East of Eden (II)

Adam said to his guests "I just remembered that I have forgotten to write to my brother for oven ten years." The Bacons shuddered under his statement and exchanged glances.
(...)
Adam restlessly opened drawers and looked up at the shelves and raised the lids of boxes in his house and at last he was forced to call Lee back and ask, "Where is the ink and the pen?"
"You don't have any," said Lee. "You haven't written a word in years. I'll lend you mine if you want." He went to his room and brought back a squat bottle of ink and a stub pen and a pad of paper and an envelope and laid them on the table.
Adam asked, "How did you know I want to write a letter?"
"You're going to try to write a letter to your brother, aren't you?"
"That's right."
"It will be a hard thing to do after so long", said Lee.