LOGINHe raised himself to a sitting position and glared at his mother. A more convenient way to commit suicide rather than being stucked in the snow. He hopes his mom is not assuming and conceiving something filthy in her heart.
“You think I'm talking nonsense right, Andre? You deliberately went out into the snow and threw your jacket away because you know I wouldn't let you step out without it. You deceived me and went out to die in the snow. Have you no pity for me? Are you so selfish that you only thought of yourself when you made your decision to end your existence because Jasmine jilted you? You wanted to commit suicide right? Fine you are allowed to do it but before then, you'll have to watch me die first” Alice stuttered. She picked up the knife on the tray and placed it on her neck, “watch me die, Andre then after that, you'll commit suicide just this way. It's simple and fast. It's better than doing it in the snow” Alice seethed. “Stop it mom, I didn't try to do something silly like that. How can I do that and leave you in so much pain, mom. I love you mom, don't hurt yourself don't, make me add sorrow on my broken heart. Please don't do anything to yourself” Andre pleaded. Why would he do something silly as committing suicide because Jasmine betrayed him? Only losers do that. He has life ahead of him and a mother to look after. How can committing suicide ever be an option? “Please Aunt, don't do this. It's late, it's Christmas eve. Don't do anything silly to yourself. Please?” Felix persuaded and walked gently towards Alice. The older woman brought her hand down and started sobbing. Of course she wouldn't do anything like that. She only wants Andre to know that if he does anything silly, he'd only leave her to suffer. But she heard him say he loves her. “Promise me Andre, promise me that you will not hurt yourself?” Alice asked, sniffling. She had thought she would lose her son when Felix brought him home, cold and stiffened. She thought his blood was frozen and his jacket was not on him. She called the doctor and Felix assisted in making fire in his room. They were all scared until they heard him sneeze. What if he passed away without anyone knowing? Thank goodness that he informed Felix through a phone call about his whereabouts. “I promise, mother,” Andre said and enveloped his mother in a hug. Just then, the chapel bell rang. It's time to come over for the Christmas eve celebration. In a certain presidential Villa, a slender woman was seated by the balcony, covered herself with a thick. She stood looking out at the bustling city on a Christmas eve, it's late but it doesn't seem to be. The whole city was lit up. Fire crackers going up into the sky, the jingles rending the air and the smiles of love on everyone's face. She'd not really been a fan of the Christmas celebrations or all of that. She likes her world. Go to the chapel on the 25th for the morning mass, take the sacrament and return home. What's the big deal celebrating a baby born over two thousand millennium ago? Her thoughts were interrupted by her assistant “ma'am, there's still no trace of that man. No one seems to know him nor recognise who owned the jacket…” he reported. “Could that mean that he's alive?” She mumbled silently under her breath. She'd been restless when she returned. That young man helped them out without considering his wellbeing. He didn't think about himself when he worked in the snow to help them. “I don't know what you think we should do ma'am?” Her assistant asked. He'd been in the place with the range rover a few times already, asked neighbors and passersby but no one seemed to know him nor recognise that jacket. “Go to the various hospitals, search for him there if there's any emergency case of any sort. And leave your contact in case such comes around” She instructed. There's no way that young man will not be needing medical help. The least that can happen is pneumonia. He would be found in one of the hospitals. She wants to reciprocate his kindness in the best way possible. Good people should be appreciated. “How about I check the morgue? Who knows what might have happened to him” he suggested with a shrug. That dude might not have survived it. He saw him shivering, his teeth shattering and his body already getting pale back then. “Are you a fool?” She demanded, in a tone of irritation. Someone helped them and all he could think about is perhaps he is dead? Why should a place like a morgue ever occur to him? “Yes, people think I am” he replied and continued “And my suggestion brewed from my concerned mind. I might get there now and find him there lying peacefully. I'll give his family the jacket and thank them for the kindness of their son. That way, your conscience will be at ease. This jacket is the only way we can get him. I'll tell them he helped us and forgot his jacket nearby…” he was saying when she interrupted him. “I have zero tolerance for fools, Gregory. You don't know me? How dare you display your foolishness before me? You'll get lost from my sight and bear this in