Chapter 6 Letters

Nmachi hasn't been herself ever since she got to know of Echezona's absence. She hasn't even found it in her to read the letter he had left her but made sure to hide it from her mother.

Although, her mother wouldn't be able to read it there is every possibility of her calling one of the school teachers in the village to read it to her.

She was in so much pain and what's worse is that the pain she suffered wasn't physical but deep in her heart. She fell ill because of it but her mother thought it was the normal 'woman sickness'.

Currently sitting on a stool in the kitchen, she wrapped a wrapper around her body and folded her arm. She was trying to warm up herself by the fire under the tripod on which she was warming the three days old Olugbu soup.

She had been feeling feverish for a few days especially in the evenings like now. Gradually getting up from the seat with the wrapper still covering head down to her waist, she took some dry leaves from the ground which she had my kept just in case she wanted to take the pot down.

After she took down the pot of soup, she proceeded to bringing out plates on which she would dish hers. She hasn't tasted anything all day and even though she didn't feel so hungry, she just had to take something.

Something struck her mind and she left the kitchen are and went straight to her hut. She made sure there was no one in there even though she knew her parents had gone out for a function.

Gently, she raised the old clay water pot in which her mother now keeps most of her expensive and new jewelry and wrappers. It was quite heavy so she had to use both hands else it hits the ground and breaks.

Raising it high enough,she kicked the paper she had hid under it before gently lowering the pot.

It was Echezona's letter. She was going to read it and probably give him a reply. It has been days since he left and she misses him as if he had been gone for a year.

She lowered herself to the mat and say on it with her eyes glued on the paper as she opened it to reveal it's content.

'Obim,' She read

Upon seeing the first word he began the letter with, she smiled at herself and an image of him penning down the word flashed in her memory as she read the letter as if she was watching him write and saw his every reaction.

' I hope this letter meets you well. Let me first of all apologise for not telling that I would be leaving today when we met yesterday. I didn't know that I would be leaving myself but it just happened and I'm very sorry about that.

I don't know about you but I know that I am definitely going to miss you, your smile, your body, your touch and most especially your love.'

She immediately folded the letter and took in a deep breath as if reading the letter was restricting her air flow. Then after a while, she opened the letter but didn't continue from where she stopped. She took her gaze back to the second paragraph and started again.

She read it with so much passion that her heart ached yet it was happy. A mixture of feelings ran through her, leaving her confused on whether to smile or cry and alas, she did the both. There were tears running down her face so fast and a smile on her lips as she read this words again.

After a while, she started reading the letter again and this time from where she actually stoppeEche.

Write me soon. I know by now you must have been told the name of the school I'm at but just in case, it's the Federal University of agriculture, Umudike. Feel free to visit me whenever you dim fit.

I'll be expecting your reply soon.

Yours Affectionately,

Eche

At the end of the letter, Nmachi was a weeping mess but one thing struck her mind and that was to reply his letter.

"I think I have saved up enough money to pay the post office." She soliloquized and immediately folded the paper in a neat manner before placing it back under the clay pot.

She hurried to her school bag and tore out a plain sheet of paper. She held her pen in her right hand and placed it over the paper.

She had no idea how to start writing and what exactly to be not because she didn't know how to write a letter but because there are many things she wanted to write at once.

She held tight the pen and shut her eyes. Taking in a long breath, she exhaled and opened her eyes then she began.

Echezona m,

It's as your name says, Do not forget me. Your letter did meet me well but it shocked me how you didn't tell me that you would be leaving. I was not happy at first but now, I understand why you left the way you did.

Obim, I miss you so much even the movement of the plants in the bush where we meet sadly whispers your name whenever I pass by. It's like they miss having us together. I wish I could hear your whistling over and over again today.

I hope this doesn't sound to you like a last tribute when you read it but that's how I feel, you know?.

Now that you've gone to school, I hope you achieve all that took you there and represent us well as well.

I have heard a lot about university girls and how they throw themselves at men, I trust you not to fall for them.

Remember that you took a piece of me with you when you left, leaving me with the other half. I just hope that whenever you're back or we meet, you'd still have that one piece intact and make me whole once again with your presence.

Whenever I think of you, I remember the day you saw me without clothes and how you admired my body and even miss you more.

Just like you, I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you but first, you have to be done schooling.

Obi ụtọ m, I will find a way to come and see you in your school but that's if Nne would let me.

I will be expecting your reply especially on how you're doing and what the university life is like.

Yours Faithfully,

Nma.

After She was done writing, she congratulated herself for her well articulated words and how excited he would be to read her letter.

She folded neatly the paper and began to look at her dress just to make sure they were neat enough to go in to the Post office.

She sniffed into the cloth and the smell of firewood and akpu ran up her nostrils, irritating her. Without hesitating for another second, she took off the dress and quickly took out a similar one but neater than the other one she had on.

Before she could move out of the hut, she heard someone clap in front of her hut and became silent.

She gulped. She wasn't expecting anyone and her parents are not going to need permission to enter into their own house.

"Who is it?" She asked and although she was afraid of the worse, she gradually began to walk to the entrance of the hut to see who it was.

The moment she was going to raise the mat which was hung on the wall to prevent people outside from seeing those inside, the mat was raised up and Ukokwe entered.

"Since when did you start seeking permission to come in?" Nmachi asked her but she didn't reply.

Ukokwe accessed Nmachi's cloths for a while before speaking,"This one you're dressed like this. Where are you going to?" She asked Nmachi who began to smile.

"I want to go to the Post office to send a letter to Echezona." Nmachi replied in excitement before turning around to where she left the letter. She picked it up and gave it to her friend before rushing inside to get some money.

Upon coming out, she collected the letter from Ukokwe who was smiling as she read the letter without even asking if she was done.

"I have not finished reading it." Ukokwe complained but Nmachi shook her head.

"Are you coming with me or not?" Nmachi sled her and walked out of the hut without getting a reply.

"Wait o!" Ukokwe called out to her and dashed out of the hut.

Upon reaching Nmachi, she said,"You really love Echezona o. Look at how you poured out your heart in this letter." She commended.

Nmachi laughed lightly and with a bright smile on her face, she said,"We love ourselves."