My Bubble: The Shocking Truth!

I knew him since he was just a little kid when his mum did a little housekeeping for my family. He was only 5 years old then and his mum would always bring him along while she did the housework for us. I was about 10 years old then and he liked to tag along wherever I go. I didn’t mind playing with him at all since I’m the youngest and the only kid at home. All my older siblings had flown the coop.

We played together until we got bored of each other and in time, he did not follow his mum to our home anymore. His mum would always tell me that he prefers to stay home to study. Indeed he excelled in his studies and became an annual top-scorer in his all-boys school. He was the apple of his mum’s eye. Soon, by the time I had finished my high school, he was already pursuing his dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur in the United Kingdom on a government scholarship.

His mum subsequently stopped working as a housekeeper but kept in touch with my mum through the years until my mum’s passing some years ago. I’d sometimes wonder what had become of her and her son … probably he’s a CEO in some large organization or a business tycoon by now I guessed. I always had faith that he would have made something great for himself and his mum.

However, my faith in him crumbled when I read a recent news report about a man who had been charged for the murder of his business partner. I recognized the face of the arrested man immediately. He was our housekeeper’s son. I couldn’t believe my eye but the news report spelled out his name correctly, so I couldn’t be wrong!

The shocking truth revealed that he had suffered a huge loss through illegal sports betting. Surprisingly he had only been drawn to bet on sports during the recently concluded World Cup in South Africa. He had no prior knowledge nor experience in football betting but yet he foolishly betted excessively. He was adamant to withdraw funds from his business to repay the illegal bookie but when his business partner objected, he stabbed him in a fit of rage with a letter-opener.

It was such a shocking and sad predicament. I’m sure his mum would’ve been so hurt and disappointed by this unfortunate turn-of-event. He was at the prime of his time, with a successful business partnership and a beautiful family behind him. I still can’t believe what I’ve read.