Loyal At First Sight ✔️

✨ 27 ✨

ELIJAH

Dear Joey,

Today is your first day of high school and I feel really sad that I'm not there for it. I'm always sad everyday because I miss you always but especially on the big days like today. I hope you're wearing your favorite shirt because it comforts you. I hope Oma packed you a great lunch and I hope that even though I'm not there like the first day of kindergarten you'll be okay.

I won't start highschool until January so you are a few months ahead of me. It's okay though, I was always smarter than you so I'll catch up fast.

I hope you make friends, don't just sit quietly in the corner. You're a bright light that deserves to shine on the world.

I can't afford to mail these letters but I hope that one day I'll be able to give them to you in person if you can forgive me for leaving you.

I miss you and I will love you always. Have a great first day.

With all my love, little mouse.

I reread the short letter just like I did with most of the others, laughing or frowning depending on what she had written.

I had worn my favorite shirt on my first day of high school just like I always did at the beginning of every school year. My grandma had packed me lunch but I'd not eaten it. I didn't make any friends on that first day because I had been alone, bitter and angry. I survived though and as soon as I'd joined the football team I'd started making friends. She was right about being smarter than me, there was no doubt about that.

"I love you too and I missed you everyday."I whispered to myself like I did after reading every letter because she ended all of them the same way.

I set the letter down and picked up another one.

I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom surrounded by all the letters Maya had given me the previous day. I had started reading them as soon as I'd arrived home from dropping her off and I hadn't stopped. She had written me hundreds of letters for the last eight years so I had a lot to read. Maya had written a card for every important holiday, from new years to new years eve and all days in between. There were letters for my birthday, my first days of school, my family's birthdays, literally every day that was significant in my life.

There were letter for important days in her life too, like her birthday, national holidays or her parents death. The letters were like an eight year old journal to me for the time we were apart.

I had only slept for a few hours before getting up and reading more letters. I had cried over some of them, laughed with her and been angry at her too. I felt like I was watching her life through the letters. She had made me a part of every single part of her life even if I hadn't been there with her.

All the letters were numbered and had the dates they were written on them so it was easy to keep up.

Dear Joey,

I'm really sad today. My heart is broken and I can barely breath but mama said that I should write to you because writing to you always makes me feel better.

Today mama and I were sitting outside after I'd just come from school when the police and my dad's boss came. They told us that papa had died at work. I didn't hear everything because mama started screaming and she passed out. I wanted to scream and cry too but I had to be strong for mama.

My papa died today Joey and its all my fault. He has been working relentlessly ever since we came back to Nigeria to give me and mama a good life and he overworked himself.