“FOR THE FUTURE”

By Hannah and Louise

 

 

INTRO

‘FOR THE FUTURE’  (FUTURE LETTERS)

 

            Hi there readers. Well I’m Hannah and about eight years ago I invented a thing called Future Letters. Basically you just write a letter like you would to your pen pal right now, except in the future. It could be one, two, five or even ten years in the future. You can be named anything, you can have any career, be single / married / divorced, you can live anywhere in the world etc. It’s basically a form of creative writing. And it’s all up to your imagination . . .

 

            In 1999 my friend and pen pal Louise and I started writing Future Letters to each other. Basically all you have to know is that the letters are written in the year 2001.

 

Louise will be twenty that year. She is doing a Bachelor of Photography in Albury, NSW but comes from Armidale, NSW. Louise’s real favourite Hanson is Taylor but for these letters she graciously took a liking to Isaac! :0)

 

I (Hannah) will be twenty-one that year. I live in Melbourne, VIC but grew up in Hobart, TAS. I am in an all female group called Eternity, signed to Gotham Records (think Bachelor Girl and Merril Bainbridge) and our manager is Glenn Wheatley (really manages John Farnham). My favourite Hanson is Taylor and I started off the Future Letter so I get possession of him! Ha ha. :0)

 

The letters are taken in turns to be written, starting off with myself (Hannah). There are some elements of truth in the letters and other parts are truly fictional. Please keep in mind that Louise and I only write these for fun. They are not to be taken seriously. If you don’t like what we write then I’m sorry but we don’t want to hear it. On the other hand if you do like them, feel free to email us and tell us about it. If you have ideas on what should happen, then tell us. The letters are written every week or two, so keep checking to see new ones.

 

Happy reading . . . Love Hannah and Louise.

 

Email Hannah: [email protected]    

Email Louise: [email protected]

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER ONE

 

                                                                        Hannah Portman

                                                                        GOTHAM RECORDS

                                                                        219 Wonga Road

                                                                        Warranwood, VIC

                                                                        AUSTRALIA     3134

 

                                                                        December 13, 2000

 

Dear Louise,

 

            Hiya buddy!! How are you? It’s been a little while since I wrote to you because of course I’ve been busy with Eternity!! :0) I’ll just tell you a little of what I’ve been doing and then I’ll tell you some of the very exciting news!!

           

            Well by now you should remember that Eternity (myself, Racheal, Larna and Holly) was signed to Gotham Records back in May. Since then we’ve been working on writing songs, vocal performance, dance moves etc. Our first single ‘That Someone’ was released in September and I’m sure you’d have heard it by now. It’s been hailed as a second coming of All Saints ‘Never Ever’, which I’m stoaked about because you know how much I love AS!! The song is about how sometimes you just need “that someone” to tell you that everything will be okay; to hold you and never let you go; to kiss your tears and fears away, etc. I really love the song.

           

Anyway so we released that single and we did in-stores all over Australia and then we went to Asia, Europe and Britain and did a promo tour. That was just out of this world because I’ve never been out of Australia before. So seeing other countries was absolutely amazing! And you know I’m forever looking like a tourist where ever I go! With my Eternity video camera, my zoom camera, my maps and brochures of places! Ha ha. I look just a tiny bit like a tourist! Ha ha.  :0)

 

When we came back to Australia, we released our second single ‘More Than I Have’, which no doubt you’ve heard. It’s the great Latino party type song that Ricky Martin is famous for. Basically it’s saying that no one else can give you “more than I have.” :0) So that was released at the beginning of last month and it went straight to no.1, as did ‘That Someone’!! Can you believe that? No.1!! Like hello! :0) Everyone wishes their songs would go to no.1 but no one ever expects them to get there. I was just wishing the songs would get in the top 40, or even in the top 20! But two number ones! Argh!! :0)

 

Anyway we just got back from America where we promoted ‘More Than I Have’. We went on ‘David Letterman’, ‘Conan O’Brien’, ‘Rosie O’Donnell’, ‘Roseanne’, ‘NBC Today’, ‘Saturday Night Live’, ‘Good Morning America’ and heaps heaps more. We didn’t get to go on ‘Oprah’ because we’re going to do a special show in January. The reason for the special show is because of our third single.

 

We recorded our third single ‘Why Do We Do It?’ when we were in Los Angeles. It was the last song to be recorded for our album. We always knew the song was going to be on the album but things got in the way of recording it. It’s . . . get this. . . a duet . . . with . . . MICHAEL JACKSON!! See, we wanted to do a duet with John (Farnham) but because his new album has been released this year, we didn’t want the focus shifting from his album. How did we get Michael Jackson interested in doing a song with us? Well actually Glenn did a sneaky job on us! (Glenn Wheatley, our’s and John Farnham’s manager). We were in Gotham Studio’s mucking around and he taped us talking about how cool it would be to do a duet with Michael, and how much we love him and how he’s inspired us and then we sing a bit of ‘Heal The World’ and ‘Will You Be There’!! And without telling us, he sent it to Michael’s manager and things went from there!

 

So last month we spent two weeks in L.A recording with Michael. Yeah I mean we were actually standing beside him, while we were singing. We talked to him, hugged him, kissed him, ate and drank with him! I even gave him some advice! I was taking a walk around the studio gardens and he asked me if he could come (there was three bodyguards with him!). I said sure. So we walked and he said he hasn’t been feeling the best lately because now he’s twice divorced and has two children to look after. But he said now that he’s been singing with us, it has lifted his spirits! I told him that I only speak the truth and I had to tell him something. I told him that he needs to seek inspiration from God, from his children and everything that’s good. He needs to stop being “Michael Jackson the mega popstar” and start being Michael Jackson, the father who sings and brings inspiration to the people of the world. I told him that he doesn’t need three bodyguards to follow him around a studio garden! You can only get to the garden if you’re recording at the studio, so he doesn’t really need a guard at all but maybe he should have one, but not three!! I told him he needs to get back to what he’s good at: educating the world, on the world! He admitted I was right!!

 

Anyway it was an absolute blast meeting Michael and he really liked us! I don’t want to brag, but I think he really liked me, out of the four of us. He kept asking me questions about things he should do. Not that he left the others out in any way, because he didn’t. I got back from L.A last week and he’s called me (on my mobile) three times all ready! Wicked huh? Well ‘Why Do We Do It?’ will be released on January 4th (Monday) and we’re gonna do something that no one in the music business has ever done before. We’re gonna release our album the same day as the third single! Cool huh? The album will be called ‘From Dreams Comes Reality.’ Cool title, huh?

 

Have you been watching Eternity on all the shows we’ve been on? You better have! Ha ha. Did you see us on ‘Hey Hey’? I still can’t believe Channel Nine brang back the show because Aussie’s protested so much and now it’s doing even better than it ever has! When we went on ‘Hey Hey’ the first time to sing ‘That Someone’, Daryl remembered me and Rach from when we met him at the “last” ‘Hey Hey’, last year! He said he still has the letter I wrote him!! :0)

 

Anyway did you see us perform ‘That Someone’? Did you see Holly trip? Ha ha. I think everyone saw that and Larna and I tried not to laugh. Rach said she never noticed but I think she was concentrating on her own part. I swear Holly was going to trip and go flying! That would’ve been disastrous!

 

Did you see us do ‘More Than I Have’ on ‘Hey Hey’? And those dance moves! True Latino style moves there! Larna made most of those moves up. She’s a mega fan of Ricky Martin and she went to America (Miami) to see him perform. That was last year before she joined the group. She’d die to meet him. Well luckily Holly didn’t trip that time. My voice was a bit scratchy though because I had a killer sore throat but it kind of added to the whole Latino thing! It turned out okay.

 

Well on Saturday January 10, 2001, Michael (Jackson) is flying down to Melbourne and him and Eternity are going to perform a “World Exclusive” of ‘Why Do We Do It?’ on ‘Hey Hey’!! So you better watch it! And we’re doing an interview with Daryl too. Also Mike Munro (‘A Current Affair’/’This Is Your Life’) is doing an interview with us but that’s it for Australia. We fly back to Chicago with Michael and do ‘Oprah’! YAY! Three of my fave people: Daryl (whom I’ve met), Mike (whom we’ve not met yet) and Oprah (whom we’ve not met yet)!!!

 

I’ve got some more cool news. Last week when we got back from America, we did an interview and sang ‘More Than I Have’ on that newish music show called ‘On The Beat.’ With that cool host named Tanetta! She’s really wacky, even when she’s not on camera. Anyway guess who else was on the show? They never told us, so I had NO WARNING! It was HANSON!! Argh! I should have known, otherwise I’d have never done what I did!

 

See Eternity was hanging around the set and mucking around. The sound guys said they needed a sound check for the keyboard, drums, guitars and mic’s, so we said we’d do it for them. I got on the drums, Larna took the guitar, Holly took the keyboard and Rach stood near Larna just doing vocals. Of course as soon as I got on the drums I started doing the thumpety thump beat from ‘With You In Your Dreams’ because I absolutely love doing it. Holly shouted ‘Yeah!” She and Larna knew what it was straight away because they’re Hanson fans like me. Rach thinks they’re okay. So Holly did Tay’s keyboard but sang Zac, Larna did Ike’s guitar and his vocals and I did Zac’s drumming but Tay’s vocals and Rach joined in as Zac’s vocals too.

 

If I had known at all that they were even in the country, let alone in the TV studio! There’s no way I would’ve done a Hanson song, let alone ‘With You In Your Dreams’!! We finished the whole song and we heard clapping behind us. I turned around and I was met with Zac’s face! Ike and Tay were behind Zac. I literally died! I really absolutely had no idea that when I’d turn around, I’d be met with three people that mean the world to me! And I’d just sung their most precious song, written for their grandmother. I saw one of the sound guys and I totally flew off the hook at him. I yelled at him because he didn’t tell us that Hanson were standing behind us and we were singing a very private and personal song of theirs. I screamed at him “Don’t you have any consideration for other people’s feelings?” I did all this while Ike, Tay, Zac, Larna, Rach and Holly watched me! And then you know what I did? I ran to our dressing room and I cried! How stupid huh?

 

Well to make a long story short, basically Zac came and talked to me and said that it was different seeing another band do their song, but he said it didn’t upset them. And you know what? For all the good things he was saying to me, I couldn’t stop looking and thinking how darn gorgeous he is up close! :0) Ha ha!! Zac introduced me to his brothers and man oh man! If you think those brothers are cute, then if you ever meet them in the flesh then you’re in for a shock. Because they’re drop dead gorgeous! I’m totally not kidding you. And they make you laugh so much!

 

I just have to say that all those years of saying “I’ll marry Taylor” were just jokes. You knew they were, I knew they were. But now . . . ? You never know! I’m not making this up or imagining things but I really think that Tay likes me! Can you believe that? Taylor Hanson likes me! One time in the day Ike gave me this great look that said “I know my brother likes you and I think you’d be great together!” Well something along those lines anyway! That was all on Friday and then get this . . . on Saturday night, guess what? We went on a date! Argh! Can you believe that?

 

I wanted to go to the premiere of a new Australian movie staring Hugh Jackman, but none of the girl’s wanted to go. It was one of our rare days off and they didn’t want to go anywhere. I was mentioning it to Tay and he said he’d love to go with me! YAY! The premiere was here in Melbourne at Crown Casino (also where the Hanson family were staying). We saw the movie from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, then we walked to a restaurant in Lower Collins Street called De Angelo’s (just like one in Hobart). We ate there and talked and laughed and all that until about 10:30 PM. Then we walked back around the city and I showed Tay all my fave architectural bits of Melbourne. By the time we walked all they way back along Southbank to Crown, it was after midnight! We were outside Crown and we almost kissed, when we saw Walker come out of the Casino and walk over to Diana, who was looking over the Yarra. We had no idea how long she’d been there of if she’d seen us but Tay said he’d better go back to his hotel room. He kissed me on the forehead goodnight. I tell you what! That’s almost as good as a kiss on the lips. I practically died right there!

