Dear Samson,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. How are your guys or brothers as you like to call them? No casualties I hope. This is the third letter I'm drafting and hopefully, I won't tear this one too, lol.
I held your hands, looked into your eyes, and promised to be strong till you got back. If only I could take that moment back, my response would have been different. I know you are fighting for your fatherland, but I never expected it to hit me this hard.
Just yesterday, I looked into the calendar and I realized it's been six months since you've gone. It feels like 6 years or 60 years. I'm a mess without you, and I'm certain you would be without me too.
I miss all the fun things we used to do together, the shopping cleaning, gossiping even fighting ourselves but never letting it last. Just the other day, I was dressed for work and rushed down the stairs to grab my morning coffee. Only there was no coffee, I forgot that you were not around, you used to make my coffee. I miss having to snuggle up to you in the middle of the night under the guise of the weather being cold. You are a gentleman.
Oh! Before I forget, I ran into Uncle Jimmy yesterday evening at the mall. Not the Uncle Jimmy, your mother's distant cousin, but the neighborhood Uncle Jimmy, and guess what? He's getting married again for the 6th time. Ah! Ah! Ah! It took all my self-restraint to not burst out in laughter. The old guy is 86 already, and he can barely walk, what does he need another wife for at this stage? It's none of my business though, I just thought you would want to know seeing how he was like an uncle to you growing up.
The uncles and aunts in the hood are doing crazy things these days. It was just the other day that Aunt Lorna, the neighborhood gossip out of Goshen Street eloped with a fine gentleman, 30 years younger than she is. According to her, she fell in love with the tall, fair-skinned guy with close-cropped hair, piercing blue eyes, pink lips, the kind that makes us ladies swoon, and God you should have seen his abs, well chiseled and designed. The man makes the adjective, "hot" seem like a joke. Almost every female tripped when they saw the fitness instructor in Lorna's arms. Not me though, I only have eyes for you and that's for life. You could tell what made Lorna fall for him, but what made him fall for a 74-year-old woman who was dying of cancer and fighting to see the next day? Bam! You nailed it. Just what I thought too, her property. All he has to do is to wed her and wait for her to die. Human beings can be so cruel. We might be wrong though but it's a tough sell.
How about I chip in some good news in between all the madness that has been happening down here? I finally got a book deal, I can picture you smiling already and don't say you told me so, you don't need to gloat.
Three different publishing companies offered me a contract each and I took the best one. I'm so excited, it's going to be so much fun. I couldn't have done this without your motivation and encouragement, you rock babe.
Oh! And by the way, there are some new players in town. They just opened a casino and our town has never been busier, almost everyone says it's the place to be, but I consider it a den of iniquity. The owner has shifty eyes, the kind of shifty eyes you always used to say are cunning and I don't trust that his hands are clean. I have a feeling he's running illegal dealings under the guise of running a casino.
I have half a mind to go there and see for myself. Yes, I know, I'll back off. It's funny how you always exercise caution instead of tackling it head-on, despite being in the army. I'm not complaining though, you are the diplomatic level-headed one and I wouldn't change that trait in you for anything else. I love you just that way.
I have errands to run tomorrow, grocery shopping and stuff. I slept in today, so I decided to write you before getting off to sleep I'll stop by after church tomorrow to get it sorted. If you were here, it would have been you doing everything.
I got to go, babe. Sleep is calling. I guess it's safe to say I won't be tearing up this draft, I got everything I wanted to down already. By the way, you never did finish telling me the story of the village boy who stepped on a landmine. I'll love to hear it while you have got the chance. It's really serious work you do down there, and I thank you for serving your country, everyone does too.
I know you are going to be down there in Mogadishu for another six months, but I take solace in the fact that you are fighting the good fight. Hang in there and come back home for me in one piece. I love you so much, my gallant soldier man. I'm blowing you as many kisses as you can imagine. My regards to your teammates. This baby is out sir! (Salute.) Lol.
Your baby,
Karen.
IMAGE CREDITS BY ME.