Chika woke up to the sobs of his mother in the ward. He tried to reach for her face to wipe her tears but he felt a sharp pain. A drip was attached to his left arm. He sighed.
"Mother what happened? Why am I in a hospital? "
"Just rest Chi nwam, doctor said it's just rest you need."
" I was with a wedding card mama, the card-"
He cut short his statement as his mother pointed at the card on the table beside his bed.
A good Samaritan brought him to the hospital when he collapsed in the middle of the road. He spent three days in the hospital.
On the way home from the hospital, his mother drove. The envelope was lying on the dashboard. He glanced at his mother and sighed. He couldn't be mad at her.
Even though she told him she did not know about Trustlin's wedding, he wondered if he was not expecting too much of the woman.
What widow in the world would call his only son, far away at camp in Oyo, to tell him the great love of his life, his laughter was getting married to another man.
He picked up the envelope and decided to take another look at the card before tearing it up.
As he fiddled with the envelope angrily, he discovered a letter was in it too, with the wedding invitation card.
The enthusiasm with which he opened the letter surprised him. He had underrated how much a man desired a reason to hold on to.
"My laughter,
I hope you have the heart to open this letter. My heart breaks as I pen these words but I know I have no right to say that to you, considering what you know by now.
I got married to our former classmate Matti, at his father, Chief Akubueze's behest. He is rich, handsome and from a good family.
I don't care for him or any of that, it's you my heart beats for.
Remember my brother who has been in jail for over ten years now, without trial. Chief Akubueze promised to facilitate his release if I marry his son. Hmmm.
I was not pressured, I decided to do it, willingly. My laughter, It is the only chance we had to free my brother.
My mother needs a source of joy since father died, unable to secure my brother's release.
You know he is her only son and where we come from, the worth of a woman can never be the same with that of a man.
My laughter, forgive my digression you know how hard it is for me to express my emotions. This one is a particularly difficult one, talking about something else is so easy, but the white elephant in the room must be addressed.
I cannot live without your laughter, I may yet attempt to,if you forgive me. I would understand if you do not.
My brother came to the wedding, I should be happy but i'm not.
This letter is taking me days to complete. I'm not sure what to say but living here with another man, Just for a few days, I know one thing, I will never laugh again, I had laughter and I lost laughter, no, I let laughter go.
It is clear to me now my laughter, I can't live without you. I found the conclusion to this letter, my first ever letter to you.
When you get this letter, I will wait two days and if you do not call me, I will assume laughter won't forgive me. I will free myself of this burden, for if my laughter won't forgive me, there is no need to try anymore.
Even if you don't forgive me, please call this a love letter, not a suicide note. Remember my laughter:
"I'd love you even if I was blind, if I was dead, know I died loving you. No one else but you. "
Your laughter"
Chika was almost convulsing with shock in the car, he grabbed his Mother's purse and took out her phone. It's been three days since he got the letter and she said two days, -oh God, I hope she hasn't done anything stupid.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he dialed her number repeatedly but no response.
"Turn mother!!! Take me to her house. Take me to her mother."
His mum turned around and drove towards the house.
He kept dialing the number but no response still.
* * * * *
He dove out of the his mum's car as she pulled over in front of Trustlin's house.
Disbelief shielded his grief as he walked past the crowd outside the flat.
He walked closer to the flat, opened the door and saw her mother. She was on a mat, she wore black Bubba and wrapper. Everyone in the compound wore black. She was flanked on both sides by women almost her age. They consoled her as she wailed.
He felt his heart stop and his legs slowly giving way. He was almost on the floor when someone caught him.
The person bore an uncanny resemblance with Trustlin.
It was Timothy, Trustlin's Elder brother. He wondered if it was worth it.
She sacrificed her love for him, and sacrificed herself for his love.
He could make no sense of it.
End.
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