OVER TEN YEARS.

 

Writing letters became the order of my day.

I do believe that people change but I also believe that love never dies.
I loved her and she loved me. Most of the time we quarreled but we always found a way to walk over it.

After college Jane told me she was leaving Australia to continue her study in Nigeria. I couldn't stop her, I couldn't go either. I had nothing in Nigeria for me.
Still, Jane had to go.

At the terminal point Jane asked me "Tom are we ever going be together forever?" I looked at her passionately with a sour heart as tears streamed down my eyes, I held her closely and I said “one day I would come get you and marry you".
Jane and I used to chat via Facebook and sometimes when i get 50 box from my dad I would call her.

I recall when I got grounded by my dad a week after Jane left for using his Skype credit all night till it was exhausted. Being grounded was the least punishment i could get for spending time with Jane.

One Friday afternoon, I received a mail.
I had anticipated it. Jane had helped me apply for a job in a nearby clinic.
So, yes I got the per time job at the clinic and I wanted to tell her but her phone was switched  off all day.

How unusual.

I became a little worried. I sent a message to her, telling her that I am ready to come over to spend time with her in Nigeria that all I needed was her address, hoping she was just trying to get me to come to Nigeria.
But I guess I was wrong. I thought a little more just maybe she wasn't allowed to access her Facebook anymore so I decided to mail her yet there was no reply. I cried.

I told my dad that I was losing my mind. He fatherly advised me saying "in life, people change and become different and all we have is to be strong and become who we have always wanted to be"

I love Jane.

Precisely 2nd of February 1989 as at 3:25am while i was surfing the internet looking for schools to further my study, I saw pictures of Jane on Facebook and I thought she probably did not have my time. I decide to focus on my career for three years so I abandoned Facebook to pursue my career.

When I was done with school I realized it’s been four years since I last spoke to Jane. Then again I decided to try her number and send several mails but to no avail. On a Saturday night while I was still at work, Rachael an old friend of ours walked into the clinic seeking medical attention. After I had attended to her as we chatted I asked Rachael “how’s Jane?"
"Jane is.. Jane is back in Nigeria"
Before I could lead another question Rachael wrote in a piece of paper Jane's address and said " This should help" as she walked away.

When I got back home I decided to send letters every day in a year to the address I was given and I did that for another 6 years telling her how I missed her and that I hadn't forgotten my promise to marry her although she wouldn't reply I still love her and that if I had offended her I was sorry.

Hungry for the end of the month pay; I jumped as my phone beeped. I had gotten an alert on my phone.
Sadly it wasn't the month's pay.
But surprisingly it was a Facebook notification. A good looking guy as old as me posted a picture of her saying "I miss you darling"
 I concluded judgmentally. oh! she probably is in love with someone else.

My phone beeped!
Sweating profusely with a raging fist I looked at the phone. This time the end of the month's pay had come in.
Without a second thought I got a ticket to take me to Nigeria to find my Jane. When I got to the address I used to send all those letters to, I saw all my letters in the mail box.

I knocked and her mum opened her door.
I could almost just let her go at that point, and never think of her no matter how hard it was going to be. But yet I asked "where is Jane" and her mum said she died ten years ago.
Before I could count how many words I have in my name I had dashed to the nearest bus stop took a taxi to the airport and traveled back to Australia and said to me "this must be a silly Joke!"