I Will Always Write Back

Toward the end of 1998, conditions continue to grow worse for Martin’s family. As Martin’s parents struggle to make enough money to sustain the family, Martin’s father has resorted to drinking more after work. This leads to more frequent arguments between Martin’s mother and father. One day, before an important exam at school, Martin’s parents get into an argument about not having enough money to pay for Martin to take his exam. The exam fee costs one Zimbabwean dollar. Martin’s friend, Nyasha, offers Martin money to take the exam, which he accepts.

As Martin’s parents struggle to feed their children at home, Martin’s brother, Simba, has been bullying children at school in order to obtain food. When the school reprimands Martin’s parents for permitting this behavior, they feel immense shame for not being able to feed their children enough. At home, they beat Simba for his behavior at school, something which they rarely do to their children. They start to feed Simba an extra serving of sadza every morning, but Simba is still envious of the different food his classmates get to eat at school.

In the past, Martin’s father has been able to pay school fees by borrowing money from his neighbors and people at work and using the family stereo as collateral. Martin learns that his father had borrowed money from a neighbor to pay for the photographer to take his photograph. On the day before Christmas, the neighbor comes by to collect his debt. Since Martin’s father can’t pay him, he has to give up the family’s beloved stereo.

At the start of the school semester in January 1999, Martin’s parents have a big fight in the middle of the night over their inability to pay for Martin’s school fees, which are due the next day. Martin’s father leaves while his mother cries. The next morning, Martin quietly leaves for school without any money to pay for the semester. He hopes that no one will notice that he has not paid his fees. At the start of class, he and the other students who have not paid their school fees are told by the headmaster to leave. This pains Martin, as he loves school and has plans to gain a scholarship to college. He does not know how to relay this news to Caitlin, as he does not have money for postage.

A month passes by with no letter from Martin. Caitlin begins to worry that Martin has grown tired of her. After some time, Caitlin’s mother expresses worry that worsening conditions in Zimbabwe may be affecting Martin’s livelihood. She mentions to Caitlin that the economy is failing in Zimbabwe and food costs are rising. That night, Caitlin watches a BBC News special about conditions in Zimbabwe and begins to worry that Martin is dead. She cries and misses school the next day, as she is filled with worry about him. She tells her parents that they need to help Martin. She writes to Martin, expressing that she is worried about him and hopes that he will write back to let her know he’s okay.

On the day Martin is expelled from school for not being able to pay school fees, his brother, Nation, tries to cheer him up, but Martin is too worried about how he can catch up with his lessons and pass his exams to go to university. He goes with his friend, Peter, to the market, to see if he can earn some money doing odd jobs. He makes some money helping people put their heavy luggage on buses. However, the work is exhausting, and he is only able to make a few dollars, which he gives to his mother at the end of the day.

Seeing how unhappy Martin is, his father tells him to go to school and let the administrators know that he will pay them the next week. Martin is elated and goes to school the next day. When the school financial manager approaches him for his school fee, Martin tells him what his father has said. However, the financial manager will not let him continue with his classes without receipt of payment. Dejected, Martin leaves.

Martin tries to make money selling juice with his friend, Peter. The job seems to be going well until he spies his classmate, William. William has more resources than he does and does not have to worry about paying for school. Overcome with shame that William will see him selling juice, Martin leaves the job early that day.

Martin is also overcome with guilt for not having expressed the direness of his situation to Caitlin. He finds a discarded ice cream wrapper and writes a letter to Caitlin that explains his circumstances. With the money he has made at his odd jobs, he pays for the postage to send the letter to her.