A Letter to the Mayor

Dear Mr. Mayor,   

I am writing to you to talk about the alleged “Archibald Pothole,” the mystery of this town that has existed for generations. My family and I just moved into this town not too long ago, and we have discovered that this pothole has a reputation. We had asked numerous other residents from around town, but none of them could seem to give us a concrete explanation. So, since you serve as this town’s mayor, we thought you might have the answer. Thank you in advance for your time to answer this question for us; what is the Archibald Pothole?   

Sincerely, [REDACTED]   

Dear [REDACTED],   

Before I start, I would like to thank you for moving into our town! I am sure you and your family will love it. We have plenty of public activities and places to explore. Some of which have people so engaged that we barely ever see them again. Now, getting to your question, I have had this question asked of me occasionally, usually by a new person like you. But, I assure you, once I tell you the answer, you will never have to worry about it ever again. Before I tell you, however, I need you to promise me that you will not tell anyone outside of this town. May I have your word on that?   

Sincerely, Mayor [REDACTED]   

Dear Mayor [REDACTED]   

Oh, okay. Consider me intrigued. I also give my word to keep the answer to myself, for whatever reasons you may have.   

Sincerely, [REDACTED]  

Dear Mr. [REDACTED]   

Great! Prepare for a tale older than the universe itself, or so I am told. That is the tale of the Archibald Pothole.

Long ago, there was a man named Archibald. He was a man of mystery. Nobody knew where he came from. He arrived in this town with no family, only with what he had on his person to salvage. He was a quiet man. He did not talk to anyone. If someone greeted him, he would greet back. If someone thanked him, he would say, “you’re welcome.” He would usually go around town minding his own business every day. He did not bother anybody, and no one bothered him. That is, until one fateful day. This day was unusual compared to others. It started with a frightening storm in the morning and was a bit gloomy later on. Everyone had a feeling of worry. Nobody knew what it was, but they could feel it in the air. Suddenly, a report came out that the current mayor at the time was found dead in the middle of the street. Right next to him was a pothole that, before that day, had never been there before. Archibald was the first to find him, and report to the authorities. To this day, the cause of death and the appearance of the pothole have not been solved.   

I hope that answered your question! Feel free to take part in the numerous public events we will be having over the next few weeks. Also, enjoy your stay in our town! Residents seem to come and go nowadays.

Sincerely, Mayor Archibald  

Image obtained from Squarespace