Dearest
Dearest Loving Donna,
The last few weeks have been the worst few weeks of my life.
I miss you so terribly, so much so I can no longer bear to talk to you or even write to you. as it will cost me my sanity.
I look forward to hearing your voice but I cry when I put the phone down because I know I can't just walk over to your house and visit with you. Here I'd be in Nkomo's hut and that would be embarrassing.
The sadness of not having you near to me is killing me so I've made a decision to let you go.
Please forget me and get on with your life, go to college and do all the things you dreamed of doing. Writing and traveling. Your dreams are important to me ever since I ignored them to give you that damned promise ring
I still love you deeply and I will never love anyone else.
I can only hope that you can eventually forgive me for yet again for breaking your heart, for a third time.
I hope that this time in Africa will be worth while and that I can go to college next year. Maybe if we meet again I can at least explain in person why I am letting you go, even though I still love you, before you kill me.
I know everybody will call me a dumbass for breaking up with you but I cannot see any other way of keeping my sanity and stay in Africa helping these wonderful students to get an education and for me to be able to go to college next year.
I know you will not understand my reasons, but I am so alone and you at least have Bob and our friends around you to support you. Here I have nobody that I can talk to about this and its driving me mad.
Get on with your life and go to college
Your loving Eric
A weeping Jackie puts the already tear stained and crumpled letter back in its envelope, tied the red ribbon back round it and put it back into Donna's nightstand.