#throwbackthursday

MY FIRST LETTER

Just last week, I saw a movie: "A call in the wild", that reminded me of how much I love letters. In the movie, a pack of dogs would pull a sled until they got to the post office. The people who waited for the letters were always anticipating

The arrival of the letters. The joy of hearing from a loved one was always obvious on their faces. Then the letter transporter would look at the dogs and say: "you see, we don't just carry letters, we carry lives, hope and joy" those words resonated with me, because there was a

Time I craved to be written to. I attended an all girl's secondary school, FGGC Bwari to be precise. Every evening, in the dinning hall, names of girls who had letters will be reeled out from the postmaster's bag. I envied the joy that emanated from the faces of these

girls, as they stepped out to collect their letters. It could be from their pen pals, home friends, parents, uncles or cousins, but it was obvious that the letters were from people they loved. I didn't expect to receive letters from anyone, as I knew that I hadn't formed

Any solid relationship outside, prior to my admission into secondary school. I came from those "own your own" families, so I wasn't even close to any extended family member that would write me a letter. Yet, I craved it. I just wanted my name to be called with a letter addressed

To me, so that on opening it, I would see "dear Nkechi". For 4 years, I wished and craved this, until my 5th year. I was then in SS2. 16, with all my hormones shooting left, right and centre, so I desperately needed to be written to. Then I went for a school outing. I was to

Represent my school in a debate competition. We were going to oppose a topic: "single schools are better than mixed schools" ironically, we were opposing against FGBC Garki. Theirs was a single boy's college too. I won the debate for my school being the lead speaker. But that

Was not my only victory. I met Akachineme. Aka was a school mate in primary school. Not like I had a crush on him, but we liked each other as friends and classmates would. He was in FGBC Garki. We were very happy to connect again, and Aka promised to write to me, so that

We can keep in touch. My club members and co debaters were elated at the victory of removing that school, I mean any chance to prove that girls were better than boys, it was an unwritten rivalry. But I had my own personal win. Finally, I get to hear my name called in the middle

Of the dinning hall, for a letter with my name on it. For the next two weeks, I would pay rapid attention in the dinning hall, waiting for my name to be called. Then one Friday, I heard it: "Nkechi Ogbu" hah! I jumped! I almost fell over the bench. I was super excited.

I rushed forward, collected the letter and wasn't even eager to read it. I knew it was from Aka, but I wanted to savour every word in the quiet of the night after lights out. Tick tock, tick tock, I was monitoring the second hand of the clock all through the night prep.

I'm not sure whatever I read that night permeated into my brain. All I wanted to do was read Aka's letter in the quiet of the night, away from the prying eyes of my friends. Then the bell rang. Night prep was over. Oh how I walked to the hostel. To make matters worse, it was

Like the closer I got to the hostel, the further it went. Finally, I arrived my hostel. I washed whatever it was I didn't wash, brushed my teeth, changed into my night dress and waited for Aunty Khadijat to shout in her very thick Yoruba accent:

"Hoya it's light hout, I don't want to ear hany voice" then I entered my blanket, brought out my small torchlight and swam in the words of my very first letter. At the sight of "dear Nkechi", my heart leapt. Then I thought to myself, this must be what James Hardley Chase

Described in his book when he said "her heart was determined to hold on to love, and it didn't matter if she'd spill blood" the remaining words were enqueries about how I was and how my studies were going. It was a beautiful experience, even though I had waited for almost 5years.

I didn't write back, because I didn't want my heart broken. Who knows if Aka would reply my letters? But I was satisfied. Aka, wherever you are, I want you to know that you fulfilled a life longing. Your letter meant a lot.