 

Taylor rang me at 11 AM yesterday (on my mobile) wanting to know if he could see me that day. I said I’d be in the studios (Gotham) until 6 PM and he told me he had to catch a plane to a new airport near Armidale at 6 PM. Let’s just say I wasn’t too happy for the rest of the day. Taylor wasn’t happy either. But I told him to drop in on you when they’re up there. I gave him your address and phone number. So don’t be surprised if you get a phone call or visit from the Hanson’s. Cool, huh? Ha ha.

 

Now it’s Monday and I have no idea what Hanson are doing in Armidale? I miss Taylor all ready Lou! WHAT AM I TO DO? Am I just being stupid? Could I really be in a relationship with Tay? I mean I really haven’t thought about having a boyfriend since Bryce and I broke up last year. I know Tay is no where near as horrible as Bryce turned out to be, but is it possible that Tay and I could get together? He seemed just as stoaked as meeting me, as I am at meeting him and his brothers. He really loved ‘That Someone.’ He kept going on and on about it! It was so weird!

 

Well I better go now – oh crap the phone’s ringing, hang on . . .

 

OH MY GOD! You’ll never guess what? That was Glenn (Wheatley) calling to tell us all some huge news but the other three aren’t here. See Rach, Larna and Holly and I all live together in a house (with a pool), in Park Orchards (where John used to live), near Warranwood. The other three went food shopping.

 

Anyway guess what the news was? Your lovable Eternity will be touring in February, starting with Australia, then Asia, Europe, Britain and finishing with America!! But guess what the best bit is? We’ll be supporting a band. An American band. They’re bloody fantastic! They’re HANSON!! Argh!! I could just cry. I am crying!

 

I’m gonna send this letter to your Mom’s house because I have no idea if you’re still there or if you’re somewhere else? Where are you? What are you up to? Did Hanson track you down this week? Do you have a boyfriend? Are you looking for one? I really wish I could see you soon but we’re so busy.

 

My mobile number is 0417 555 775 if you want to ring me. It’s always on, no matter what time of night or day. Umm . . . I can’t give you my personal address because we don’t get mail here because people would be able to track us. All important mail goes to:

 

Eternity (via Glenn Wheatley)

C/- Gotham Records

219 Wonga Road

Warranwood, VIC 3134

 

Just make sure you write via Glenn on it (with my name on it too) and they’ll know it’s not normal fan mail.

 

Well I certainly hope I hear from you soon because I miss you! Tell me everything you’re up to! I wanna know!

 

Butterflies, Music and Eternity 4-eva

 

Love your friend

 

            Hannah.

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER TWO

 

                                                                                    January 10, 2001

 

Dear Hannah,

 

            Hey there my great friend! How are you doing? Thanks so much for your awesome letter, it was so fantastic to hear from you. :0) :0) :0)  Especially now that everything’s happening with your TOTALLY ROCKIN’ band Eternity. :0)  I’m so happy that you found Larna and Holly. :0) :0) :0) How did you and Racheal find them? Oh! Of course I’ve heard your first single ‘That Someone’ – I love it. :0)  I even bought the single CD!! It’s such a catchy song. :0) :0) :0) 

 

You guys have been in so many magazines lately, it must be such a good feeling. :0)  I’m making a scrap book of you all, sowhen it’s full I’ll send it down, so you can look back and remember what you’ve done. :0)  I hope you’ll like it. :0) :0)

 

Did you get some good photos from your trips to Asia, Europe and Britain? Yeah, you must’ve looked a little bit like a tourist – HA HA!!! :0)  I’m so happy for you. :0( Going overseas is something that I can only dream about. :0( Maybe one

day . . . who knows!!! :0(

 

            And two #1 songs on the charts – CONGRATULATIONS! You guys must be like “WOW!” That feeling must be unexplainable. :0) :0) :0)

 

            OH MY GOD!!! You actually wined and dined with THE Michael Jackson?!? I can’t believe it!!! And you gave him advice – I’m jealous!!! :0) HA HA!!!

 

            Was America all you’d expected it to be and more? All those shows you appeared on – COOL :0) :0) :0)  I would die to meet some of the people you have! I just LOVE Rosie O’Donnell!!! :0)  She rocks!!!

 

            One of my friends (Joshua Bradstreet) is a huge fan of yours!!! He’s fallen “in love” (he says anyway!!! :0)) with Larna!!! So when I said I’d been friends with your for ages he nearly fainted! At first he didn’t believe me but then I showed him the end of one of your letters with your signature and he was like “OH MY LORD”!!! :0)  So I was wondering if it isn’t too much trouble (if it is don’t worry!) could I have your signatures to give to him? He’s be totally stoaked. :-)  THANX 4 EVA. :0) :0) :0)

 

            Guess what I bought on January 4th? Your utterly, unbelievably cool album. :0) :0) :0) You guys should be so proud of yourselves, the songs are beautiful. :0) :0)

 

            Yuh-huh, I’ve been catching you guys as much as I can on TV! And when Holly tripped – he, he, he!!! :0)  Poor sweetie!!! :0)  Yeah, ‘More Than I Have’ sure did let you guys do some Latino style dance moves. :0)  It rocked!!! I was watching it with Josh and he said he’d die to dance like that with Larna!!! :0)  He’s crazy!!! :0)

 

            Hey, it’s the 10th today, Michael J. must be with you guys at this exact moment – AHHH! How cool. :0)  Of course I’ll watch you on ‘Hey Hey’. What do you think I am, a slack-ass friend?!? :0)  When do you fly out to Chicago? Have a rockin’ good time. :0) :0) :0)

 

            Oh! Merry Christmas and Happy 2001!!! Did you get some good prezzies? What did you do? Any wild celeb parties? I spent Christmas at home with my Mum.

:0) And you’ll never guess what I got!?! A CAR!!! Oh my god, a real car!!! :0) It’s a metallic blue RAV-4!!! :0) I LOVE it so much. :0) :0) :0)  I’ll have to drive down and visit you one day – WOOOHOOO!!!

 

            I’m going back to Albury in two days (the 12th) to get ready for my second year at Charles Sturt University. :0) :0) :0)  The photography course is overly fantastic! I’m learning so much and I even had one of my photos published in the ‘Albury Express’!!! Okay, so it’s not much, but it’s a start!!! :0)  I even get my own media-pass this year – AWESOME. :0) :0) :0)  By the way, here’s my new address: 15 Kiewa St, Albury, NSW 2640. I’m sharing a flat with my friend Kellie. :0)  Everything’s working out really well, especially now I have a car. :0)  Our flat’s pretty cool, all the furniture is from second hand shops!!! But don’t worry, it’s not falling apart or anything!!! :0)  I’ve stripped loads of things back and varnished them, so I guess you could say we have an antique style place, with a modern touch (my larva lamps – hee, hee!!!). :-)  I can truly say my favourite room is my bedroom, due to the Hanson posters – he, he, he!!! :0)

 

Hey, have I ever told you about Morgan? I don’t think I have! He’s my ex-boyfriend!!! I first met him at Orientation week last year!!! It turned out he was applying for the Photography course too!!! We chatted away and on February 21st (this date is firmly embedded in my mind!!! :0)) he asked me out to dinner!!! It was so romantic Hannah, you wouldn’t believe it!!! :0)  I was like “How sweet is this guy?!?” So we became an “item”!!! I don’t know if I was in love with him, but whatever I eflt, it was one of the strangest things ever!!! I could picture us together for a long time!!! Then, on our 9th month anniversary, (Sorry if that sounds lame, but these things mean a lot to me!!! :0)), November 21st he confessed that he’d been cheating on me with his ex-girlfriend, since September. :0( :0( :0(  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was like I was in a nightmare or something. :0(  He told me that he and she were completely over, because he realised that I was the one he wanted! I told him that he shouldn’t have had to cheat on me to find that out! Then I showed him the door. :0( Every week since then I’ve received letters explaining how sorry he is – blah, blah, blah. I don’t think he understands how much he hurt me and that we’re finished! I guess when I get back to Albury I’ll have to seriously talk to him!!! I just can’t believe he did that. :0( :0( :0(

 

            Anyways, onto some happier things. :0) :0) :0)  That is way cool how you appeared on the new show ‘On The Beat’ with that wacky Chickadee Tanetta!!! She’s so groovy, I just love her!!! :0)

 

            But I can’t believe what happened with the sound guys. :0(  How could they let you play a Hanson song, let alone ‘With You In Your Dreams’ while they were standing right behind you? Don’t worry, what you did was not stupid at all. I think if I was in a situation like that I would’ve just died. :0(  But I’m glad Zac had a talk with you. :0)  At least they weren’t upset by it. :0) :0) :0)

 

            And OH MY GOD!!! How does it feel to be Taylor’s future wife?!? Hee, hee!!! That it so sweet how you guys went on a date. :0)  And as if you’d make a thing like that up! Besides I have evidence that it’s true!!! :0)  Here it goes:

 

            It’s December 13th and I’m sleeping in, I’d only got home from Albury on the 11th, so I was glad to be in my own bed!!! :0)  Anyways, there was a knock at the front door! I thought it was my friend Jazmine from next door, but when I heard my Mum’s voice get excited, I was like “Huh?!?” Suddenly Mum burst into my room and said we had company, special company! Daggy old me (wearing my boxers and a tee!) had to go and investigate these “special” visitors, not knowing how special they were!!! :0)  I must have looked dazzling as I stumbled into the living room, coming face to face with three of the most important people in my life, and the rest of their family!!! :0)

 

I think I must have stood there about five minutes (okay, maybe not that long!!!) before I realised I was standing infront of Hanson in my PJ’s!!! :0)  Man, how embarrassed was I?!? VERY!!! :0)  So I rushed back (injuring my knee on the piano chair as I went!) to my room, looked in the mirror and burst out laughing! I was hoping I’d wake up from this dream really soon!!! I got dressed and made myself look respectable, opened my bedroom door, and yep, they were all still in the living room (SHAMEFUL!!!). My Mum was chatting away to Diana, Walker and Taylor, Avery and cute twiddle Zoe were sitting on the sofa, whilst Zac, Isaac, Mackenzie and Jessica were mucking around with the dogs!!! :0)  I could’ve stood there watching that forever, I mean HANSON were in MY house!!! :0)  It was like WHOA!!! :0) 

 

I went out and said a very nervous “Hello” to everyone and shock hands!!! Then Taylor told me about how he’s met you and you’d given them my address and phone number!!! At that moment I could’ve kissed your feet or something – THANK YOU SO MUCH HAN! I LOVE YA SO MUCH!!! :0)  If it wasn’t for you, who knows when I would’ve met my idols? U RULE. :0)

 

Anyways after I’d said my nervous “Hello’s” and Tay explained how they found me, I took Ike, Tay and Zac (also Zoe, who I could’ve just kept!!! :0)) for a tour of the house and yard!!! Ike and Zac found the trampoline!!! They’re such clowns!!! :0)  I sat down on the stairs with Zoe and Taylor!!! Somehow I ended up spilling my guts to him about Morgan, and he was telling me about (can you guess?) you. :0) :0) :0) Looking back it’s like – WOW, I had a deep and meaningful with TAYLOR HANSON!!! :0)  Weird!!! He’s such a sweetie – you’re one lucky gal. :0)  He told me that any guy who cheats on a girl is scum. I totally agree! So we were blabbing away when Diana came out and asked if the boys (Zoe’d made her way inside!!) wanted to have lunch here! My Mum has the grooviest ideas – hee, hee!!! They said “Yeah” and she smiled and walked inside. :0)  How pretty is she?!? We all went inside and I asked Ike if he could play ‘More Than Anything’ on my piano! All  I can say is OH MY GOD”!!! He even sung, and his voice is even more dreamy close up! *SIGH*

 

I sat opposite Ike at the table for lunch . . . he’s so cute!!! :0) Zac (who was next to me) kept nudging me and I’m like “What?!?”, then he’d lift his eyebrows and start eating again!!! WEIRD!!! I wonder if he saw me staring at Ike!?! I sure hope not!!! But on that day, I think my heart was stolen . . . give it back Ike!!! Oh well, not like I’ve got a chance with him!!! So, at 2 PM they got back in their van (all that time a bodyguard was out the front and I didn’t even notice him!!! :0)) and drove away. :0( :0( :0(  I nearly cried when I was saying goodbye. :0( But I kept it in until they’d gone!!! SNIFF, SNIFF!!! I SO hope I’ll meet them again one day . . . and I hope Ike’ll remember me! They said they’d keep in contact, but who knows?!? :0( :0( :0(

 

OH MY GOD, you’re touring in February with HANSON!!! You’ll get to see your baby Taylor . . . and my secret love Ikey!!! :0)  I’m thrilled for you! HEY! Maybe I’ll be able to cover one of your concerts or something! Give my congrats to Rach, Larna and Holly. :0) :0) :0)  I bet they went off the wall when you told them the news. :0) :0) :0)

 

Anyways babe, I’d better be off now, take care, keep loving life and live it to the fullest. :0) :0) :0)

 

Love your friend 4 eva

 

            Louise.

