The Gift

f you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Every day Lou Suffern battles with the clock. He always has two places to be at the same time. He always has two things to do at once. When asleep he dreams. In between dreams, he runs through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind is always someplace- else. On his way into work one early winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man sitting outside the office building. Intrigued by him and on discovering that he could also be very useful to have around, Lou gets Gabe a job in the post room. But soon Lou begins to regret helping Gabe. His very presence unsettles Lou - and how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time? As Christmas draws closer, Lou starts to understand the value of time. He sees what is truly important in life yet at the same time he learns the harshest lesson of all. This is a story about people who, not unlike parcels, hide secrets. They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what's inside. Sometimes you have to be unravelled in order to find out who you really are.