Busy with exams. Gotta point out that I'm a university student. Pardon the typos.

"Hey Granddad..."

On a cold winter morning, devoid of the sounds of loud traffic and bustling streets. Where spruce trees litter the fields and the stillness of a winter suburb looms quietly in the air. Huey Freeman and his partner-in-crime, Jazmine Dubois looks down upon a newer-looking grave, to them this tombstone stands out, not because of the shape or the look of its stone but by the man who's buried underneath. Robert Freeman, war hero and alleged civil rights legend. Huey's guardian, and at some moments in his life, Robert Freeman was his guardian angel.

Huey and Jazmine had already visited his grave two times in the past. The first was when the world heard Huey Freeman mourn for the first time. Some may ask if a falling tree makes a sound if nobody's there to hear it and yet whether through fate or sheer luck, Jazmine Dubois heard it, she heard the world's rarest sound, it was Huey's cry, and it was the saddest sound she ever heard.

The second is when they were young lovers, intoxicated with passion, blinded by love. Like they were Romeo and Juliet, they visited Jazmine's parents and told them of her Romeo. That she was going to marry him and he'll promise to never leave her side. They had a childish love, a love that teenagers felt when they date someone for the first time. Blind, helpless, and madly making promises.

They were like children, spiralling deeper into each other's lives, still fickle in thier emotions. Robert's grave was there to witness all of it. To witness his death be a catalyst for the end of their puppy love and then he was there to witness to see it blossom anew once more. They simply wanted to be with each other, they simply wanted to find love and escape from the loneliness that plagued both of their hearts. Two months of drifting apart was corrected by childish promises and a romantic kiss in the dark.

In a way it was ironic for Robert. For most of his life he had been chasing women and trying to heal his broken heart. He never truly got what he wanted in the end. He never found a smoking hot woman who loved him for who he is and he never got the chance to heal his broken heart. He simply gave up and moved to the next life, full of hope of what could be on the other side.

It's bittersweet to know that Robert's grandson lost his one true love and found it back in 2 months. Robert on the other hand lost his true love decades ago and at the old age of 94 he died without ever finding it back. after they honored his memory, Huey and Jazmine left his grave, smiling, kissing, and with plans to live together, like it was happily ever-after. While Robert laid in the dark, where one can only hope that Robert is in a better place now.

Now today, in a cold December month, they stand near Robert's grave, holding hands and displaying respect. Huey and Jazmine bought flowers, white daises just as before, he would later on learn they were symbols of innocence, and while the two Freemans' lives were anything but innocent, their opinions and hopes towards love remains guiltless.

"Good morning... Mr. Freeman." Jazmine says softly.

"We just... wanted to say hi. We haven't visited you for such a long time. Granddad... I hope you're alright."

Robert was an end of an era. He was the voice of the past to Huey. As a young man Huey could only vision what it was like to meet historical black figures. But Granddad would somehow wound up meeting them face to face. He would tell stories how he met Malcom X in a movie theater restroom. Or the story where he met Oliver Brown at a bus stop. He even mentioned meeting Che Guevara in passing.

But alas, that era of heroes have are gone and in the very end even Granddad passed away like the rest of them. Huey had long moved on from the past, he has nothing else to do but look ahead. He just hopes that the rest of the world would do the same.

Huey speaks somberly. "I... I've started dating Jazmine again... for real this time.. sorry if I haven't said anything since the funeral..."

Jazmine silently comforts him, pulling closer to rest her head on his shoulder.

He continues. "We moved... to an apartment together... we're really happy... she's been doing a lot... to keep me in check. You would be proud of her..."

Huey sighs, it was Jazmine's idea to start talking to Granddad, to a grave. To her credit, it's helping, but sadly, it hurts.

"Granddad... if you're out there... thanks for looking after us. And... thanks for looking out for Riley too, wherever he is. Hope you're well, Granddad."

Jazmine waves goodbye. "Merry Christmas Granddad."

And with that they leave. Setting down the flowers on his grave. The last time they saw Granddad, they were helpless lovers, madly in love. But now they've matured, they've blossomed into a lasting love, they're not together simply to soothe their loneliness but because of mutual respect. Not because of foolish fits of lust but because of a deeply understanding bond.

