Matilda Penshaws, a thirty-three-year-old woman, is on a quest for love, driven by a romantic ideal of finding a perfect partner. Despite her mother's insistence that she should date more, Matilda is fixated on the idea of finding a husband through pen pal columns. She discovers an intriguing ad from Haron Gorka, an enigmatic man seeking female correspondents, and decides to visit him in Cedar Falls, believing he could be her ideal match. Upon arriving, Matilda finds that Gorka is a mystery; no one in the town seems to know him. Undeterred, she visits the local library, where the librarian reveals that several other women have also inquired about Gorka. After some negotiation, Matilda obtains his address and heads to his home, which is in disrepair but filled with promise. Upon arrival, she is greeted by a servant who locks her in a small room, heightening her anxiety. After a meal that seems tailored to her desires, she meets Gorka, who turns out to be an eccentric man obsessed with bizarre tales of interstellar travel and creatures. Matilda quickly realizes that Gorka's stories are nonsensical, leading her to question his sanity. After a brief and disappointing encounter, Matilda leaves, only to discover that Gorka's wife is the librarian she met earlier. The librarian explains that they are both travelers from distant stars, and Gorka's expectations of her are unrealistic. Matilda is left bewildered by the revelation of their unconventional relationship and the nature of their existence. As she drives home, Matilda reflects on her experiences, realizing that her pursuit of a romantic ideal may have been misguided. The story concludes with her witnessing a shooting star, symbolizing her newfound clarity and the end of her naive quest for love through pen pals.
By Stephen Marlowe · First published 1990 · Genre: Science Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Literary Fiction