A letter to the post man

We were interrupted by Carl and Alex. They asked Alex for forgiveness, and to my surprise, Alex seemed cool with them. I didn't know who gave them the right to always come to us, but they eventually started showing up whenever Alex, Carl, and I were hanging out.

Alex and Carl were okay with them, and before I knew it, they became part of our circle of friends. I remained skeptical, though.

My crush on Carl grew, and I couldn't deny it anymore. I was falling in love with him.

There was only a month left before the seniors graduated and moved on to tertiary school. Carl had to attend prom, and I knew he'd choose a girl who was stunning. I would die of a broken heart, seeing him with someone else.

I was still in my second year when, one day, I was in the library studying when Carl came over and asked me to be his date to prom. I was in shock—happy, surprised, and thrilled all at once. Of course, I said yes.

My brother took Lisa to the prom, and Geynie was asked by another boy.

The day of prom arrived. Carl got me a long black sparkling dress that matched my Snow White skin and curvy figure perfectly. My mom offered to do my makeup, and I looked like a goddess, just like her.

Carl couldn't take his eyes off me, and I could see that I wasn't the only one who noticed—every other guy at the prom was staring too.

Geynie wore a white sleeveless dress with a diamond necklace, which made her look even more angelic. Lisa wore a simple gold gown.

During the prom, we danced slowly. Carl looked at me, but this time, there was a different spark in his eyes. He took me aside for a while and offered me a drink. He cleared his throat, and I remember every word he said like a vow:

"Reina, you look absolutely beautiful today. Not just today, you always look beautiful, but I don't want to hide my feelings anymore. I really think I love you. Please, give me a chance to love you the right way."

I couldn't turn down his offer. I knew I had liked Carl long before he confessed.

So I said, "Yes, yes, I will be your girl. I want you to love me the right way."

And that was the start of our love story.

Carl graduated shortly after, and I was still in my second year. He would always show up after class and treat me like a queen. I was deeply in love.

Alex was never fully happy about our relationship, but since it made me happy, he accepted it.

Finally, I reached my third year, and I couldn't wait to spend most of my time with Carl. He was literally the perfect boy every girl needed in her life—and he was mine.

My Carl .

Nothing could take Carl away from me. I always daydreamed about our wedding, how our kids would inherit his intelligence and not mine—and I'd laugh it off. Alex would be going to parties thrown in honor of the graduates, complex, extravagant parties. But I couldn't. I had to study and pass my tests to graduate as well.

Carl promised me that he wouldn't go to any party until I completed mine, so he could go with me. I trusted him completely. I knew my guy—he was a man of his word.

I asked Alex if he had seen Carl at any of their parties, but he said he hadn't. That only made me trust Carl more.

One day, I was reading in the library on the outskirts of town when Carl came to me with a bouquet of flowers. I blushed so hard. We spoke quietly in the library, and he leaned closer, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. He excused himself to go to the bathroom.

I continued reading, but then a notification on his phone caught my eye. It was a message from Geynie. She was saying how fun last night was and how many parties they had been to.

I was boiling with rage. I didn't know how to process what I had just found out. When Carl returned, I told him that I was done reading and that we should head back.

On our way home, I asked him why he had lied to me. I had seen the message about the parties, and while I wasn't against him going to parties, I couldn't understand why he had lied to me about it.

He told me to calm down, that he had a good explanation. Carl explained, "Geynie has been texting me nonstop, trying to get me to go to parties with her. I've avoided most of them, but she always finds ways to trick me into going. The last time, she pretended to be in trouble, so I rushed to save her, only to find out it was all a setup to lure me to another party."

I knew Carl was a kind man and that he would always protect and help others, even someone like Geynie. So, I forgave him and told him never to lie to me again.

The next few months passed in a blur of studying and book knowledge. One afternoon, when my mom was in a good mood, I decided it was the perfect time to talk to her about Carl. I was getting older, after all.

"18 is not just a young age," my mom exclaimed. She said Carl was a good guy and that she wasn't against it, but she advised me to be strong and brace myself for whatever might come next. She reminded me that not all that glitters is gold.

I knew she was speaking from experience. Oh, how I hated my father for what he had done to my poor mom. She had been suffering from high blood pressure ever since that betrayal.

