of Hakeem). Still, I begged for a reply, and I had a special message for Hakeem. I wanted a photo of just him, without his brothers!

I don't know if my letters ever made it, or perhaps they got lost in the pile of mail from hundreds of other super fans. I can only imagine the laughs by their management team if they ever read my third letter. But, unfortunately, I will never know because I never received a reply—there were no messages from The Boys.

Continue to Part III...