 

P.S Write soon ‘cause I miss you.

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER THREE

 

January 15, 2001  6:24 AM Qantas flight 017 Feeling tired but happy  Music: Savage Garden - Affirmation

 

Dear Louise,

 

            Hey there buddy-boo! :0) I’m so tired this morning, I could just go back to sleep right now but I really could use this time to catch up on writing to you!

 

            I can’t believe what the time is! I’ve been up since 3 AM! :0) Stupid Glenn decided he would be smart this morning (night) and call us at 2:50 AM! But the thing was that there’s a number you can call that connects all the four bedroom phones and the kitchen phone. In case you’re wondering there’s three phone lines (Rach and Larna share a line, Holly and I share a line and the kitchen line – so we get three phone bills!). Anyway Glenn decided to give us all a wake up call, instead of just calling me (and then I wake everyone else). I have no idea you could do such a thing but he shouldn’t have! We all answered our phones and here’s the conversation:

 

SLEEPY ETERNITY: Hello?

STUPID MANAGER: Good morning girls. The time is 2:50 AM and you have to be at Melbourne Airport at 4:30 AM by the latest!

HANNAH: Oh Oh! Umm, Glenn it was a –

LARNA: GLENN WHEATLEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?

HANNAH: - bad idea ringing like this . . .

HOLLY: YEAH! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO RING HANNAH! NOT EVERYONE!
STUPID MANAGER: Well I just thought –

LARNA: Well you fucking thought wrong, didn’t you!

HANNAH: Larna!

HOLLY: Ooo!

HANNAH: Hey hang on . . . Rach are you there?

RACHEAL: Zzz . . .

 

:0) That was so funny this morning. Larna and Holly simply aren’t morning people at all. I usually have to duck the flying pillows when I wake them up early some mornings! :0) Rach isn’t a morning person either but she doesn’t abuse people who wake her! And me? Well I was never a morning person either. I mean I used to get up at 6 AM to got to high school and college but I wasn’t a morning person then either! But now . . .? Well most of the time when we have to get up at an ungodly hour, I don’t mind really. I have this thing right that I’ll either have eight hours sleep or I’ll go without any sleep until just before I have to go somewhere and then I’ll have a five minute powernap! Just sleeping those five minutes feels like eight hours when you wake up! It really does work!

 

Anyhow I’m pretty much on a permanent high from all our success that I’m usually rearing to go in the early morning. I don’t get too down anymore (thank goodness), although when I do it’s usually because I haven’t seen Tay, my family or friends (esp. you and Drea) in a while.

 

Okay I’ll start replying to your last letter now . . . No hang on, the plane’s leaving and I have to watch the safety demonstration thing . . .

 

7:14 AM

 

Hiya! Geeze! After that safety thing, they practically shoved breakfast after breakfast at us! I don’t usually eat much food on planes because it makes me feel sick but I did end up having a very nice fruit salad for breakfast! Yum tum! :0)

 

Oh dur! I’m so dumb! Did I mention I (we – Eternity) are on Qantas flight 017 to L.A and connecting to Chicago? Well that’s what I’m doing on this darn plane!

 

Anyway back to your letter . . .

 

How did Rach and I find Larna and Holly? Well you know how I used to do night filling at Big W in Karingal Hub Shopping Centre? Well there was this girl who worked in a different section to me but I saw her around. She was a dead set Christina Aguilera! The same white/blonde hair, same face, same height and weight! Her name was Candace. Anyway one day when I was in the tea rooms Candace was talking to a lady  in my section called Margaret, and Candace said her friend Larna was wanting to be a singer in a group but she had no idea of how she was going to get other singers. So I told Candace I was looking for singers for Eternity and so she gave me Larna’s phone number.

 

Racheal is responsible for finding Holly. Rach was putting up a poster we made for singers, in a Sanity music store in Frankston, when Holly ran up to her, ripped the poster down and told Rach to look no further!! :0) The whole thing is a bit ironic though because it turns out that Rach and Larna get along better together and Holly and I get along better together. Sure Rach and I were friends before we included Larna and Holly but sometimes things don’t always work out the way you think they would. Anyway so that’s how we got the girls . . .

 

You bought ‘That Someone’! :0) Cool! And you bought our album too? Wow! Are we really that good? Did you really like the album? Did you find the ghost track? It’s so sad but inspirational isn’t it? In case you’re wondering it was myself that wrote it. I know the words aren’t in the CD cover here they are:

 

ETERNITY GHOST TRACK: I STILL BELIEVE

 

I still believe we can be a better world

I still believe that we can live for the future

I still believe we can mend our broken hearts

I still believe that we can change the earth

I still believe that I do love you.

 

It’s a pretty simple but effective song. It’s just that verse sung over with two key changes after the second and third verses! Very effective!

 

Yeah we’ve been in so many magazines lately! You said “it must be a good feeling?” Hmm well it’s weird. Yeah I know I describe every single thing on earth as “weird”, but it’s true. :0) I was never one for liking to be infront of the camera. I’ve never thought I was pretty or gorgeous and suddenly all these girls are screaming at us around the world saying that they want to be like us and that we’re their idols! And all these guys are yelling out that they love us! Especially the English guys! They’re mad!

 

I’m finding it very weird. I mean a few years ago, if you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn’t look twice at me. Now! Now we’re recognised everywhere!

 

OH MAN! :0) I forgot to tell you this last time so I’ll tell you now before I forget. Do you remember this: “Oh man, there was this guy and he was like “Super! Super!”.” Do you know who said that? You BETTER! Of course it was Ike (on Tulsa, Tokyo and The Middle of Nowhere) talking about that photographer. Well guess what? When we were in Germany on our promo tour Glenn decided that we needed another photo shoot done (LIKE WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH ALREADY!). It turned out that S Club 7 were in the same hotel (and same floor) as us and so guess what we did? Eternity gate-crashed S Club’s photo shoot! Anyway Glenn introduced us to Marco Sange (pro-nounced San-jay). And we were like “Hi,” just thinking he was just another photographer. He was gonna do shots of Eternity and S Club together right, so I stood next to Hannah (S Club) and she told me Marco was really funny and I asked why but he shooshed us and then he started taking shots of us and guess what? “Super! Super! That’s super!” I tell you what! Holly and I must have looked like right idiots, because as soon as we heard him say that, our eyes popped out of our heads, our jaws dropped and then we fell to the ground pissing ourselves laughing! Glenn thought we’d been drinking on the plane, S Club thought we were mental Aussies and Rach and Larna didn’t know what we were on about! Holly and I are MEGA Hanson fans but Rach and Larna aren’t. It was very funny.

 

You’re making a scrap book of Eternity? Cool!! :0) I was gonna start doing that but it takes up too much of my time. But I’m getting two copies of everything we do from Glenn, and one goes into Mom’s copy for herself and then other copy goes to Mom because she’s doing an album for Elley (Brielle Kaylah), which you should know by now is my first daughter. You do remember that is what I’m calling my first daughter? And you do remember that I write my diaries to her and she’ll get them when she turns 13!! I hope her father will be Taylor! :0) I couldn’t imagine anyone else being her father.

 

HA HA!! :0) Holly (who’s sitting next to me) just looked at this page where I wrote “Super! Super! That’s super!” and started laughing! HOLLY! Ha ha. She’s still laughing at her!

 

Did we get good photo’s from Asia, Europe and Britain? Well Larna’s camera broke! Actually she broke it. She had it on her lap in our tour car on the way to do our ‘Top Of The Pops’ (UK music show) performance. She got out of the car and it fell in the gutter! So she had to buy another one! None of us have had our films developed yet! We’ve been too busy! But we’ll get them done soon.

 

You know how bands/singers are always complaining that they travel but they don’t get to see anywhere? Well we actually put it in our contract that if we want we have to be in a country for a minimum of three days before we move onto somewhere else! And surprisingly Gotham agreed because it costs more money to do that.

 

Well we’re all on a high now. First ‘That Someone’ to number one, then ‘More Than I Have’ and now ‘Why Do We Do It?’ and then album “From Dreams Comes Reality’!! :0)

 

Oh hey do you wanna know something real funny? For some reason, last week, Eternity fans bought ‘MTIH’ and ‘WDWDI’ (and probably the album too), so that it turns out both songs were no.1 in OZ! Like what’s the chances of that? I mean when ‘MTIH’ came out it took two weeks to get to no.1 but now suddenly, for some unknown reason, it’s selling again! And how can it be that two songs become no.1, let alone two songs from the same group! My group! Argh! Crazy! As Zac would say “It’s just you’re in awe!”!! :0) HA HA! Holly saw me writing that and she goes (in perfect imitation of Zac) “I’m dreaming, pinch me!” Of course all of this is from Tulsa, Tokyo and The Middle of Nowhere! :-)

 

Hmm America. Was it what we expected? I’ll ask Holly. By the way Rach and Larna are in the seats in front of us fast asleep!!! :0)

 

Hello. This is Holly. America, huh? Well – oh Han says she’s going to the toilet! LIKE I WANNA KNOW THAT!! Ha ha. Anyway back to America . . . All I can say is that it’s very fake. What you see on TV about America, is what you really see there. The homelessness, the gangs, the rubbish on the streets etc. It’s all there. But then there’s the parks, mountains, lakes, architecture and all that. I’ve travelled all over Australia so many times that I’m used to seeing Aussie people and so it’s weird to go somewhere and not see an Aussie in sight (except for Han, Rach, Larna and Glenn)!!

 

8:36 AM

 

Hey I’m back. :0) Holly and I have been talking to some fans that are on the plane. They’re sisters named Nadine (17) and Ali (15) from Adelaide. I met them when I was going to the toilet. Nadine was waiting for her sister and her jaw dropped to the ground when she saw me. I’m still not used to people’s reactions at seeing me, so I thought I had something in my teeth or you could see through my shirt. But then I remembered, I’m famous now. Anyway I could tell that Nadine was one of those fans that are too scared to say anything to me, so instead, I started talking to her! :0) It was cool meeting them and we signed some stuff for them.

 

Christmas was pretty uneventful. Just the normal party for Dad’s side on Xmas Day and Mom’s side on Boxing Day. Only Kara acted a little strangely towards me. I think she’s jealous that I have my dream career, a beautiful talented understanding boyfriend and a new house! :0) Oh well she can be jealous if she likes, I don’t care.

 

OH MY GOSH! I almost forgot to tell you that we have a new house! See Gotham put the four of us in a house – actually it was a little two bedroom flat in Park Orchards. Our lease ran out recently so we all thought about it and we decided that it would be good if we shall live together. So we got ourselves this cool place in Melbourne. The address is 117 St. Kilda Boulevard, Melbourne, 3001. My phone line is (03) 9334 4330. The house has four bedrooms (each with bathrooms), lounge, kitchen all on the top floor. The ground floor has a garage and a practise area for us. It also has a pool outside. I made some drawings of the layout for you, so you know what it looks like. We furnished and decorated it all ourselves. My room is done out in light mauve and light blue, as is Holly’s too. Rach is done out in Japanese black and white styles. Larna is done out in baby pink! We did the practise area in a cheerful sunflower yellow to keep us happy when we practise. The lounge and kitchen is done out in blue and white and some baby yellow too. There’s a balcony off the lounge which looks over to St. Kilda Pier. We all really love the house. It’s in a part of Melbourne that is sort after by celeb’s. We have good security – thank goodness.

