I was standing by the door,
hands behind my back,
leaning slightly on the wall for balance
when Edward walked past me, ready to step out.
“Are your brothers in their rooms?” I asked.
He paused.
“Let me check,” he said,
avoiding eye contact the way someone does
when they already know what the conversation is about.
I waited.
A moment later, one came in.
Then the other.
Then Joshua, quietly closing the door behind him.
Edward shut the door,
and the room felt smaller —
not because of the space,
but because of the weight we all carried inside.
I took a breath.
“I won’t waste your time, bafwethu,” I said,
my voice calm but firm.
All three of them looked at me —
not scared,
not guilty,
just unsure…
like boys trying to understand the man standing in front of them.
“I want