Huey had found what Granddad had lacked for most of his life, But he definitely won't let this blessing slip away from his hands. She is the light to his darkness after all. And while it was too late to save his Granddad, Huey's thankful for Jazmine to have saved him that night, when the world heard Huey Freeman cry.

As they walk outside the cemetery, the couple spots a familiar looking poplar tree. Jazmine looks at him, reminiscing a sadder time.

She asks. "Remember that tree? Huey?"

"Yeah."

Jazmine points to that tree, where they remade their vows to never leave again. "That's where we made our promises again..."

"Yeah... I remember."

She smiles. "Do you remember your promise?"

"I promised to love you." Huey responds bluntly.

She giggles. "Do you still love me?"

"Maybe." Huey briefly smirks until returning to a grim frown. "...And I hope Granddad... is proud of what we're doing... I hope what we've done so far... is honoring his memory."

"Huey... Mr. Freem- I mean..." Jazmine pauses. "I think Granddad would be proud. He'd be glad to see you smile so much."

Huey sighs. "I guess he would be glad..." He squeezes her soft hand in response. "Thanks Jazmine."

"Anytime... We can visit Granddad anytime you want..."

"No... not that... thanks for coming back... for going through so much and flying here from Chicago... thank you."

Jazmine gives him a teary smile. "You're welcome... I- I told you I'd come flying back like a boomerang..."

He smiles back at her. "You certainly did."

Huey and Caesar haven't really talked since the funeral. They were friends, associates, and ever since he moved to Woodcrest a year ago, they bonded over their like-minded ideas and collaborated with their cause. After graduation, Caesar never really left Woodcrest, he simply stayed and worked jobs to support his mother.

With Huey off to Maryland, still reeling from Granddad's death, Caesar was left to pick up the pieces and lead Huey's past orgnization, the New Black Panther Party. He wasn't Huey Freeman, he wasn't gifted in the arts of bureaucracy. He was Michael Caesar, the charming second-fiddle. self-proclaimed as Woodcrest's Kunta Kinte. And he did what he could.

For their next stop in Woodcrest, Jazmine drags Huey to NBP offices, the same office that they picked out all those months ago. The hard work they poured into NBP was the culmination of their senior year. While teenagers worried about prom, getting laid, or university, Huey and Jazmine spent their year setting up humanitarian efforts.

He managed to get it funded by Ed the Third and he managed to drag Jazmine with him into piles of work. He moved the moon and the stars to make NBP work. Ultimately all that effort was because he wanted to leave something with good influence for Riley, something to keep Riley preoccupied while Huey was gone, and to leave a positive influence for young minorities in a predominantly white-neighbourhood. It was a social club, a charity, and it was there to make people feel welcomed in Woodcrest. No matter how pompous and elitist Woodcrest may be, Huey had meant NBP to sheperd the poor and look out for the people.

As Huey and Jazmine stand in front of the NBP office, Jazmine hugs him by the arm, pushing him along. She had talked with Cindy and Caesar a month ago, they even gave Huey a gift for his birthday. Jazmine just wants him to extend the olive branch, to make peace and for them be friends again. Huey has always been caught up in work, in his law degree, and his sights are squarely in their future. Jazmine just wants him to relax and enjoy the present, to spend time with friends.

'NBP' the sign says on the door. They're in a modest downtown office, They open the door and they step inside.

They're in some sort of lobby area, however it was somewhat neglected. The indoor plants had withered, there's dried mud on the floor, and the lights weren't even on. Why does Huey sense that something wrong is going on? Suddenly they hear music coming from the next room, after sharing looks at each other. Huey and Jazmine open the door.

Drinks, DJ, and dancing. They look around thier previous office with a headache on Huey's head and a gasp from Jazmine's mouth. What was once a space to organize and coordinate community efforts for the less fortunate has been turned into a raving party. It almost felt like they were parents discovering their child throwing a massive party in their house.

Among the crowds of people, teenagers and adults alike, in the center of it all is Caesar, in mid-session with a poker game. While no one paid any attention to the two new guests, Caesar however, drops his jaw to the floor.

