Love and Letters ✔

Chapter 5

Love and Letters

Chapter 5

His letter... was not the kind of letter I had expected from someone like him. It was filled with truth, deep and it rang full of honesty. If I were honest, I expected some crappy, generic and over-used lies. I expected the soap opera type of filmy lines. I expected cheap lines.

It was wrong of me to assume his character. It was wrong of me to judge him by my own thoughts. I was judging a book based on only headlines, not even the full cover.

The first one that I received made me laugh and feel like absolute nonsense. It made me realise that I had overstepped my boundaries. How could I be rude to someone that I didn't know? How could I tell someone to buckle up and face his responsibilities? How could I tell him how to take care of his sister? I didn't know what his home situation was like. I knew that the shame I felt could never be adequately expressed in words.

I hadn't shown anyone the gifts apart from Suraya, and I hadn't shown her the actual letter. I only told her in a few brief words what he said.

"Dearest Amani,

Or as I like to call you, the prefect with the prettiest smile.

I won't lie to you; I was absolutely shocked with the way that you spoke to me today. What was even more surprising to me was the fact that I actually held my tongue in your presence. I was stunned.

And I don't mean that in a cocky or arrogant way.

My family has always said that I was someone who had a silver tongue, that I was quick-witted and that I could sell ice to a snowman. (Again, not meaning that to be some kind of boastful comments. Just facts that my family remind me off constantly.)

As such, I always seemed to have a witty comment, or a remark, or a suitable reply in any situation that I happen to find myself in. I usually have an arsenal of one-liners, but yesterday, all I could do was stare at you.

Thank god my jaw didn't drop. That would have been awkward.

Anyway, I am sure that I have made a very bad impression on you. The truth is that on Sunday late afternoon I drove from Pretoria to Cape Town. I arrived early Monday morning and with barely any sleep, I had to drop Humayra off at school.

Thankfully, you were understanding about the situation.

After I dropped Humy off, I was up and unable to sleep, so I spent most of the day awake. By the time Esha came around, I was just able to make salaah and fall off into a deep sleep. Humy didn't lie when she said that it is my fault. What I had experienced what lack of sleep.

I'm not sure if you know, but I'm an engineering student and this semester wore me out. I thought that by coming home things would be easier, but unfortunately it was not. My parents aren't home, and life is just heaped on me to make sure that everything is smooth at home and that my younger (and incompetent) siblings are taken care off.

Your shouting that morning was like an electrical zap! to my brain. You were right in every sense. My responsibilities are not your problems. My lack of capabilities should not reflect and endanger my little sister's schooling.

You were right, I ought to have been a better role model to both of them.

Thank you for being the wakeup call that I never knew I needed.

With much gratitude,

Is-haaq Choudhary.

P.S The small gifts inside are both a 'thank you' and an apology. I do hope you forgive my lack of sight."