 

Hey guess what? Guess who lives next to us? Paul McDermott!! You know the show ‘Good News Week’?? Paul hosts it. The show would have to be going three or four years now. I hope you know who Paul is. Paul, Tim Ferguson (Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush etc) and Richard Fydler (Race Around The World) all used to be in a comedy group in the 1980’s and early 1990’s called the Doug Anthony All Stars or DAAS. They were extremely popular. They even had a show called DAAS Kapital. Well from the late 80’s, when I found out about DAAS, until now I’ve totally loved Paul!!

 

Well the day after we moved into the house, me, Rach and Larna were eating breakfast infront of the TV (watching Rage – how weird it is to see myself at no.1!!). Just Holly had gone on a walk and then suddenly we hear thumping noises up the stair case and Holly runs in screaming! I nearly had a heart attack! I thought someone was chasing her, so I’m like yelling “What? What?” And she had this weird look on her face and she went to say something, then she changed her mind and just said “Oh I felt like scaring you guys!” I looked at her for a second, then I hit her on the head and I said she was mental! :0) Anyway she went into the kitchen and Larna followed her, to put her bowl in the dishwater. After a few minutes I heard Larna groan loudly “There’s no sugar!” Me, Larna and Holly like sugar in our tea/coffee. Well guess what? It was a public holiday! Nothing open! So they all ganged up on me (because I was the only one dressed and I’d had finished breakfast), to go next door and borrow some sugar. So I did!! :0) I rang the doorbell, the door opened and bang!!! I almost fainted!! There standing in floppy track pants and a very nice grey shirt was Paul McDermott!! Holly and Larna had set me up! They knew how much I drool over Paul on the TV, and there I am living NEXT TO HIM!! Argh!! :0) But now we’re all pretty good friends with Paul! :0)

 

 Hello this is Larna. Um I dunno what I’m supposed to be doing but something has happened Louise. Hannah just got a call from Taylor and I’m afraid it’s not too good news. Apparently Taylor has been trying to get Hannah for a few days but her mobile phone battery broke, so it didn’t work for a few days. Anyhow it turns out that beautiful little Zoe is gravely sick in hospital!! No one knows what’s wrong with her! And you know Hannah . . . she adores children (she can’t wait to have Elley) especially Zoe. So Hannah’s crying and Holly’s trying to comfort her. Hannah still misses Taylor too. Holly told me the other day that she always hears Hannah crying at night. She thinks it’s because Hannah really misses Taylor a lot. They’ve become very close since they met. He came back here after they visited you in Armidale and they spent two weeks together (we had some time off) before Hanson had to go back to America. They haven’t seen each other since before Xmas. And now Zoe is sick and Hannah doesn’t know what to do. Taylor is sad too about his sister but Hannah doesn’t know how she can help him? She desperately wants to go to them . . . I can see it in her eyes.

 

10:04 AM

 

Hi Louise. We’re still on this stupid damn plane. I just want to get off and see Zoe and Tay! :0( Tay rang back again and she said she was calling for me!! ME!! So he put me on the speaker phone and I talked to her and I told her I’d sing her to sleep. I sang ‘Angel’ (Sarah McLachlan), ‘Did You Ever Love Somebody’ (Jessica Simpson), ‘You Were Loved’ (Whitney Houston), ‘Do You Know Where You’re Going To?’ (Mariah Carey) and ‘I Will Remember You’ (Sarah McLachlan).

 

I cried the whole way through singing ‘I Will Remember You’ and I could hear Diana crying too. She asked if I could get her a copy of ‘Mirrorball’ by Sarah McLachlan, as it has ‘Angel’ and ‘I Will Remember You’ on it. We both agreed that Sarah is one heck of an amazing singer!

 

Okay I have to think of something else than Zoe or Tay, otherwise I’ll end up crying again. :0(

 

So Morgan cheated on you! After NINE months! Geeze! I think what you did was right. I have the “All Or Nothing” policy. I either have all of you or nothing and you either have all of me or nothing. If you cheat on me, that’s it! You don’t get a second chance at all. To be tempted once means you can be tempted again. But that’s my view, not everyone’s . . . I know how hard it can be after you’ve been together with someone for a while and then suddenly (for whatever reason) they’re gone! It gets very lonely but sometimes you need to experience being lonely. Just remember it does get better. I know I was quite distraught when Bryce and I broke up and it was really hard but it did get better eventually.

 

“How does it feel to be Taylor’s future wife?” (I thought I wasn’t going to think of him? Oh well.). Well excuse me but I don’t remember saying I was engaged to him! Only in my dreams! We’ve only been together over a month. Anyway to tell you the truth, it’s sad being together. No, I really mean it! It’s like when we’re together we’re sad because we know one or both of us has to be going somewhere soon. When we’re apart but on the phone we wish we were together somewhere. And when we’re apart but not in contact with each other, we both wish we could talk to each other! :0(

 

We have this thing we say when we can’t talk to each other. You know when you miss someone so much that you just can’t talk to them when they ring, because it hurts too much?  Well if Tay rings and I can’t talk to him, I say “I can’t talk, the pot’s boiling over.” Just as a boiling pot spills over with water, my eyes spill over with tears! :0( Sometimes when it gets real bad I have to tell him that several times a week! Last week was like that. Tay had to keep calling Holly to ask if I was okay. I wasn’t! :0(

 

I hope Oprah doesn’t ask me anything about Tay on the show tomorrow. The show isn’t about me and Tay, it’s about Eternity and Michael Jackson. But it didn’t get out into the media this week that Tay and I are going out, so soon there will be hysteria all over the world!! :0(

 

That was pretty funny about how the Hanson family turned up like that, while you were still asleep. Tay told me a little about what you all did but he didn’t dwell on it. What did he tell you about me? Unless I’m not allowed to know? I don’t want to ask him, I’m too shy about that.

 

I know he’s a sweetie! He’s someone you could imagine loving for the rest of your life! He loves hugging me. He has this thing for hugging and holding me! :0( Which is fine for me because I LOVE being hugged and held!! Especially by Tay! You know what he calls me? BUTTERFLY!! :0( He knows how much I love them (and they’re the Eternity symbol) and he thinks I’m like a butterfly. They’re precious and they need their freedom but they also need to be loved and cared for! :0) Sweet huh?!!

 

Oh hey! Zac asked me last week if I had spoken to you (Louise) and I said no. I asked why and he said because Ike wanted to know how you (Louise) were! :0) I told Zac to tell Ike that he should call you (Louise)!! I think we’re onto something here!!

 

Picture this:

 

NEWS FLASH 2000

 

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this piece of news . . .

 

At 4 PM this afternoon, it’s been reported that Isaac Hanson, of the American pop group Hanson, wed his fiance Louise Stelter, an Australian photographer. Sources say this was a double wedding. Taylor Hanson, younger brother of Isaac, also wed his long time fiance, Hannah Portman, of the hugely successful Australian pop group Eternity.

 

More on this headline, on the news at 6 . . .”

 

:0) What do you reckon? Argh! Look what I just wrote! “What do you reckon?”!! :0) Ha ha. Mmm I love his English accent so much! Once he says it, I can’t help but talking with an accent for the rest of the day and Zac and I always totally go crazy with it! It drives Diana mad! She tries so hard to not say anything about England because then it starts me, Tay and Zac going again!! :0) Whenever I’m down Tay just has to say “What do you reckon?” and I just start laughing! :0)

 

Anyhow I really think that fifteen pages is way enough!! You’ve probably permantly fallen asleep around page seven or something?

 

Well we’ll be in Chicago for three days and then it’s back to Melbourne to rehearse for Hanson’s tour, although I might by-pass Tulsa to see how Zoe’s getting on!

 

Butterflies, Music and Love (!!)

 

Hannah.

 

P.S How’s the photography going? I did suggest to Glenn that we employ someone to video camera our tour with Hanson and also do some photo shoots and things! He said it was a good idea and I told him to call you! :0)

 

P.P.S If Ike doesn’t ring you, then ring him! Tay’s mobile no. is 0554 611021, which Ike and Zac use too.

 

P.P.P.S There’s talk of Eternity supporting Bachelor Girl in June/July on their tour! It’s not official yet.

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER FOUR

 

                                                            January 26th, 2001  “Happy Australia Day’

 

Dear Han,

 

            Hello there dahhhling! How are you doing? I’m pretty cool! Actually, I’m feeling REALLY GREAT!!! :0) Guess who called me a couple of days ago? C’mon, guess! He’s tall . . . light brown hair . . . gorgeous . . . enough clues? What? You need more?!? He’s in a band with his two sweet brothers!!! Come on Hannah, think!!! :0) It starts with an I!!! Yeah, Isaac called me!!! :0) Hee, hee!!! After reading your letter I was so worried about our little Zoe that I had a knot in my stomach up until 2 days ago when Ike called. And it wouldn’t go away. :0( I kept praying, man, I prayed so much . . . I don’t think I’d be able to cope with knowing that Zoe wasn’t going to be okay. Knowing how much pain her family would be in. And me, not being able to be there and comfort them. :0( But then when Ike called, it seemed like all my prayers had been answered. :0) :0) :0) He asked how I was and I was like “Who cares about me? How’s Zoe doing?” Then he told me that everything was okay and she’d be going home in 2 days . . . which is today. :0) YAY! I was so happy, I started crying! Ike kinda didn't ’know what to say, so we had one of those awkward moments!!! :0) WOOHOO – our first awkward moment – tee, hee, just kidding!!! :0) After I got over my flood of emotions we had a pretty, no wait, that’s an understatement! We had a VERY good conversation!!! He told me that Zoe had whooping cough. :0( And you know how bad that can be for little kids. :0( It is such a relief to know that everything’s okay. :0) He also told me that you, Larna, Holly, Rach and the rest of your “crew” made a bypass to Tulsa on the way back to Australia. :0) It must have been so good to see your baby Taylor. :0) :0) :0) And everyone else of course. :0) Lucky you – I’m jealous – HA, HA!!! :0)

 

            WHAT?!? You think “we’re onto something here” with Ike and I? I wish!!! :0) On the phone it was weird! Like we both wanted to say something, but we were too shy!!! I guess we’d never work out anyway! It’s not like I get to jump on a plane and go over there! You’re lucky Han. :0) I know I feel something for him, but does he feel the way I feel? God knows, and I wish he would freakin’ tell me!!! :0) HA, HA!!! It’s so stupid feeling like this! I even wrote a poem today, you wanna see? Too bad if you don’t!!! :0)

 

            LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I think I do

‘Cause the first time I saw your face

I knew I was in love with you.

My world’s been turned upside down

I can’t get you out of my mind.

From the minute you walked through the door

I knew I wanted you to be mine.

My friends say it’s stupid

It’s just a little crush,

But everytime I look at you

My heart beat starts to rush.

From the way your eyes sparkle

To your beautiful smile,

The way you flick your hair back

Makes me want to sit and watch a while.

 

            So yeah!!! That’s my poem dedicated to Ike! Although he doesn’t even know it exists!!! :0)

 

            Man I bet you’re glad to be off that dumb-ass plane!!! How long were you stuck on there for? Like 20 something hours? How did Oprah go? I bet it all went smoothly. :0) No questions about Tay I hope. :0) But you know what? I saw a picture, or photo shall we say, of you guys in Smash Hits! That magazine you don’t like! :0( I have no idea where it was taken, but you’re holding hands. The rumours begin!!! :0) Wait . . . it was actually sent in by a girl from VIC??? Maybe it’s the night when you guys were walking around Melbourne, but I’m really not sure! I wonder how much she got paid for doing that?! How rude. :0( But it’s a sweet photo. :0)

 

            Whoa, I am so glad I’m not around Eternity in the mornings!!! Poor old Glenn!!! :0) It doesn’t seem like the most pleasant place to be! Me, I’m a morning person, but I can be a night owl as well!!! :0) I seem to liven up when people are getting tired!!! :0) CRAZY!!! So who’s the grumpiest in the mornings? Sounds to me like Larna is!!! :0)

 

Those stories about finding Larna and Holly are so cool. :0) That is ironic that you and Holly get on well, and so do Racheal and Larna – strange!!! But, what’s meant to be is meant to be, like me and Ike. *SIGH*  HA, HA!!! :0)

 

Of course I really like the album!!! What, do you think I bought it just to give you guys big heads?!? IT ROCKS, really it does. :0) Yeah, I found the ghost track . . . Well it actually found me!!! :0) The last song had played through and I was about to change the disk when it came on! After the initial “HOLY COW” and after my heart came out of my throat I listened to it over and over! It’s my favourite. :0) :0) :0) WOOHOO. :0) You really have to perform that one at concert’s, just for me – HA, HA, HA!!! :0)

 

Geez, it must be so scary having people screaming out that they love you!!! But cool in a weird kind of way!!! :0) I can’t imagine what it’d be like walking down the street and having someone screaming out my name! I’d be like “HUH?!? How do they know who I am?!?” Poor you guys! It must be a pretty awesome feeling though, knowing that people have taken their time to go and see you, or read about you! WOW.