Just two more months—two more months and I would also be a graduate. Little did I know, these two months would become the longest and most dreaded months of my life.

Alex helped me study, and so did Carl. When there was just one month left before my exams, Carl told me he was traveling with his father and would return after six weeks. I was devastated, but he reassured me that he would always be just a text message away.

I studied hard for the rest of the week, but one rainy day, I was singing in my room when I received a text from Geynie. I wanted to ignore it, but there was a picture attached, and my curiosity got the best of me.

I opened the image. What I saw shocked me to the core. I sat there, unmoving, numb. I blinked, and then tears started falling. There, in front of me, was Carl—my Carl, my love, my man—kissing Geynie so desperately, so affectionately. I couldn't say it was Geynie luring him anymore.

She kept sending me more pictures, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I laid my phone down and couldn't remember anything after that.

I stayed indoors for days, skipping classes. My mom was worried sick. She asked me what was wrong, and I showed her the pictures Geynie had sent me, along with their countless love messages. Carl kept texting me, but I didn't respond or tell him about what I had seen.

One day, I finally texted him, telling him we were done for good. I was heartbroken. My mom consoled me, telling me to be strong and focus on the exam. She promised to bake me my favorite cake once it was over.

Alex was furious with Carl, but he kept his cool. He was always the one with the calm temper.

The day of the exam arrived, and I was fully prepared mentally. I sat in the exam hall, wrote it so well, and felt so relieved. It felt easy because I had studied hard.

Alex waited for me outside the school until I finished. I was so excited to tell my mom about how well it went. I ran to Alex and hugged him tightly for the first time. He was actually shocked by my new behavior, but I didn't care. I told him the exam had gone well.

He was so happy; I could tell. He told me that mom had gone to the market to get some things for my cake because she knew I'd pass and do well. I called my mom, and as soon as she picked up, I started yelling joyfully into the phone. She giggled on the other end.

I told her how much I was going to study from now on, how I would be a successful woman. I also told her I would never marry.

"Oh, how she laughed," I thought. Then, suddenly, I heard loud noises—something crashing. "Mom!" I yelled, but there was no answer.

Alex grabbed the phone from me and kept calling out, "Mom! Mom!" Then, finally, she replied, but it sounded like a voice note.

She said, "Children, do not worry if anything happens to mommy. You should know I love you guys. Don't forget to pick your little sister from school. And Alex, take care of your sisters, guide them to do right. Reina, don't say you wouldn't marry. You'd be the other woman if you do. Love, love, love, and love until your heart aches. Never do wrong. And tell Archie I love her."

Then the line went silent. Alex and I stood there, crying in front of the school. We ran to the hospital as fast as we could.

There, she lay. The doctor told us she passed just a minute before we arrived. We sobbed even harder.

I looked into Alex's eyes, and I knew what he was thinking. He blamed me. He didn't talk to me for days. Archie refused to eat.

We held a small burial for our mom. My father came, his eyes red from tears. He spoke to us, saying he wanted to take care of us now. Alex, in no uncertain terms, told him he didn't need his help. I said the same.

He took Archie with him.

Alex and I went home, but he refused to speak to me. I knew he blamed me for our mother's sudden death. I blamed myself too.

Days turned into months. Alex couldn't seem to get a grip on himself. He hated me so much, and I didn't know how to cope with it. He couldn't attend university, so he worked hard at mom's restaurant. His food wasn't as good as mom's, but it helped make ends meet.

I was alone in this world. My only brother refused to talk to me. He acted as if I didn't exist.

I fell into depression. I decided to end my life—at least the pain would stop. I didn't know who to trust anymore. I had passed my exams, but for what? The person I loved the most was gone.

I sat for hours, thinking of my mom and the happy moments we shared, back when we were the Sylvester family. Her beautiful face. Her cooking skills, which could bring life to even the most weary soul.

I smiled as I stood up, determined. I walked briskly to the mountainous side of town, where I had decided to end it all.

I climbed up the hill and stood there for a while, closing my eyes. I took slow steps toward the edge of the cliff, knowing that it wouldn't be long before I fell and everything would be over.

But just as I was about to take that final step, a strong arm grabbed me from behind and held me firmly. I tried to break free, protesting.

"Are you crazy?" the voice said.