"H-hey you guys! I- umm... didn't expect you guys visiting!"

"Explain." Huey angrily glares at him.

"Christmas party..."

Huey rubs his forehead, trying to calm his nerves. "You turned our goddamn charity into fucking soul plane. What the hell is this Caesar? This building was a fucking workplace...now you're out here running a fuck-all nigga clubhouse!"

"It's... it's an event.."

"What event?! Lying nigga event? Get wasted event? Pin the fucking tail on the donkey even!t? Look around you Caesar!"

"It's a Christmas party man! Chill! Listen... I can explain bro!"

Caesar continues. "We uh... don't usually have parties like these... it's a Christmas party... we went a little loose. I'm just saying, we turned this place into a little hangout spot. I know we don't do them charity shit... Cindy and I ain't cut out for that work... no one here except you two were cut out for charity work! So... ever since you left we just bought a couple couches, got a bunch of poker tables and playstations, and gave niggas a place to just hangout and chill."

"Fucking unacceptable. You saw what we did. You saw how the charity worked and how it helped people. You saw how we stretched the money so thinly so that everyone on the street didn't go hungry at night! How the hell is this a good alternative to what we've been doing?!"

At this point, all eyes turn to the entrance as Huey and Caesar confront each other. Huey is furious at most and Jazmine is taken aback by his yelling. Soon enough. two men who appear to be security steps up to them. One of guards says to Caesar. "Is everythin aight boss?"

Without another moment, a blonde girl amongst the crowd steps up, cackling hysterically. With a bottle of liquor on one hand she shouts to the bouncer. "It's alright Clarence! They cool!"

Cindy laughs as she reaches a now sweating Caesar. "I'll let you handle this one boo! Hey! you wanna go out Jazzy Fresh? I'mma just dip and buy some Christmas stuff cause this shit turning hella gay. Let's go bestie, let them niggas do their little catfight."

Jazmine shakes her head. "I can't... I'm staying here Cin."

Cindy chugs her bottle. "Suit yourself! Adios!" She closes the door, making an audible slam. The whole club then turns quiet.

Huey scoffs, looking at everyone with sheer anger in his eyes. Before anything else escalates, Jazmine tugs on Huey's arm, trying to hold him back.

She says to Caesar. "Can we talk in private?"

Outside in the freezing cold, the three of them gather at the front door. Jazmine pulls Huey back, she didn't bring him here to fight, she brought Huey here to reconcile with friends. She doesn't want him to be the stubborn loner that Huey thinks he is. And while she never expected the things that Caesar is doing, even a law student like Huey should give Caesar a calm moment to explain.

She looks at him pleadingly. "I mean... Caesar did what he can. Please be easy on him."

"You're defending him?" Huey says, slightly irritated.

Jazmine has been Huey's confidant for years, she's gotten used to standing up to him. "You left him in charge... and let him do whatever he wants. Unlike you, he can't run a charity or a business singlehandedly by himself."

"I prepared him the best I can." Huey points to Caesar who is in the distance, staring at them.

"A few months isn't enough..."

Huey admits. "Fine. I get it. Some people aren't meant for that work. But he can't turn a year's worth of our work into a complete joke."

"Come on Huey! It's not that bad... it looked kinda fun..."

"The town gave donations! People gave donations! What he's doing is absolutely stupid! You think people are gonna be happy when their money is sponsoring random ass parties?! I left Woodcrest for 7 months and everything is going to shit!"

She glances at a troubled Caesar and then back to Huey. "But... he- he didn't know."

Caesar interjects and joins in. "We stopped getting money... I already told donators... after you left."

She feels relieved. "See Huey?"

Caesar closes his eyes and shakes his head, a somber thought still remained in his head. "Huey I'm not like you, I'm not a fucking businessman or a prodigy with leading. I'm just a nigga with a messed-up family man... and despite that you're the first friend I ever made in America and have been a true brotha to me since I got here. You can't expect me to run a damn food bank with stamps and shit on my own with a bunch of teenagers for volunteers! Only you can! I fucking tried the best I can."

Caesar motions to the office door, with music emanating inside to suggest the party resumed.