 

Guess what,  guess what, guess what? Joshua really loved the signatures you

guys did for him. :0) And when he read what Larna wrote he nearly fell off his seat!!! :0) He kept saying “She’s thinking of ME? She’s thinking of ME?” I was like it’s okay, calm down, breath now!!! :0) Oh speaking of the little Devil, guess who just arrived?!? I think he’d like to thank you himself!!!

 

            Hello! Is this really the Hannah from “Eternity”? Oh my God! Thank you guys so much for doing that for me! You are the most beautiful things on the face of this earth! And I’ll be a fan forever! Thanks again, and tell Larna that I’m thinking of her too. Love from your number one fan ever –

     Joshua Bradstreet.

 

     Okay, thanks for that Joshy boy! At least you know what I have to put up with now!!! :0) A crazy fan – hee, hee!!!

 

            Okay, he’s gone now! He just came to drop off some Photography text books for me! Yeah, I sure wanna think about another year at UNI right now, whilst I’m on holidays! Some people!!! :0)

 

            I so cannot believe that you ended up having a photo shoot with S Club 7! How radical! AND you ended up with Mr. Marco Sange, aka Mr. “Super”!!! :0) I was in total hysterics when I read that!!! How funny that would that have been?!? Does he honestly say super the way Ike does it? Hee, hee!!! :0) Yeah, I bet the S Club 7 guys thought you and Holly were two wacko Aussie’s or something!!! :0) I wish I could’ve seen their faces – what a crack up!!! :0)

 

            Yep, yep, yep, I’m still doing the scrap book for you guys. :0) When it’s filled up I’ll post it to you!!! :0) Then you can go “Whoa, we in that many magazines”!!! :0) That’s awesome how your Mom’s doing one for Elley, and of course I remember who she is. :0) With you and Taylor as parents, she’d gonna be one cute kid!!! :0)

 

            Larna’s camera broke?!? Bummer, but that’s a pretty funny story about how it broke!!! :0) She must be a bit forgetful – hee, hee!!!

 

            Yep, I’ve heard about bands and singers that complain about not getting to see things when they travel! And that rocks how Gotham agreed to do the three day minimum thing. :0) It’d really suck being somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, but then being too busy with interviews and things to actually see the sights!!! You gals have got it made. :0)

 

            Man, two songs at number one!!! :0) How great must that feel?!?

 

            Hey, guess what I’m listening to? Remember those two tapes you made me way back in 2000? They’re still going!!! :0) I LOVE the song ‘Thinking About You’ by Britney! What happened happened to her anyway? She kind of faded out or something! And I haven’t seen her in any mag’s for ages!!! Last I heard was that rumour about her being engaged to Justin Timberlake from Nsync!!! Maybe they’ve eloped and are hiding from the press – HA!!!

 

            Say “Hi” to Holly for me! It sounds like America’s exactly like you see on the TV! Which is good ‘cause it means there is still hope for me to live in one of those nice little neighbourhoods!!! Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to live in an American neighbourhood where all the kids play together and stuff like that!!! :0)

 

            Those girls you met on the plane (Nadine and Ali!) sound nice. :0) At least they didn’t totally freak out at you! That might’ve been a bit embarrassing!!!

 

     Poor old Kara was a bit jealous was she? Well, she should work hard and fulfill her dreams, like you have! Let her be jealous, you’ve got a great life, so keep living it and forget little green monsters!!! :0)

 

            A new house hey? I wish I could say the same!!! :0) Nah, it’s cool here. :0) It sounds like you have a pretty radical house. :0) The practise area must be good to have! Thanks for the drawings, I LOVE the pot plants everywhere. :0) My Mum’s house in Armidale has tunz of plants, one in the lounge room is like an ivy, so it climbs up the wall. :0) It rulz. :0)

           

            The colors you picked sounds really nice – maybe you picked the wrong career, maybe you should become an interior decorator!!! :0) I used to want to be an interior decorator in grade 10, but I guess that flew out the window when I picked up a camera. :0)

 

            What? PAUL McDERMOTT lives next door to you? AHHH! I know who he is, I LOVE ‘Good News Week!’ He’s so funny!!! :0) I’ve heard about DAAS, but I’ve never seen any of it! I reckon Paul’s cute too!!! :0) There’s something about him that’s just appealing!!! :0) Oh my gosh, how could Rach, Larna and Holly do that to you? Man, I wouldn’t have almost fainted, I wouldn’t been out cold!!! :0) Whoa, talk about a dream neighbour!!! :0)

 

            Oh, guess who’s the proud new owner of a mobile phone? The one, they only

. . . wait, it’s only me!!! :0) Actually it was a gift from my Dad, and he’s also paying for my calls for a whole year – COOL!!! It’s metallic purple, ‘cause as you know purple is my fave color! My number’s 0417 86629! I feel really businessy carrying it around with me!!! :0) What company are you with? I’m with OPTUS, so if you are we can send each other messages!!!

 

            Yep, you’ve got the right idea with the “All or Nothing” policy! Stupid Morgan!!! Anyway, let’s not waste paper on himanymore!

 

            Hee, hee, I know you didn’t say you were engaged to Taylor or anything, but I know you are his future wife!!! :0) I have a feeling and let me assure you, most of the feeings I get turn out! So, will I be invited to the wedding, or will you elope like Justin and Britney – HA, HA!!!

 

            I understand how much it must hurt being with Taylor, but not being with him at the same time. :0( But don’t be sad, think how bad it’s be not being together at all. I guess I’m kinda afraid of that happening with Isaac and I, that’s why I haven’t said a thing!!! :0) I wish I had guts!!! :0) Hannah, that is so sad about “I can’t talk, the pot’s boiling over”. :0( I think instead of thinking about not being together, you should think about how awesome it will be when you next meet. :0)

 

            You know how before I wrote I had the feeling about you two? Well, you know how I was talking to Tay when they turned up at my door step unexplained?!? I could see something special in his eyes when he was talking about you. :0) Like he’d never met anyone like you before, and he couldn’t think about ever meeting anyone else!!! You really wanna know what he told me about you? Be prepared for a shock. :0( I’m joking, it was all good!!! :0) He told me how when he saw you doing the sound check something in his heart went “BOOM”!!! :0) He said that you were one of the most sweetest girld he’d ever met. :0) And one of the most beautiful things he said was that he could see himself building a future with you there beside him – awwwww! What a tear jerker!!! :0)

 

            He calls you “Butterfly”? That is sooooooo sweet! I wish I Ikey had a name for me – but he probably refers to me as “That Aussie girl Louise!” How romantic – HA!!! Help me Han, I’ve seriously gotta get over Ike before I go crazy!!! ARGH!

 

            I really wish that your news flash was true!!! A double wedding – WOOHOO!!! I can picture how cute they’d look in tuxedo’s! God no, if I say one more thing about Ike, smack me in the head! Wait, you can’t do that, so ring me up and abuse me!!! :0)

 

            That’s really funny how Diana tries not to say very much about England due to the accents!!! :0)

 

            Have you heard any more about supporting Bachelor Girl in June/July? That would be totally awesome! But you guys shouldn’t be supporting, you should be touring with your very own support groups!!! :0) When do you think you’ll be doing a big tour? Book me some tickets – he, he!!!

 

            D’OH, the phone’s ringing . . .

 

            AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !

 

            Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!!! It was GLENN WHEATLEY!!! He asked if I was interested in video camera-ing the tour of Eternity and Hanson!!! I’m in shock! Then he asked if I’d also be interested in doing some photo shoots! OH MY GOD! I read it in your letter, but I didn’t actually think he’d call me – AHHH!!! I spoke to GLENN WHEATLEY!!! Ah, ah, ah!!! :0) Okay, be still my racing heart!!! :0) This will be such a good thing for my portfolio!!! I’ve gotta check if this is really possible!!! I’m gonna call Tony Nott, (my lecturer!) if I can find his home number! I know I have it somewhere!!! :-) Back in a minute!

 

            Hey, I’m back! Well I’ve got some bad news. :0( I won’t be able to . . . attend Uni for a while, ‘cause I’m gonna be taping my fave bands on their tour!!! YEEEEHAR!!! :0) WOOHOO!!!!! This rocks so, so so much. :0) Tony told me that I can use it as my elective, and then when everyone else is doing their electives I do my subject that I missed while I was away! OH MAN! I am totally excited. :0) :0) :0) I’ve gotta call everyone!!! :0)

 

            Well my groovy friend, I’d better love ya and leave ya! Take loads of care, keep smiling and write when you can. :0) I’ll be waiting for your letter!!! :0)

 

            Love and tour thoughts aways,

 

                        Louise.

 

            15 Keiwa Street, Albury, NSW 2640. 

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER FIVE

 

                                                Hannah Portman

                                                            117 St. Kilda Blvd,

                                                            Melbourne, VIC

                                                            AUSTRALIA   3001

                                                            (house of Eternity!!)

 

February 12, 2001 

 

10:20 PM

 

Dear Louise,

 

            Hello I’m Racheal . . . I’m Hannah . . .  and we’re Eternity. You’ve been listening to . . . 101.1  . . . Eternity FM! . . .”

 

            Excuse me Lou, for one sec . . . LARNA!!

 

10:30 PM

 

            Well hello there baby! I just had to go and throw Larna in the pool for writing that thing at the beginning of the letter! I mean I come down to the pool with your letter when I hear the phone ring, so I race into our studio (practicing area) to answer it. I come back and Larna’s writing to you! More to the point, she’s writing out what Rach and I put on our very first demo tape to John!!

 

            Anyway it seems today keeps going and going! I was up at 4 AM today and at the airport at 5 AM for my 5:30 AM flight to Hobart; got there at 6:30 AM, got a taxi at 7 AM, got to Mom and Dad’s cottage at 8 AM (traffic everywhere!) and surprised Mom for her 52nd birthday! She didn’t know I was coming because I’ve been in Tulsa and then rehearsing at Gotham for Hanson’s tour! So I turned up with some gourmet (gormay?) foods for breakfast, a special Chanel No.5 perfume gift package and five special books Mom’s been eyeing off! :0) She loved her presents. For dinner family and friends all went out to Woodstock Reception Gardens and that was fantastic! And then I got the 8:55 PM flight and Larna picked me up from the airport.

 

            Thanks for your letter . . . Who called you? It starts with a flower!!?? Isaac is now spelt (flower)Isaac!! :0) That’s interesting! I’ll have to tell him that!

 

            So Mr. Hunk called you hmm?! :0) YAY! I told him he – oh I mean I knew he would! I’m so happy that Zoe’s okay now. By the time “all of us” got down there she was on her way to recovering and of course now she’s fine.

 

            HA HA! Larna went and put Steps second album ‘Steptacular’ on our outside stereo system, so we can hear it out here near the pool, and ‘Tragedy’ came on right? And I looked over at Paul’s (McDermott) house and guess what? He’s standing on his balcony doing Steps impersonations! HA HA! He’s trying to do their silly dances! Now “Loves Got  A Hold On My Heart’ is on and he’s getting funnier! Larna’s standing in the pool trying not to pee herself laughing! :0) Okay we’re gonna get Paul back . . .

