With Love, Elena

4

Elena was truly amazing!

Through her letters, Charles got to know a lot more about her and truth be told, he was falling for someone he had never even met.

Elena was a farm girl, born and raised on a farm where she was home schooled until she turned 18. Then after, she was sent away to go and study to become a nurse and now she worked at Vaal Hospital.

When Charles enquired from a colleague about Vaal Hospital, he was surprised to find that it was a hospital for mainly black people and poor white people because they did not have to pay too much to see the doctor and get medicine.

He had talked to Osam about it. "Man, she works with black people. Willingly."

Osam understood where he came from. Charles had barely interacted with the blacks because in this area he grew in, the blacks were very countable, mostly being cleaners and servants. He had not been exposed to black culture and bringing his conservative family into the picture, one could only picture what Charles was like.

Osam had grown up among the poor whites who lived in the same communities as the blacks until he got a job on the rich side of the community. He had completely discarded his poor mannerismd and started becoming snobby, trying to assimilate into the rich and classy suburbs where Charles grew up. And he had completely done a 180°, now a full on white ginger haired man, moving his entire family from the poor area he had grown in.

"Charlie, if you like her, does it matter that she works in a mostly black community?"

"I mean...I don't know how to feel about it. If she's my wife, my family will be against her working on that side of-"

"What about you, Charlie? Will you be against it?"

"Yes."

Osam chuckled. "Have you ever considered, even once, that she might be black?"

Charles looked affronted. "Not possible. I mean...her writing, the way she writes english-"

"Anyone can write english, Charlie."

"You heard from the letter, she said she was fair, with black curly hair and curves to die for. She...she sounds learned, Osam."

Osam looked at him with a furrowed brow. "But what if she turned out to be black, Charles? I mean it's not many white women with curves to die for and Vaal City...that's a mostly black region."

"Well..." Charles was stuck. He really liked Elena and everything she had portrayed so far. He didn't know what he would do if she was a black woman. "We'll figure it out."

"Alright. Anyway, you've been wanting to meet this mystery woman so set up a meeting."

Charles took a deep breath. "Alright. I am going to call her now."

Osam laughed. "You have had her number this whole time?!"

"I've just been afraid to call her." Charles dialled the number on a piece of paper before him, turning the knob a few times. "Hello?"

"Hello, who am I talking to?" a soft elderly voice answered in a heavy accent.

"Good afternoon ma'am," Charles said, swallowing thickly. "You're speaking to Charles Francis. I am looking for Elena Tour."

"Son, it's pronounced two-ray."

Charles heard the woman yelling in a foreign language and some time later the phone was picked up by someone who was slightly laughing.

"Elena Touré, how can I help you?"

Charles' voice got stuck. Elena sounded angelic, even with her heavy accent which he could not place. He gestured for Osam to answer because he had just gotten tongue tied but Osam refused.