"We having a little party okay? Then every Monday and Friday I run the place and give niggas a place to chill. No drugs, no drinks, no bullshit. It's just a place to hangout, play some pool or games and just live life man. I know it ain't no soup kitchen or whatever shit but it's the best I can do. Now come on Huey... sorry I haven't been a good friend, I know I let you down but I stay true to my word when I said I'll look out for the community."

Huey sighs. "You saying you keeping niggas off the streets... but you taking the streets inside and niggas come in like a moth to the flame..."

Jazmine scowls at Huey and roughly tugging his arm.

In response Huey glares back but he sneaks another sigh again. "Fine... I get it."

Caesar replies. "You get it?"

Huey turns his head to him. "Meant for Jazmine."

"Oh." The Jamacian man with dreadlocks frowns. It was a major contrast to his usual self, when he had a beaming grin and an upbeat glow on his face.

"But... I'm still pissed... but due to your circumstances... it's aight."

"You still mad?"

"Absolutely fuming... but it's not like I have any choice.. whatever the hell this is... is yours now. I left you in charge. As long as you ain't doing bad then I guess I can let it go."

Caesar grins. A wide smile returning to his mouth. "Listen man sorry about your loss... we haven't talked since the funeral. And sorry this is the first thing you see when coming back. We friends? "

Huey shakes his head. "I didn't say anything about being friends... but if you wanna keep in touch then just give us a call."

"Alright then... see ya around... Merry Christmas Jazmine, Huey..."

With that, Huey turns around and starts walking away. Still shaking his head in disapproval. While Caesar's solution is reasonable, Huey still finds it absolutely ridiculous and downright insulting to his past work. But he's willing to let bygones be bygones, as there's not much use to looking back in the past.

Jazmine watches Huey walk back to their car then she gives a wave to Caesar. "Huey meant to say 'we're friends' and... give him a call! Bye and have a wonderful Christmas!"

Caesar, now more cheerful, waves back. "See ya."

The three return to their rightful places. With Caesar chaperoning a party in full swing and the couple sitting in the car, sharing their opinions and making sense with each other's thoughts.

Tap tap tap

Huey had closed his eyes, trying to calm his headache. It certainly wasn't much of a help as Jazmine kept congratulating about him about their confrontation.

Jazmine tugs on his arm again, never in Huey's outlandish dreams could he allow someone to invade his personal space like that. And yet he's given up long ago about trying to teach her a sense of boundaries. "Huey... open your eyes."

Tap tap tap

He takes her advice and a blonde girl enters his view. He opens the car window.

"What the?! Cindy why the hell you punching my window? You trying to crac-

Cindy interrupts him. "I ne- wait... sorry... for cutting you off."

Jazmine looks at her friend with concern. "Cin? You're acting... odd... is eveything alright?"

She never says sorry to anyone. She clears her throat. "I gotta talk to McHater."

He responds bluntly. "Okay then. We're talking now."

"I mean in private."

Huey may be harsh but he isn't unreasonable, he sighs and then gets out the car. Closing the car windows to block Jazmine from within earshot.

He speaks. "This is private enough. What is it Cindy?"

Huey notices how uneasy she feels, he can sense regret in her face. Like she was in conflict with herself to even talk to him. Cindy finally asks. "H-how's Riley?"

"We haven't talked in 4 months."

Cindy no longer makes an effort to maintain her facade. She rubs her arm nervously as she looks off to the side. "Y-you don't care to c-call your own brother?"

"More like the opposite... he doesn't respond to my calls."

"Oh." Cindy frowns. "Let me know when y-you talk next time... k?"

"Okay."

Huey observes her as she leaves, walking back into the buidling with a newfound arrogance to her walk. It's like her attitude can be turned on and off like a light switch. Huey can try to understand why's so curious about Riley, but he simply doesn't care to piece together another puzzle.

He steps inside the car to see a sad Jazmine. Huey taught her basic lip-reading when she 16. It seems his teachings still hold up.

"Riley?" She asks.

"Yeah."

Jazmine frowns. "If only Riley would call."

"Leave it to Riley to act like this. He probably enjoys being missed."