           

            HA HA! Larna and I started singing ‘Heard It On The Grapevine’ and ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ in a very theatrical way (over-expressing ourselves)! They’re two songs he always used to sing in DAAS (Doug Anthony All Stars)!! :0) So he shut up after we sung those!

 

February 14, 2001  10:15 PM

 

Dear Louise,

 

            Hiya! Sorry I kinda left the letter for a few days there but I’ve been kinda busy. I’m sure you’d understand. :0)

 

            Hmm I’m not sure I should be drawing smiley faces today. I mean you do realise what day it is right? No? WHAT! Hello! It’s Valentine’s Day of course! Well I should be smiley today but I’m not. Why? Well let me see, I’m stuck in my new home alone. Yes all damn alone! Larna is out with some club hopping DJ she met called Clive (!!). (It won’t last between them!); Rach is out with her boyfriend (Justin) of ten months (he’s lead singer and guitarist of an un-discovered band called Black Treasure. He’s very nice and funny and looks like Heath Ledger!); and Holly is out with Danny, who is one of our mixers at Gotham. They hitted it off when we recorded ‘Would You . . .’, a few weeks ago, as a B side for the Jackson/Eternity duet.

 

            Anyway so I’m here all by myself. :0( Everyone left around 4 or 5 PM, so first I had a warm bubble bath and walked around in my baby blue satin dressing gown. I made falafel balls with tofu and salad and watched one of my fave movies: ‘The Truth About Cats and Dogs’ and cried all the way through and then I watched ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ and cried all the way through that too! :0( And just for the fun of it, I tried to make myself cry even more, by ringing Tay at home in West Tulsa. But do you think he was there? No! :0( So I tried his pager and his mobile . . . Nope, no luck! :0( Just my stupid luck, it’s Valentine’s Day and I can’t get hold of my boyfriend! He’s probably “painting the town red” (as my Mom says) with some other girl anyway! :0(

 

            Oh man, I’m sorry! Look at my attitude will you! I’m sorry! I just . . . I dunno. I’m sad because I desperately miss Tay. I mean I told you the Hanson tour would start in OZ in Feb, but of course, in traditional Hanson chaos, that is now not so! It has now been set back until March! :0( So now it will be longer until I see my baby! And this whole Valentine’s Day thing isn’t helping me! I never used to care about this day at all but now it’s different.

 

            This whole week I’ve been like this. Sad and crying a lot! We had rehearsals on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, (Mom’s 52nd Sunday), Monday and now it’s Tuesday and we had a little rehearsal today. Because this is our first tour we’re rehearsing up to eight or ten hours a day (!) but today we only had three hours! I dunno what’s happening to me this week! I’ve been crying at the drop of a hat! At least once a day I start crying in the iddle of rehearsals becaise I muck up or because our choreographer Jen (Jeniffer) tells me that I’m not concentrating properly! Yesterday we started at 7 AM and by 10 AM I had broken down and ran out crying! :0( And to make things worse Tay has hardly been talking to me this week! I don’t know why? And then towards Friday he sorta stopped calling and I didn’t hear from him yesterday or today! :0(

 

            OH HOW BLOODY FANTASTIC! Guess what comes on my stereo right now? ‘Cry’!!! :0( Which is exactly what I’m doing! I’m listening to the MMMBop/Boomerang tape you made me in 1999! I’m just so sad Louise! I want my beautiful Taylor with me but I dunno what’s happened with him? Maybe he’s upset about everything leaking out about us. Yes I saw that stupid Smash Hits photo of us together. I can tell you that Eternity have only done on interview with them in the past and they’ll never get another one with us (or Hanson)! So our fans will have to buy other mags but NOT Smash Hits!

 

            What happened with the photo was that a Hanson fan followed us from Southgate to Crown (which was the last ten minutes of our date), taking photo’s of us! She was a Tay fan, besotted with him, and she sold her photo’s to Smash Hits and New Idea, for something like $30,000. :0( But the thing is that she arranged her photo’s in a way that it looked like I was “seducing” a “boy”! Which of course is not true (!!!). In the adjoining article, they structured it so that I came across as a HUGE 20 ½ year old, seducing a 17 year old. They played up the act that I’m “almost” 21! Yeah right – not! I’ll be 21 in June! It’s only just Feb! They also played up the act that Tay’s “only 17”! When in actualy fact he’s 18 NEXT MONTH of course! It was ridiculous! Stupid tabloid magazines!! :0( Oh man! I need tissues now! I can’t help crying! I mean what if Tay’s not calling me anymore because the whole world practically knows about us now! I mean it’s in Smash Hits, New Idea, Woman’s Day, Daily Enquiror (UK), The Sun (UK), New York Times etc! Everyone knows! :0(

 

            Oh great, I’ve run out of tissues! That’s two boxes used today!

 

            WHAT! Oh good one! The door bell’s ringing! It’s 11 PM and the door bell’s ringing! Who, in their right mind, would that be? I’ll bet it’s Larna, drunk and can’t find her keys! Hang on Lou . . .

 

11:10 PM

 

            :0( Argh! Okay so now I’m desperately crying HUGE tears drops everywhere! Hang on, I truly need tissues now! . . .

 

            Okay I’m back. Well I went to the door right, expecting a drunken Larna and guess who was standing there? MY BEAUTIFUL TAYLOR! Okay hang on while I cry more! :0)

 

            Hello Louise. I’ve taken over now. Of course this is Taylor writing. I think Butterfly has to try and compose herself. She kinda went totally mental when she saw that it was me standing there! I’v read all that she’s written to you (I hope you don’t mind?) and I just want to clear some stuff up Lou. I haven’t been ignoring Butterfly last week and this week. I’ve had a lot of things on my mind and everything’s been catching up with me. We had to change our home phone number (again!), so that’s why Han couldn’t get through to me at home and my mobile and pager got stolen at a press conference on Friday! As for the whole Smash Hits photo thing . . . Well I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like it and that it hurt me because being with Han is my personal time and I don’t like us being on tabloid magazines. No! Hang on! I mean I would be lying if I said that I liked all that because I don’t!

 

            So umm anyway, yeah I haven’t been ignoring Butterfly! I really have been missing her a lot! Just ask Ike, Zac and everyone. I kinda keep going off my head at everyone, without meaning to! And I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking about the two of us. I mean we started going out on December 10, 2000, so that’s just over two months now! Wow, I think it feels longer than that! Way longer!

 

            Louise, remember when I came up and saw you in Armidale and we had that talk about me and Hans and how I could definitely see us growing old together. Well I’ve been giving that a lot of thought and I know some people would say that we’re too young and that we haven’t been going out long enough, etc. But . . . umm . . . do you know what I’m going to say? :0) I wanted to do it today, seeing as it’s Valentine’s Day . . . I’m going to go now and umm . . . well propose! :0) Wish me luck! :0) Hopefully by the time either Butterfly or I get back to writing you, she’ll have said yes!

           

            Bye Louie . . .

                        Taylor.

 

February 15, 2001  1:00 PM

 

            Okay so it’s not hard to guess who’s the happiest couple in the world right now huh?! :0) Unless you’re a little thick in the head Louise, you’ll have figured out that I, indeed, said yes to Taylor’s proposal of marriage! :0) Isn’t that mind-blowing!! I still can’t get over it! Argh! :0)

 

            I bet you’re jumping out of your seat, wanting to know all the details! Well okay . . . here they are (like I can hold back telling you!) . . .

 

            Well when I found Tay standing at the door, with red roses (my fave flowers) for me, I just couldn’t believe it and I started hysterically crying into his arms! After a few minutes Tay had calmed me down and sent me to my bathroom to clean myself up (that’s when he wrote to you). When I came out of my bathroom into my room, Tay had lit little candles I have everywhere and he was laying on my bed, listening to a love song classical piano CD of mine! :0) I was still a bit upset (because I’d missed him so much), so we just held and kissed each other for a while . . . Then Tay started saying that he’s been thinking about us and about what to get me for Valentine’s. He popped out the ring from his pocket and I’m thinking “Geeze if this is the ring he gives me for Valentine’s then my wedding ring is gonna be like nothing on this earth!” And then Tay does this little sweet speech and proposes and I’m like SO shocked!!! I had no idea he was gonna do that!!! And, of course, I said “I would love to marry you!” :0)

 

            We actually had a long talk about getting married. We talked about what it would mean to each of us; what it would involve; what the pro’s and con’s are; what problems could occur etc . . . but when it all came down to it, we both agreed it was the right decision. We haven’t planned on much yet. We talked about if we should have a long engagement or not, but eventually we decided that we are ready now for this, so the date has been set! :0) The wedding will be on November 21, 2001!! We haven’t talked about where it will be or who will be invited yet but 100% guaranteed Louise, you’ll be a part of the bridal party! :0)

 

            Oh yeah! Guess what? Tay and I had been talking a while last night when I remembered something. I hadn’t given Tay his Valentine’s present yet! As well as the ring and the proposal, Tay had got me a CD voucher, a special Valentine’s Jelly Bean tin (‘cause I don’t want any chocolate!) and a new book from Oprah Winfrey’s book list! :0)

 

            Anyway now get this! This is freaky! About two weeks ago I decided to get a special ring made for Tay. I wasn’t sure but I was either going to give it to im for Valentine’s or something even more special (like getting engaged!)! And anyway, so I gave it  to Tay and he was stoked! He loves it! It’s white gold (neither of us suit gold) and it’s a special Celtic engagement ring, with Je Taime engraved on the inside, which is French for I Love You!! I also got him a special Whitman’s Valentine’s tin, the new Matchbox 20 album and a new journal.

 

            Ooops I forgot to tell you what my ring looks like! It’s also white gold with two butterflies and three tiny diamonds. Inside is engraved I LOVE THEE (you know, like Romeo & Juliet!)!!

 

            So anyway . . . Tay stayed the night . . . (yes) in my bed . . . for the first time! :0) Oh but hang on! Don’t get me wrong! None of “all that” going on! We’re strict Christians, meaning no pre-marrital sex of course! :0) Hey! Maybe that’s why Tay wants to get married this year! He can’t wait to get “in my pants”!! HA HA! Anyway we finally fell asleep around 4 or 5 AM and we got up around 10 AM, to tell Larna, Holly and Rach who were all breakfast.

 

            We kinda did this silly thing (me and Tay) where we gave each other’s rings back and put them in our pockets. We went out to the kitchen and started acting as if we were pissed off with each other! :0) The girl’s were like “Tay! When did you get here?”

 

TAY: (Angry) Well I thought I’d fly in and surprise this (points to Han) one here.

HAN: (Banging mugs around for tea/coffee) Yeah well you shouldn’t have bothered.

TAY: Oh is that right huh?

HAN: Yeah that’s right! A bloody waste of money!

(GIRLS ARE LOOKING SCARED AND CONFUSED).

HOLLY: Umm, guys, is there a problem here?

TAY: There sure is! (Glaring at Han).

HAN: (Turns to Tay and throws a tea-towel at him) Oh, you’re one to talk! After what you did! Geeze!

LARNA: What exactly did Tay do?

HAN: Oh he just went and . . . (Jumps up and down) PROPOSED TO ME!

TAY: And she just said YES!!

 

            HA HA!! :0)

 

            The girls were like  (shocked faces) “Huh? What? Did you hear right? Argh!” :0) So Larna whipped down to the bakery and we celebreated with some danishes and croisants! Then Tay had to go at 11:30 AM for some business meetings. He said he came over by himself and didn’t know if the rest of the family was in Tulsa, or coming over? Anyway so now I’m trying to write this letter to you, but some girls (who shall remain nameless) keep coming into my room saying they’ve “found the perfect wedding dress for you Butterfly” (the nickname’s catching on!!), or “do you know where you’re having it?”, or “who’s gonna be the maid of honour/bride’s maids?” etc! HELP! :0)

 

            Anyway back to your letter . . . hey look! I know what I’m on about when I say “we’re onto something” with you and Ike! :0) Yeah I know you can’t just jump on a plane and go see him but you are going to be around him a bit, while you photograph/video camera us on tour! So, you never know! Something brilliant might happen?! You just never know what God has instore for you! Keep your fingers crossed!! :0)

 

            Your poem about Ike was so sweet! :0) It’s like something I would’ve wrote when I first met Tay!! Actually I did write this stupid poem thing the day Eternity mt Hanson at ‘On The Beat’!! I’ll write it out for you but it’s pretty crappy . . .

