Christmas is Red

The Nightmare

His eyes shot up to take in the look on others' faces. Their expressions mirrored his; confusion, incredulity and the lingering of unacceptable fear. They looked at one another equally, before finally their gazes all landed on Jide, for he was silent, lowering his head to stare at nothing at his feet.

"I'm sorry," He muttered, before he looked up and met their gazes with an expression of remorse and subtle annoyance, "I did not realize that this wine could be so...extraordinarily intoxicating." He finished and shook his head in disappointment. He began to walk back to the room, leaving them behind. "Look at the mess you've made on this rug now. Just because ordinary print in mug," He stopped at the door, and yelled at no one in particular. "Alcohol is not for children, haven't you heard? Better come and sleep. You can't go home mad like this." He hissed.

Slowly, they returned to the room one at a time, lacking words, ashamed in their fear, afraid to be found afraid.

"What were you guys thinking exactly, that someone will plan to poison you and first go and print it on the mugs first?" Jide queried, squatting over the vomit and packing it into a packer with a tissue. "I should have printed the ingredients and expiry date of the poison also."

Juli came in wrapped in Mmesoma's soothing arms, fidgeting slightly. She looked pitiful. Almost like she was sick. "Sorry," she said, sitting on the bed and leaning on Mmesoma. "It must be the wine."

"A wine is supposed to help you relax." Jide said, gagging at the smell of the vomit. He worked nonetheless.

"It's not the wine," opined Chinedu, "It's this house, the props in the other room."

"The stench of blood and vomit." Chioma added, rubbing her thumbs.

"Yeah." Said Jide, "The wine is made of blood and brain matter." He shook his head. "I should know, I harvested it fresh last Tuesday."

"Ew!"

"Guy, what's your problem, just what is wrong with you?" Kechi yelled, fuming, his hands balled into great fists.

Others started complaining also, of his tendencies to go extra creepy, a cacophony rose, but he would not care. He stopped instead and stared menacingly at Kechi, before he started. "you're scared, eeh? Hard man, hard man..." Kechi leaped onto his feet and his knuckles cracked into a hard fist. "You're that scared huh? I've noticed you've needed to piss, but you're afraid to step out of the room and go to the bathroom alone, because obviously you can't go alone. Too scared."

Kechi stepped forward, ready to throw a fist. "Stop. Stop." Andrea pulled him in the opposite direction trying to prevent a brawl, a brawl Jide was surely going to be victimized in.

"Guys, chill." Chinedu called, stepping in between them.

"Be careful not to piss on yourself." Jide continued, staring into Kechi's eyes with an enchanting gaze, holding his soul in his hands. "After all the beer you drank today, you must be really pressed. Why are you holding it if not fear? You act all tough, but the truth is that you're afraid, afraid all the time, afraid that you will wake up one day and everyone will see through your façade and know that you're nothing like the idol you pretend to be, scared that they will realize that your Rolex is fake, afraid that someone like Jide could steal your spotlight and you would descend into nothingness, and won't like your dumb self, talk more of being liked by these girls."

"Jide, where is all these coming from?" Someone holding them back asked, but Jide could not stop to listen. He was connected to Kechi in a hypnotic trance and would not break it for a second.

"You're scared, scared that you will piss on yourself and still scared to go to the bathroom. Scared of being scared." He shook his head and continued "It's okay, bro. You don't have to be. It must be exhausting and you don't have to keep on being strong. You can just let go. Take a breather, bro." Everywhere got calmer as they just listened and gawked at the both of them. Kechi was not vibrating in anger anymore. "Life will not fall apart if you show signs of weakness for a second."