mind that the next time you act stupid before me, I'll have your fingers chopped and fed to the dogs. Now give me the hospital report before night falls or consider yourself fired!” She thundered.He raised himself to a sitting position and glared at his mother. A more convenient way to commit suicide rather than being stucked in the snow. He hopes his mom is not assuming and conceiving something filthy in her heart. “You think I'm talking nonsense right, Andre? You deliberately went out into the snow and threw your jacket away because you know I wouldn't let you step out without it. You deceived me and went out to die in the snow. Have you no pity for me? Are you so selfish that you only thought of yourself when you made your decision to end your existence because Jasmine jilted you? You wanted to commit suicide right? Fine you are allowed to do it but before then, you'll have to watch me die first” Alice stuttered. She picked up the knife on the tray and placed it on her neck, “watch me die, Andre then after that, you'll commit suicide just this way. It's simple and fast. It's better than doing it in the snow” Alice seethed. “Stop it mom, I didn't
For the next two days, Andre didn't step out. His mom had cried, begging him to step out and take something but he wouldn't answer. Felix also came with his girlfriend Lisa and did the same but Andre will not talk to anyone. On the third day, Andre stepped out, his wounds getting healed but needed to be treated again. Alice saw him and she gasped, it's Christmas eve and he stepped out. May the blessings of this season wash away his pains and replace them with happiness untold. “Andre my son” Alice chimed and went to hug him. But he was cold, he didn't wrap his arms around her as expected. Alice didn't feel offended, she placed her hands on his shoulder and saw how emaciated he'd become. His eyes were red and hollow and his lips were dry like a malnourished child. “Why are you doing this to yourself Andre. Jasmine is happy with her marriage to another man. If you keep hurting yourself besides the one she'd inflicted on you, you'll make her feel she owns your breath a
“Andre! Son?” Alice called but he just hugged her and sniffled before walking past her into his room. Alice turned herself and watched his retreating back view, how will he take it? She only glanced back at Felix when Andre disappeared from sight. Her tears ran down her cheeks. She already knew something was wrong, Regina had made her guess; her daughter had been married off to another man. “I'm sorry Aunt, that I couldn't stop the wedding” Felix said with a reddened eyes. Andre had sacrificed everything for love and relationship. He could slit his throat if that would make Jasmine satisfied and what did she think? She said he was blind to reality all his life. Alice nodded and sniffled before saying “Thank you for bringing him home to me” he doesn't need to tell her, she knows he must have pulled Andre from that venue with difficulty. For the rest of that day, Andre didn't step out of his room. He was broken. Why would she do this to him? He was working hard to me
Pregnant? How can Jasmine be pregnant with Patrick's child when they were still together two days ago and made love? Oh yes, that's possible, he'd never made love to her without protection. Was she getting involved with Patrick while she was still with him? “You're an ingrate Jasmine. You're a wicked woman. Only now you remember your future needs to be secured? Andre works hard to pay your tuition fee through the university, he could have saved those large amounts of money, securing his own future. Andre now lives with a single kidney, he gave you one and he wasn't thinking about his future when he donated his kidney to you. Twice, he'd given your mother his blood in transfusion and paid all your hospital bills, leaving him without savings. He takes two jobs, sometimes three to meet your needs and that of your life along with his own. His future was left unattended because he was ensuring you are fine. Now you think he doesn't have an identity? He doesn't
Andre returned from the night shift, his teeth shattering. It's the height of the cold season, the snow was dropping and he felt like he was going to freeze. His heavily insulated snow pants kept him warm but not enough to spare him from the cold. His hood shielded his face by protecting his head and neck. He needed to do this third job to meet up with the demands of his fiancée. Christmas was in a couple of days and finally, he'd done with the job for the month. He adjusts the water heater before turning the shower on. He heard his phone ringing in the bedroom but was not in a hurry to answer it. He took his time before stepping out of the bathroom. His mom had prepared a hot coffee for him, he saw it placed by his bedside, the aroma of black coffee filled the entire room, the steam of it writhing away. He chose another outfit with a zipper pocket and head warmer as he took a sip from his coffee and stepped out of the room. He had hardly sat down to have