She says. "I really don't hope so."

Jazmine takes his hand, aware she's saddening his mood. "Or I don't know... your brother might be stupid. Frick Riley."

"Yeah... sure. Frick Riley."

She smiles. "One last stop! Ready for Christmas Eve?"

Christmas

He forgot all about it, that's why they're in Woodcrest in the first place. He has an irrational hatred towards this specific holiday. It's a constant factor in his life that's downright inescapable and evokes all the wrong memories. Capitalism, religion, gifts, and loud noises. Things that Huey dread the most. If he had ever gotten the chance to pick a partner, her opinion on Christmas would've been a deciding factor. Sucks for him to be stuck with a girl like Jazmine Dubois who downright worships the holiday.

Ding Dong Huey presses the doorbell.

Tom opens the door, seeing the tortured face on his front door. Tom smiles. "Good evening Huey! How's the trip? Where's Jazmine?"

Huey points to his car. "Jazmine's getting our gifts... she wanted me to greet you first."

Tom swallows a lump on his throat, still in disbelief with the whole dating thing. But he quickly folds to a smile."Ah I see! The good ol man-to-man'o talk! Well sport I happe-

A woman's gasp can be heard behind Tom. She shouts. "Huey! You're here! Come in!"

Sarah invites him inside, with Jazmine has a bunch of presents on hand as she catches up to the door.

"Hi mom! Hi dad! I miss you guys!"

Huey helps her with their gifts as she leans in to hug both of her parents. Jazmine cheerily clasps her hands. "Thanks mom! For keeping dad company!"

"Oh sweetie... I wouldn't miss Christmas with my family! I'm still a Dubois after all!" Sarah jokes, poking lightheartedly at her divorce to Tom's dismay.

Tom pokes back. "And honey... we've never had a fight during Christmas! No matter what, we always agreed on things durng the holidays!"

"Ahem... erm... Honey? I just agreed because I didn't want to argue with you during Christmas!"

Tom frowns in disappointment. "Oh... so the karaoke machine?"

"Was a bad idea..." She answers.

Jazmine hugs Huey by the arm and rests her head on his shoulders. She may not have a perfect life, with perfect parents, in a perfect home. But looking at Huey beside her always assures that everything is alright. "So glad that my parents got together for Christmas..."

Huey slightly nods. "Can't tell if they're flirting or arguing with each other." They watch her parents sitting on the couch discussing some of Tom's weird actions in the past. They had already forgotten their guests, paying no attention as they get sucked into a post-divorce discussion.

Jazmine looks contently at the two. "Yeah..."

She holds Huey's hand as they spectate her parents' playful banter, fully ignoring the other people in the room. Jazmine shares looks with Huey, they've gotten well-versed with reading each other's faces

Jazmine reminisces last year's Christmas Eve. A time when Granddad, Riley, Cindy, and all her other friends were invited to a dinner party, everyone seemed so joyful and innocent. When no one passed away, no one got a divorce, or people didn't drift away and moved out of Woodcrest.

She doesn't really have a lot of friends anymore. Her clique of girls have been replaced by employees and business associates. Simply just a truth in life for high-school friends to drift away after graduation. Considering last Christmas and how easily people can depart from her life in a year is greatly tragic for Jazmine and warrants a lot of sadness during such a special day like Christmas.

But then she looks at the hand she's holding. The afro-headed crazy revolutionary boy standing beside her, despite all those things, she remembers how last year's Christmas was so special to her.

Huey was there, he joined dinner, it takes a miracle to drag him to a party and yet she did the impossible. Jazmine was surrounded by friends and family and while people change, people move away, there's one person who stuck with her since the very beginning of it all. Huey Freeman.

In truth though, she's the one who stuck to him. She never let go of the boy. Yet as people leave her life, there's one person who promised to never let her go.

Jazmine takes out her phone, searching through her photos. Looking for a pic she took during last year's dinner party.

"Huey remember this picture?" She presents her phone to him.

It was a picture of Huey and Jazmine from last year, standing inside her old bathroom in front of the sink. She was cuddling his arm while Huey stares angrily at the camera. It was when they had their first kiss, it was such a perfect night, a perfect Christmas Eve, and he pulled her in the bathroom to clean up, in typical Huey fashion he was more concerened about bacteria in saliva than the romantic moment of their first kiss.