 

I dreamed I would meet you

but not the way I did.

I see your delicate face

and those beautiful eyes,

I see the way you sing that love song

and I wonder if it’s for me?

Am I just a fool,

with too much time on my hands?

Am I out of my league here

to dream about a perfect life with you?

Is it too mich to ask God

to make my dream a reality?

 

            So what do you think? I didn’t name it, I don’t know what to name it? Jus tlike your poem, tay doesn’t know mine exists. I wrote it in Elley’s diary. :0) GUESS WHAT?!! Guess what Tay said to me this morning? He said that with the new journal I gave him, he’s going to start doing what I do for Elley! He’s going to start writing to Jordan Jnr! :0) Yes we have talked about children’s names and Tay loved the girl’s names (Brielle Kaylah Anesha and Sharnay Nicola Tiara) and he said he liked his son’s name to be like his but his name will be Jordan, not Taylor. (Get what I mean?). But Tay didn’t want his second son to be Zachary William. :0( He said one Zac is enough! HA HA!! He was thinking about Ronan Joshua (we both LURVE the name Ronan!) or William James? But I think we’ll go with Ronan Joshua! :0)

 

            Yes it is scary having people scream out that they love us! It’s insane! :0) I’ll be, like, walking along St. Kilda pier, keeping to myself, when someone will yell out “Hannah! I love you babe!” And I’ll be like looking around going who was that? How do you know my name? Love me? You don’t know me! Who are you crazy people! Oh yeah you’re fans! HA HA!! :0) Sometimes – no all the time, yo’re blown away by how many fans we have and what lengths they’ll go to see/meet you!

 

            You know how Hanson went to that radio station in Japan at the end of a mall and they shuffle fans past?! Well we went there and did that, and the line was endless! It was amazing!! :0) Oh yeah on All Saints video they did a radio appearance (like Hanson’s Japan one) in Argentina, where the girls were in this long room and then the fans were squashed in a room infront. Well Eternity did that too! It was very scary actually ‘cause the fans room is probably only meant to take one or two thousand people and I could’ve sworn there was WAY more than that in there, when we were there! I was just praying the glass wouldn’t break!

 

            That was cool of Joshua to write that note! :0) I can tell he’s a HUGE happy fan!

 

            The Eternity/S Club & photo shoot was just really amazing! It was heaps and heaps of fun but Marco (Mr. “Super!”) had a bit of a hard time getting eleven popstars in the one photo! :0) I kept telling the S Club stars that I really adore their music. I told them over and over and over until Holly bashed me over the head ;cause I was giving them big ego heads!

 

            Oh yes Ike does a FANTASTIC impresonation of Marco Sange!! “Super! Super!” Oh man I’m laughing right now! That guy’s such a crack up! You gotta meet him some day!

 

            In your letter you said “Man, 2 songs at number one! :0) !!! How great must that feel?!?” Well guess what? ‘That Someone’, ‘More Than I Have’, ‘Why Do We Do It’ and our album ‘From Dreams Coems Reality’ have all gone to NUMBER ONE!! :0) Can you believe that? I can’t! I think this is all some gigantic good dream I’m having! I’m trying to not let it all go to my head!

 

            Britany – ooops sorry, I mean Britney Spears! Man! I’d forgotten all about her! Geeze, she used to be all over the place! You couldn’t buy a magazine without her in it! Now she’s disappeared! Literally! Yeah I heard that rumour about her and Justin Timberlake too! They’re probably laying low, somewhere in deep southern Louisiana!! :0)

 

            So you always wanted to live in America! :0) Really? Wow! I always wanted to live in England! I’m completely besotted/obsessed with England! Those cute cottages (two storey) and those cute backyards, and cobble-stone streets and the snowy winters!! My Mom always said I would retire there!!

 

            Yeah so gorgeous and funny Paul McDermott is my NEIGHBOUR! Ha ha! Sorry but I still really can’t get over that! I mean its’ totally weird! I spent years and years ooodlin over that guy! I didn’t care that he’s probably more than twenty years older than me! I mean it didn’t matter to me when I was 10 and I wanted to marry John farnham, who’s only thirty-one years older than me!! :0)

 

            But to have Paul as a great neighbour and friend and John as a fantastic boss! Like hello! Am I in heaven? And to be engaged to Taylor Hanson, so have three single and an album go to no.1!! I surely must have died and gone to heaven!! :0)

 

            Wow! You got a mobile phone! Cool, and purple! YAY! I used to have a blue pre-paid phone remember? Well about a month after Eternity were signed, I had to change my phone. It wasn’t practical that I have a pre-paid phone when I have to make so many calls! So I stayed with the Motorolla Jazz but I got one on a special contract and it’s dark purple and silver swirls on the cover! Cool huh?!! :0) Oh I’m with . . . hmm who am I with? Optus or Telstra? Gosh that’s bad, I don’t even remember! Okay I cheated and I looked on the phone and it said Telstra! I was actually thinking it was Telstra, but then I wasn’t sure! :0)

 

            I just have to thank you so much for telling me what you and Tay talked about when he went and visited you! He said such sweet things! I can’t believe it! Oh actually I can believe it because he says sweet things to me all the time! :0) Yeah he calls me Butterfly and now the girl’s are calling me it too! HA HA!! It’s cool.

 

            Oh yeah right! Ike doesn’t refer to you as “That Aussie girl Louise”! He refers to you as his sweetheart, I bet!! :0)

 

            Umm about supporting Bachelor Girl . . . We haven’t heard anything from James and Tania yet. See we have a problem now . . . because Hanson’s tour has been set back a month it means that it will interrupt BG’s tour if we support them too! See Hanson’s tour will be from March to late June and BG’s tour is starting from June 5! So we’ve talked to James and Tania and said either you get another support act or you move the tour start! I think they were going to go over the decision with Ross (Fraser) ‘cause he and John kinda wanted to play it up that we’re label mates!

 

            At the moment Eternity has no idea of when we’ll be doing our own tour ‘cause at the moment we’re concentrating on our singles and album and supporting my fiance! So right now I would say I have no idea but possibly in January 2002?! ‘Cause we’ve got March-June: supporting Hanson; July-August: possibly supporting Bachelor Girl; September-middle November: write/record new album (?); November 21: Hanson/Portman wedding and honeymoon; December: Xmas!

 

            OH MY GOSH! You got to talk to GLENN Wheatley!! :0) HA HA!! Glenn told me he rang you about working with us and Hanson,a nd I was like “What did she say?” and Glenn said that you said of course you’d do it, and I walk like “YAY!” (and jumping around everywhere!!) Oh no! I just thought of something – Hang on my phone’s ringing . . .

 

            “OH MY GOSH! WE HAVE A SITUATION!” :0) (Who says that I wonder! HA HA!!). No, but really, we do have a situation! See that was Glenn ringing to say, had I told you (Louise) that the tour is delayed, and I’m like “Ah no I thought you were going to!” but Glenn said he hasn’t called you. So I just tried your house and you said on your answering machine that your’e away until Friday morning but then you’re coming to Melb on Friday lunchtime!! :0( So then I called your mobile and it say “the number you have called is currently not in operation, please check the number and try again.” :0( HELP! Okay let me ring Glenn again . . .

 

            All right I’m back . . . (obviously! :0)) . . . Glenn seems to think the only thing we can do is go up to Albury before you have a chance to come down here. :0) Tay came back while I was talking to Glenn and he suggested that me and him go up and see you! Whatta cool idea huh?!! So if you’re lucky you might see us on Friday! :0)

 

            Well I hate to be rude but I have to go because Tay and I are going to have a picnic lunch at Melbourne Zoo!! :0) So I guess I’ll see you on Friday – I Hope!!

 

            Music, Freedom and Harmony,

 

            Love

                        Butterfly.

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER SIX

 

THE JOURNAL OF LOUISE GRETE STELTER

 

March 29th, 2001.

 

Well . . . where do I begin?!? First Taylor proposes to Han on Valentine’s Day, and the next thing I know is that I’m the official HANSON/ETERNITY tour photographer – WOAH! I mean . . . rewind!!! :0) Here I am at 8:26 PM watching TV in a tour bus . . . in (excuse the pun!) the middle of nowhere!!! :0)

 

The tour started on March 20th in Tasmania! Han, Rach, Larna Banana (as Zac nicknamed her!) and Holly suggested starting there due to the fact that good old Tassie hardly ever gets to see a lot of bands, ‘cause they all stick to the mainland! And man, it was a great place to start, the fans were way happy (if the screaming’s any indication – he he he!). We were there until March 24th, it was mad! I’ve never experienced anything like it in my entire life – amazing!!! :0) And the photo’s I shot are really great! One (after me pleading with the editor!) actually made it into a big section, titled “The biggest acts in the pop scene hit Tassie at the same time”. Everyone was so happy for me, I even scored a hug from Ike - hee, hee! :0)

 

So then on March 24th we all flew over from Hobart to Melbourne. :0) Planes are much better than boats!!! :0) And Melbourne was wilder than wild . . . if that’s possible!!! :0) We were staying at this hotel/motel (5 star of course dahhhling! :0)) that had a bar downstairs!!! One night was such a crack up! I was down in the bar with Ike, and he was chatting away with some guy about the technicalities of burning phosphorus, (HUH?!? Yep, that was my reaction!) so I decided to call Han (who was up in her room with Tay!) on my mobile! :0) We talked a bit and I begged her to come down and keep me company, so she and Tay came down. :0) By this time Ike was a bit . . . drunk!!! He was drinking this icky stuff, so Han had a taste and nearly died!!! :0( She told me to taste it, so I was like “Umm . . . okay”!!! Then I nearly died too! How gross it tasted – ewwww!!! :0(

 

Anyway the night progressed and I was left sitting with a babbling Ike (who was very cute) because Han and Tay had decided to go slow dancing – thanks guys!!! So, Ike and I talked about the possibilities of sucking tomato soup through a straw up your nose – okay, whatever Ike!!! :0) After about 15 mins of listening to him I decided he needed a bit of sleep! I took him up to his room and he basically collapsed on the bed! Within two seconds he was absolutely asleep!!! :0) I took his freakin’ big boots off and put the blanket over him! WOW! That was one of those moments where I kinda went “God, how hot is he?!?” So yeah, I went back to my room and the next morning Han was giving me the twenty question drill: “Where’d you disappear to?” “What did you and Ike get up to?” “Have you been a naughty girl?” HA HA!!! She’s so funny!!! :0) I told her what happened and she goes “I’m gonna have to talk to Ike about his romantic tactics.” Hee, hee!

 

So yeah, Melbourne was insane! We’re on our way to Sydney now, actually . . OH MY GOD! We’re in Albury! STOP THE BUS!!!

 

Hi! This is Zac! And this is Louise’s journal! I guess I shouldn’t have read it, but now I know everything! This is good black mail material! HA! Zac knows ALL! LOUIE LOVES IKE! She made the driver stop for a break ‘cause it’s Albury! I wonder what she’ll do when she reads this? Hi Louise, I have some advice, never leave journals out when I’m around!!! HA!!!

 

Oh my god . . . Zac read everything – NOOOO! WHY!?! I’ll be back! Okay, hi! I just went and had a little bargain sesh with good old Zaccy boy! I said if he told Ike or anybody else about what he read, then I’d tell everyone about his crush on Larna – he, he!!! :0) Yeah, I’m nasty, but at least he’ll keep his mouth shut . . . hopefully!

 

We’re heading out of Albury now, towards Wagga Wagga! *SIGH* Familiar territory! :0) I made the driver take a detour to Keiwa Street and we quickly dropped in on Kel and Josh (who are now an item!). Josh kind of had a heart attack when he saw Larna, after his little love letter thing! :0) I took a couple of photo’s, so hopefully they’ll turn out okay. :0)

 

Oi! Holly’s eating M & M’s and she just chucked one at me! Thanks for that lovely!!! :0)

 

It’s getting really late, I wonder where we’ll be stopping for the night . . that is if we’re even stopping at all? If we keep going we’ll get to Sydney at 5:30 AM! YUCKY!

