I Will Always Write Back

When Martin receives Caitlin’s letter, he is surprised to find two $20 bills enclosed. Layoffs continue to grow worse at his father’s job, so Martin’s family is grateful to have Caitlin’s money to help them. In July, Martin’s father’s paycheck can no longer cover the month’s rent, so they turn to Caitlin’s money to make up the remaining amount.

Meanwhile, Martin continues to try to catch up with his lessons at school, taking as many as nine classes. One winter break, Martin stays with his uncle in Harare so that he can work as a teaboy at the bank where his cousin’s husband was employed. When he meets his cousin, Sekai, and her husband, Alois, at a coffee shop, he is in awe of the fast-paced city life, which is very different from Mutare. Sekai and Alois tell Martin that he is very clever. They advise him, “Keep your grades up and go on to your A-levels so you can go to university like we did. Then you can do whatever you want” (127). With the money that Martin earns as a teaboy, he buys a card for Caitlin, thanking her for her friendship.

When Martin returns home to Mutare from his uncle’s place that winter break, he discovers that his father has lost his job.