"Yeah? What about it?" He asks back.

She blushes. "Nothing. Just popped up in my head!"

Huey motions his head towards her parents who are still playful bickering in the distance. "You know, it can shut up your parents if we just kiss in front of them... I can't stand their talking anymore..."

"Well... I-I mean, you do get used to them... but-"

Huey takes the phone in her hand and puts it in her pocket. "Come here."

Jazmine giggles and leans in for a kiss, she's never shown romantic displays infront of her parents, in front of anyone for the matter. During public and casual settings they've always maintained some sort of professionalism, it was Huey's rule to stricltly limit it to handholding in public.

But kissing Huey in front of her parents struck a chord within Tom and Sarah. The poor man's face went through the 5 stages of grief in under a span of 3 seconds. Sarah's eyes leapt excitedly towards her daughter and her ex-husband, finding a moment to let out a small laugh.

Christmas seems so foreign to Huey, the happy cheering, the sense of celebration. Such is the human mind to place importance on such random things. Christmas is simply a day, December 25. That's all that Huey sees it as, it's simply a day in the calendar, and all the 'Christmas spirit' that Jazmine keeps mentioning about is all in people's heads. Like a placebo, people are only happy during the holidays because cultural practices insists you should be happy.

He never bothered to bring gifts and yet Jazmine's puppy eyes scolded him, along with that whimpering lip. She forced him to get gifts, there was really no other alternative for Huey.

"I- uhh.. thanks Huey. That's very kind of you..." Tom and Sarah puts on a forced smile as they look at the gifts on their hands.

Huey says with a blank face. "You're welcome."

Two 50 dollar giftcards to a lesser-known clothing store that ethically sources their cloth and labor.

Jazmine stands in the background, she already handed out her gifts. She's now clasping her hands and bundling with joy. She can barely contain herself at the sight, to see Huey participating at basic human interactions. What should be a normal thing for people is a major victory for Jazmine. Sometimes she feels like she's dating someone from Mars and trying to show him Earth customs.

However, she's proud of Huey. He teaches her self-defense and she'll teach him how to smile. He'll teach her modern economics and she'll teach him how to be friendly. In her eyes, it's a fair deal, she'll trade anything in the world just to get a chance to see him smile.

The rest of the night moves along, looking outside their windows, she sees snow falling silently, peacefully, and beautiful, she edges closer to Huey on the couch. The entire family is in the living room and It was Dubois family tradition after all, to have dinner and play board games on Christmas Eve.

"I rolled 12!" Tom cheers at his dice roll on the coffee table.

"Tom! Not fair!" Sarah playfully laughs.

Huey preffered to stay out of course, leaving Jazmine to play. But eventually she gave up and sunk into the couch. She's sleepy from the food, the road trip, and especially from such a hectic day like the holidays. Huey ended up subbing in for her, playing with her board game piece, with Jazmine 'respectfully' trying not to cuddle in front of her father.

She sighs and looks at the window, the snow still falling serenely from the sky.

She wonders what's on his mind, angrily scowling, and probably despising himself for strategizing on a board game. She suspects Huey trying to find a way to finish the game as fast as possible to be done with it all.

Jazmine scooches even closer to him. Huey never had a normal Christmas, he confessed to her sometime ago. And he never really had a normal family, as far as he could remember. He still remembers his parents of course, a seemingly normal mother and father, although he chose to leave out the details. Yet Jazmine can't help but feel sad for Huey when he said those words to her.

He said. "I never really... had a normal family. We never had a moment where we just sat down and did things... as a family."

That's why she hopes he can make it up to him. The world has wronged Huey Freeman for never giving him a normal Christmas and she promises to correct that mistake. She welcomed him to her family, she'll celebrate a hundred Christmases with him, and she'll celebrate a hundred of his birthdays. It's up to her to light his darkness, and while most of the time Huey doesn't want to be saved, she'll save him from whatever darkness he got himself into.

And who knows? Maybe she can catch more glimpses of his smile.