Seasonal

The Holidays!

Caesar

As I walked up to Genesis' house the morning of December 24th, I witnessed something beautiful. Her and her mother decorating their house for Christmas. They were chasing each other around like little children with Christmas decorations in there hands.

My dad and I never really did anything on Christmas and his was out of town this year so.

"Caesar? . " Crystal spoke, making my name sound like a question.

"CAESAR! " Genesis called out in excitement and jumped in on me for a hug even though her mum was right there.

Crystal hated me for reasons I do not know of. However as per tradition, I brought Christmas chocolate for Genesis because it was a norm we had to a point.

"Thank you. " Genesis said kindly as I handed her the chocolate. "I'll get yours. " she added to say.

Crystal stared at me hard the whole time Genesis was inside the house. I wanted to say something but I feared to say something rude.

"You should come for dinner tonight. I heard your father won't be here much for the festive season. " Crystal surprisingly said after her evil stare.

"How did you know my dad isn't at home? " I asked.

"He works at my company honey. " she told me like it was obvious.

My dad never mentioned work, I never asked either and I never knew of Mrs McCoy's work.

"Here you go. " Genesis said as she finally handed me my favorite chocolate when she was outside again.

"Bye now, thank you.... We have work to do. " Crystal addressed me rudely.

"Bye. " I told Genesis

"Bye. " she replied.

As I walked back home all I could think of was how beautiful Genesis looked. She had a fur coat on that fitted her tiny self perfectly.

I was for real going crazy. Ever since my dad fed me with the idea of dating her, its all I could think of.

Why was I even thinking like this, I literally just saw her for five minutes.

Genesis

"I invited him for dinner. " my mother confessed as we packed up the decorations we weren't going to use.

"Really? " I asked and smiled big.

"Yah. His dad is not in town so I figured why not do something nice. " she added on to say.

I was so excited. My mum was so against Caesar. Hopefully She'll get to see what I see later tonight.

7:45pm

Genesis

My mum had asked so many questions, most of which I would place as personal.

I should have known better, I thought to myself. This wasn't some act of generosity it was a scam for her own benefit.

"So where is your mother? " my mother asked yet another question that was none of your business.

That question also built curiosity in me to a point. Caesar never mentioned his mother to me. She wasn't at the family bonfire either. I wonder where she might be.

"Uhm Caesar, what exactly is your dad doing at work? " I asked, brushing my mum's question off.

"His making sure all the the codes are correct and the company delivers on time. " he answered, now exhausted from all the questions.

"So, when your dad is not coding for me, how does he make money? " my mother asked plainly.

"Mum. " I said now pissed off . "Why are you making this an interrogation? "

"To see if his worth much .Most people are you know..... I'm just making sure his not trying to take advantage of your...... Resources." my mum said rudely.

I was as struck and offended as Caesar was right now. I would have left if I were him but his father raised him better than to walk away from an older woman who was clearly wrong about him.

"

My father is also a business man. Not a large business but it makes enough. You don't have to worry about me taking advantage of Genesis' resources. " Caesar proceeded to say.

I could see that he was offended by that statement of resources . Students and even teachers at my school have spiraled around that idea too. A year ago he didn't talk to me for a whole month because of that ideology everyone held on to.

"I don't want my daughter dating some town boy who will drag her into poverty. " my mum continued.

I felt embarrassed on her behalf. She was being immature in so many ways.

"I was never trying to be with her. " Caesar replied.

"Why she's not your type? " my mum continued to ask.

"No... She's not. " he proceeded to say.

We were friends and I really wasn't planning to be more than that. But him saying I wasn't his type made bad to a degree.

"My daughter is beautiful boy, any boy would want her...... I gave her the features and fairs of a model. " my mother argued.

"Model?......I don't know about that. " he replied. "She's got... " he froze, knowing that that unfinished sentence was fucked up.

Speechless is what I was at that very moment .I was trying to process what Caesar just said. And when I did, I stormed off to my room.

"Get the fuck out of my house. " Crystal said with her eyes showing hints of tears. "And never talk to my daughter again, do you understand me.

Caesar

I wanted to hurt her mum that's it. But I chose the worst collection of words. Words that hurt Genesis.

I know how insecure she is about her Vitiligo and like a moron I threw the red card out.

