Serpentine Desires
Gradually, they drifted away, their absence as silent as the void that filled my life after my father's death.
I lost contact with them soon after that. My father's passing was a blow that shattered our family, both emotionally and financially. The weight of the world seemed to fall upon my mother's shoulders, and as the eldest child, I felt an overwhelming guilt. I should have been able to do more, to protect and support her. So, I took on my first part-time job at a nearby cleaning station, working long hours for eleven months. I felt so proud the day I handed over my saved money to my mother. But the pride was fleeting. The money I gave her was only one-fourth of the amount we needed for