Ride Her Shoes

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