As I walked home from a dinner that would have gone better I replayed everything in my head. I was thinking of possible scenarios in my head if I said other things.

Genesis

I cried for a minute or two. But then I realized that there's probably not many models out there with Vitiligo.

After hours on my phone checking models out, I cried hard..... Harder than I did the day I was pushed into the pool by Benji in DC.

8:50pm

It was Christmas morning. I was mad, not at Caesar but my mum. I put my favorite winter jacket on, it was black and it reached my knees. I grabbed my tights too and hopped into my snow boots.

" Hey you're up late. " my mum addressed me as I walked passed the kitchen. She was cooking up breakfast, so it looked.

I didn't reply because I was frustrated honestly. I walked passed her and walked to the front door to leave.

"Excuse me young lady, "my mother proceeded to say, "where do you think you're going and with that attitude? "

I didn't say anything. I just left.

I was going to Caesar's house. I had to apologise for the previous night.

Caesar

I was at my dining table for an hour and a half now thinking of what I was going to say to Genesis. Should I text her or call her, I thought to myself. She probably won't respond.

"Hey son, you mother wants to have a word with you. " my father popped up to tell me.

My mother was in jail. She was locked up for money laundering.

I didn't buy the plea of guilt to she took, I'm certain she took a fall for my dad.

"Hi mum. " I said in my room alone, into my dad's thick and long phone, probably from the 90's. "

Before I knew it I was in complete silence, only listening. My eyes were glassy and I was a second away from tears. I hated how all this made me feel. My mum didn't deserve this.

9:30am

"Are you okay. " Genesis asked me.

She was in my room, sitting with me on my bed.

When I heard my dad say she had come, I hurriedly searched for my glasses and put them on. I slid the curtains apart widely and opened the windows as widely as I could. The glasses were very sensitive to light, I had to get in as much light as I could.

She wasn't going to see my eyes. Not like this.

Genesis walked into a well lit room.

"Why are you here.? " I asked knowing that last night was a mess and I was the one that messed up.

"I came to apologize about my mum. " she answered. She proceeded to cross her legs on my bed.

"I'm the one whose sorry. You know I didn't mean what I said. " I apologized sincerely.

"It wasn't a lie though, they're a few models with my condition. I bet people don't even know about them. And I know my mum got to you. " Genesis explained, making me feel relieved.

She was staring into my eyes, hard, like her mum did yesterday.

"Its cold in here don't you think. " she said and got up in a flash and closed the windows.

I just sat there. I couldn't stop her. What dumb lie was I going to say anyway 'its hot in here? '.

Genesis closed the windows.

"Why are your lights on, its already bright enough yah. " said she said as she turned the lights on.

"Yah. " I said realizing that I sat quiet for too long.

When she came back to sit as she did, she stared hard again.

"Are you okay? " she pressed.

"Yes I am. " I lied, avoiding eye contact.

Within a second I felt her fingers on the sides of my head, on my ears. She took the glasses off my face and I wasn't planning to fight it.

"You have to tell me. I can clearly see that you had a moment. I'm not trying to hear any bull this time. " she said, looking me directly into my eyes.

I wanted to kiss her, I won't lie, but I couldn't. That was a move for the movies. This girl was very unpredictable.

I just planned to stay quiet, I wasn't for that vulnerable shit. I wasn't going to tell her about my mum.

"I'm good I swear. " I told her.

She gave me her disappointed face, but I really wasn't gon say nothing.

"Fine Caesar. I won't force you. " she said then got her phone. " I'm going home. " she finally said.

I was quiet again like a god damn fool once again.

She got off my bed and was heading out.

"It wouldn't kill you to tell me what's wrong with you every now and then when you're not fine. It would probably help and it would mean a lot to me. " she said when she was at the door.

I could see that she was hurt. I never tell her anything really.

She left after that, my dad left too.

Merry Christmas to me.

Genesis

When I almost got home, my pissed off face came back. I was pissed at my mum at Caesar. I was really having it.

"SURPRISE! " I heard the moment I opened the doors.

I smiled hard. It was my grand parents, my cousins, my uncles, my aunties..... Yo it was my whole family.

I really missed all of them. After that day I missed DC. Then I remembered why I left, that tragic act. My cousins let me know that that story was still talked about till date. No one will ever forget Genesis McCoy, not anyone at Ravens middle school at least.