LETTERS OF DEATHUpdated at Aug 13, 2025, 09:07
Chance and Melanie, after getting married, went on their honeymoon. When they arrived at their home, they found the body of a young man who had loved Melanie but whom Melanie had rejected. Shocked and confused, Chance and Melanie immediately called the security forces. The police investigated and found fingerprints of both Chance and Melanie on the young man’s clothes. They denied the crime they were accused of, but their denials were in vain. They were arrested, and the judge sentenced them to 30 days of provisional detention so that the investigation could continue.While in prison, Chance felt deeply hopeless, wondering about their trial. One day, he met an old friend named Ruzirampuhwe. By luck, he discovered that this friend worked in the national prison service. He told him about his story and explained that his wife was imprisoned in the women’s prison. The friend agreed to help deliver a letter to Melanie. Without hesitation, Chance wrote a letter filled with longing and gave it to Ruzirampuhwe.When Melanie received the letter, she was overjoyed, full of relief and excitement to hear from her husband. She replied, sharing her own news and telling him she was doing well. The two began exchanging letters regularly, comforting each other in their sorrow and sharing updates about their lives in prison.One day, Melanie was visited in prison by a woman named Muhoza, who showed her photos of herself and a man she had slept with while they were away for training. This reminded Chance that Muhoza had once loved him. The thought that someone who had once loved him might have betrayed him without his knowledge filled him with grief. He wrote to Melanie expressing his anger and asking for an explanation.Chance explained himself, and together they began to question Muhoza’s behavior. They suspected she might have framed them, and with the help of their lawyers, they tried to find evidence. However, when they went to court, they lost the case. Although they were defeated, the trial ended with them being sentenced to ten years in prison.Despite the heavy sentence, Chance was cheered when he received a letter from his wife telling him he had become a better man. In her reply, Melanie revealed she was pregnant and worried about giving birth to their child in prison. This increased Chance’s determination to dig into why their case was so difficult. Eventually, he discovered that their own lawyers were part of the conspiracy against them.They decided to change lawyers. But just as Chance was making that decision, he was shocked to receive a letter from Melanie accusing him of betrayal. He was even more stunned to realize the letter was influenced by her lawyer, who had convinced Melanie that her husband had set her up. The evidence this lawyer gave Melanie made her trust him and created division between her and Chance.Melanie stopped writing to Chance. He sent many letters, but she never replied. Ruzirampuhwe kept delivering the letters, but still, no response came. The two met again in court for the appeal of their ten-year sentence, and Melanie began accusing her husband of possibly killing the man.Chance was stunned and heartbroken, unable to find words to defend himself. The trial was postponed before he could say a single word. He returned to prison in despair, and even though his friend tried to comfort him, it was in vain. The new lawyer brought evidence showing that Melanie herself had killed the young man, but Chance refused to believe it.They started exchanging letters again, but this time the messages were filled with hopelessness, grief, and accusations of betrayal. Chance began to doubt whether the child Melanie was carrying was even his. This made Melanie furious, and she stopped writing to him completely. They were left waiting for their next court date.