 

Tomorrow all of these stars that surround me have a little thing at Planet Hollyood! After this trip, they’re all really gonna feel up to it!!! :-) Poor things. :0(

 

Oh Ike has just entered the scene, with guitar in hand! He’s sitting next to Holly, who’s still stuffing herself with chocolate!!! :0) Now he’s playing ‘Love Song’ – I really adore this song. :0) :0) :0) And him – tee, hee! On my god . . . he’s looking at Holly and singing it to her. Okay time to leave and cry. :0( :0( :0(

 

Hello! I’m back. :0( It’s 10:03 PM and I just had a little half an hour reality check with myself in my bank, it consisted of a lot of silent crying. :0( NO! Here come the tears again! I should have known something like this would happen. Stuff Ike. :0( No, I can’t ‘cause I like him too much . . . Omigod . . . what do I do?!? He likes Holly. :0( :0( :0( Nooo. :0(  Okay Louise, get your act together, it’s just a guy . . . with a beautiful personality, and looks, and talent – who has no feelings for you at all. Right, I’m over it . . . NOT! DAMMIT. :0( Okay, I just peeked out of my bunk and they’re sitting there HOLDING HANDS. :0( :0( :0( Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. FUCK! Pardon language but I can’t help it. :0( Deep breaths, it’s okay. :0( So this had definitely put a spanner in the works. :0(

 

Well I’m not really in the mood to write anymore, as my heart is kind of broken. :0( I’ll write again someday soon, when I feel okay. :0(

 

Sincerley yours,

 

Louise.

 

 

‘FOR THE FUTURE’     LETTER SEVEN

 

A Diary For Brielle Kaylah Anesha, Written By Her Mother Hannah Kaylee . . .

 

April 11, 2001  12:40 AM

 

Dear Elley,

 

            Hmm! Well how do I start this? Sorry for not filling you in on my life every day but I’m sure you can work out that everything is just go, go, go!! Well actually everything is go, go, go but everything (or most things) are falling apart too!! As much as I hate to admit it, it’s true! You see Elley, right now I would probably suspect that Glenn (Wheatley) is running around our hotel (The Majestic) going mad. Why? Because one member of the tour group is missing . . . me! Well in my mind I’m not missing. I know where I am . . . but no one else does. As of five hours and twenty minutes ago I have lost everything in my life that I have ever dreamed of!! :0(

 

How quickly life changes when you don’t want it to! I had everything life could give me (except one thing: children, but I’m not worried about that yet): a recording contract with Gotham; a gorgeous, sensitive, talented fiancé (Tay); the greatest music group ever (Eternity); the greatest friend and photographer (Louise); the best mentor and boss (John) etc . . . Funny how for the shortest time you see the light ahead and then suddenly it’s gone and it’s taken everything with it . . . and you’re left standing all alone.

 

            When I said I knew where I was, I meant that I know I’m in a really small dark room, but where in Queensland, I have absolutely no idea. Hey who even knows if I’m in QLD? Okay I guess I better explain myself. I’ll just start from today.

Today was our third day in Brisbane on the Hanson tour. I woke up this morning at 7 AM after a horrible night. I decided to take the whole tour group out yesterday afternoon to kickboxing because we’re all getting on each other’s nerves. It was all to release everyone’s tension . . . and boy oh boy!! Let’s just say that Tay and I really let loose that tension!! :0( See because the place we went to was tiny , we split into two groups: Tay, Me, Larna, Louise and Zac, Holly, Rach and Ike. So one group had a go while the other group rested. Well when my group was resting, Lou and I were looking at the silly boring posters around the room and we were commenting on the only good one there, of a mother, father and baby in the nude. And Lou made a comment, something like “Hey Han, you and Tay should do that when Elley’s born!!” Now to anyone else that would be funny, but to Tay (who was trying to be macho that day) – geeze! He practically went off his head!! “Whatta you mean when Elley’s born? When she gonna be born? Oh no, don’t tell me you’re pregnant and you’ve told everyone but me!” Blah, blah, blah. I think someone gave him too much red cordial!!                       He was insane! We kept trying to interrupt and tell him it was a joke but he kept going and going. So I kind of said something stupid: “So what if I am pregnant and I have told everyone else but you!”  That was such a stupid thing to do! He goes “WHAT?!” And everyone else goes “WHAT?!” So I quickly tried to fix it and I said “I’m only joking” but it was too late, Tay is mightily pissed off!! He didn’t think anything was funny. Then he started yelling things about how maybe he didn’t want children with me!

 

Oh gosh Elley! You know how I start off as trying to be diplomatic, clam and even-sided but then somehow my emotions get involved and before I knew it I was crying hysterically and the others were trying to settle the both of us down. It didn’t work . . . Tay walked out.

 

            Last night we had a show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Normally Eternity turn up to the venue first and meet and greet fans, then we’d go in for sound check, get our clothes and hair and make up done, do some interviews and about an hour or two before we go on Hanson would arrive, do their stuff and then I’d spend half an hour with Tay alone. Last night I did everything except be with Tay. After the show we went back to The Majestic and Tay and I managed to have another fight. This time it was in a hallway and none of the others were there to help stop!! Anyway I had an awful night. I hate fighting with anyone, let alone my FIANCE!! :0(

 

            Today we had interview after interview! Today Tonight, A Current Affair, Today show, Channel V, House of Hits, Pepsi Chart etc.

 

            Now you would think Tay and I would be able to work something out? Not likely! In our interviews Zac, Ike, Larna, Rach and Holly had to  keep interrupting when Tay and I were asked questions. See Tay and I are big news now. Everyone wants to know about us. But unfortunately, at the moment, we don’t want to know about us!! Anyway after all those interviews we went straight to the BEC (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) to get ready for the show tonight.

 

Hanson and Eternity have their own tour buses (which is good in mine and Tay’s case), so guess what Tay and I do as soon as we get in the BEC? Of course we fight! I swear we’ve fought more in these past days than all the time we’ve been together! How sad is that?!! Well actually what happened was that we were in the BEC and the guys were doing their sound check. I said to Louise could she come with me to the sound check because I wanted to watch Tay. So Lou and I walked into the arena when they were doing ‘I Don’t Know.’ Tay was singing a really passionate bit and he had his eyes closed. Standing there, looking at him, I could feel this explosion of love in my chest. I still loved him so much. When Tay finished the note and opened his eyes, he saw me standing there next to Louise (who was filming him) and he immediately stopped playing. He said “Do you have to be here?” Without realising, a few tears rolled down my face and I said “I guess not.” As I was turning to leave Tay said “You know, I’m glad I found out what you’re really like before I married you!” I didn’t let him see the flood of tears streaming down my face.

 

            I had to get away from everything, so I rushed out the back door of the BEC that leads to the tour buses. I was running across the pavement to Eternity’s bus when I was grabbed from behind and knocked down. I hit the ground hard. Then I felt this horrible feeling come over me, that something was terribly wrong but before I could get up and do anything, I was pulled into a nearby car (I think it was a black Jeep Cheroke), a bag was put over my head and my wrists and ankles were tied together. I was told in a fierce man’s voice to “Shut the f#*k up and not try anything stupid.” I knew these guys were serious. I didn’t say a word or try anything for the whole trip ‘cause I was counting the minutes to where they were taking me. As soon as they shoved me in the car, I started counting “One, two, three . . . fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty. One minute, two three . . .” in my head. By the time we stopped I was up to forty-nine minutes and six seconds. And even though this is only the second time I’ve been to Brisbane, I think I know the city pretty well, so I’m thinking we headed west out of the city, so maybe I’m somewhere near Rosewood? I really have no idea.

 

When we got here two guys pulled me into a building, up some flights of stairs, across rooms and finally stuffed me in this tiny dark room. I think it’s some sort of store room ‘cause after I eventually got free of the bag over my head and my wrist ropes (the ankle ones are still there), I had a look – feel around. There’s a tiny light (from the corridor?) coming under the door that I’m sitting by. I found boxes of paper and pens, so here I am writing to you in a bid to keep myself sane. At one time I kinda freaked out and I started screaming for help. Wrong idea!! Some guy came in, found out about the ropes and the bag and called another guy! I’d hidden your diary paper so they didn’t find it but they weren’t happy with me. I tried lashing out at them but they were too strong. One of them said “Let’s give her a bit of what she deserves . . .”

 

Oh God Elley! I don’t’ wanna say what they did next . . . Hang on I have to try and compose myself ‘cause if they hear me crying goodness knows what they’ll do! Okay well they didn’t exactly . . . rape me . . . but they felt me up enough to scare the hell out of me. I really thought they were going to rape me Elley!! I just can’t believe this whole thing is happening to me! Why are they doing this? What do they want?

 

You know what song I’ve had stuck in my head all day? And now it’s beginning to haunt me . . . I Don’t Wanna Cry by Mariah Carey. It goes:

 

‘Once again we sit in silence, After all is said and done, Only emptiness inside us, Baby look what we’ve become, We can make a million promises, But we still won’t change, It isn’t right to stay together, When you only bring each other pain.

I don’t wanna cry, Don’t wanna cry, Nothing in this world, Could take us back, To where we used to be, Though I’ve given you my heart and soul, I must find a way of letting go, ‘Cause baby, I don’t wanna cry.

Too far apart to bridge the distance, But something keeps us hanging on and on, Pretending not to know the difference, Denying what we had is gone, Every moment we’re together, It’s just breaking me down, I know we swore it was forever, But it hurts too much to stay around.

I don’t wanna cry, Don’t wanna cry, Nothing in this world, Could take us back, To where we used to be, Though I’ve given you my heart and soul, I must find a way of letting go, ‘Cause baby, I don’t wanna cry.

All the magic’s gone, There’s just a shadow of a memory, Something just went wrong, We can’t go on make-believing.

I don’t wanna cry, Don’t wanna cry, Nothing in this world, Could take us back, To where we used to be, Though I’ve given you my heart and soul, I must find a way of letting go, ‘Cause baby, I don’t wanna cry, I don’t wanna cry . . .’

 

Gosh it makes me think of Tay and I just wanna cry! I try not to focus on the bad things we’ve been saying to each other but the good times in our relationship. I remember things like our first real date; the first time I caught him smiling at me in that totally romantic way; the first time he gave me flowers; Valentine’s Day when he proposed . . . the last time he said “I love you!”

 

Shit! They’ve turned the light out in the corridor and I can’t see a thing at all!! What am I going to do? I can’t keep on writing to you like this. Maybe I’ll have to stop for a while?

 

Oh God I can hear men outside the door! Please! I don’t want anyone else to come in here! If they do anything else to me, they’ll destroy me! They’ll destroy my mind! Shit! They’re coming! I can hear them arguing! Help me Elley! I don’t want them to hurt me! HELP ME SOMEONE! HELP! PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

Dear Elley,

 

Don’t ask me what time it is or what day it is ‘cause I have no idea. I have lost track of everything . . . including my mind. It could’ve been a day or two days or even a week since I was abducted!! All I know is that . . . well I lost my mind in here. They did what I hoped and prayed that they wouldn’t do. Yes Elley, my beautiful Elley, they raped me. I don’t know how many times because they were so violent that they’ve knocked me out so many times.

 

I think I have lost all my faith in mankind. I know that I’m supposed to be Christian and that I’m supposed to believe that God is a good person but right now I don’t believe that at all. I don’t believe that I will ever make it out of here alive. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to see the outside world ever again. It feels like I’ve been in here forever. They no longer have the corridor light on so I can’t ever see anything in here.

 

My heart starts racing and racing if ever I hear a noise because I’m scared that it’s someone coming along again to see if they can rape me all over again!

 

Oh God Elley! I can’t handle anymore of this! It’s the worst thing to happen to me in all of my life! I would never wish this upon anyone – ever!

 

PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!! GET ME OUT OF HERE! TAKE THESE MEN AWAY FROM ME!

 

ARGH! PLEASE HELP ME ! ! ! ! ! ! !

 

 

 

 

 

(more to come eventually)

 

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