Episode 5 – The Weight and the Wings
April 2025 – Hlomla's POV
The night was heavy when I climbed into bed. Johannesburg was quiet outside my window, but inside, my thoughts buzzed like angry insects.
I reached for my sketchbook. My fingers hovered over the blank page.
"I survived today. I proved I belong. But why does it still hurt to walk in that house?"
The words came slowly at first, then faster, like they'd been waiting for a release. I wrote about Uncle's yelling, my mother's silence, Sfiso's handshake, and Elder Houdson's words. The pen scratched across the page, each line a small rebellion against everything that tried to make me feel invisible.
"I am not invisible. I am not nothing."
I closed the sketchbook, exhausted but lighter.
Morning – A New Challenge
I woke up before the sun. The anxiety that had once gripped me like chains was now more like a shadow—there, but not controlling me.
My phone buzzed. GEC portal notification: "Peer collaboration project assigned. Check your group."
I opened it. My team: Sfiso, Lerato, Thabo… and a name I didn't expect — Nkosi. I had heard whispers about him, mostly from people who thought they knew everything.
I muttered under my breath, "Great. Another one to size me up."
Walking to the GEC
The streets smelled like dust and early sunlight. I saw Sfiso up ahead, pacing nervously.
"Yo, man!" I called.
He stopped mid-step, relief washing over his face. "Hlomla! I didn't know if you'd show up before I lost my mind."
I grinned. "It's a big day. We survive or we die trying, right?"
Sfiso laughed, shaking his head. "You sound like Elder Houdson already."
At the GEC – Sparks in Conversation
The classroom smelled of old paper and coffee. Computers hummed. Students whispered nervously as they logged in.
Nkosi sat at the table, arms crossed, staring at a blank screen like it had offended him.
Sfiso waved. "Nkosi, meet Hlomla. He's… kind of the brains of this operation."
I smiled. "Kind of?"
Sfiso shrugged. "Full disclosure. Sometimes he talks too much, but it's mostly good."
Nkosi didn't respond. Didn't even glance at me.
I leaned back, studying him. Maybe he's just like me — nervous, unsure, just pretending he's confident.
I tried anyway. "Hey, so we're supposed to brainstorm on community building. Got any ideas?"
Nkosi finally looked up. "Depends. What's your angle?"
That small exchange sparked a conversation that wouldn't stop. We argued, challenged, and disagreed — but it felt different. Here, no insults, no shame. Just ideas.
I thought about home for a second — how my uncle would have mocked me, how my mother would have stayed silent. And I smiled quietly. I didn't belong to that room anymore.
Break – Reflection
Outside, sunlight warmed my face. Sfiso caught up.
"You've changed, man. You don't let home shake you like before."
I shrugged. "I've got armor now. Not the kind you wear on your chest, but the kind you carry here." I tapped my head and chest lightly. "Knowledge. Perspective. Proof that I matter."
Sfiso's eyes softened. "Yeah… and some people at home? They'll never see it. But you're living it. That's what counts."
Evening – Back at the House
Chaos awaited me. Uncle barked about the bins. Mother muttered under her breath. I walked past them, unshaken.
"Where are you going, Hlomla?" my mother called.
"I have classes. I'll do it when I get back," I said, without a hint of apology.
Upstairs, I opened my sketchbook. I wrote:
"Day 366. I am learning. I am becoming. I am not defined by their voices. I am defined by my own."
Then my phone buzzed. A new message from an unknown number:
"You're not alone."
My breath caught. Fingers hovered over the screen. I typed: "Who is this?"
No reply yet. But just seeing the words made the world feel a little less heavy.
For the first time in months, I didn't feel invisible.
Inner Thoughts – Hlomla Reflects
They can shout. They can judge. They can try to belittle me. But here, I have my voice. My mind. My path. My story.
I traced the edge of the sketchbook with my fingers. Maybe I'm not just surviving anymore. Maybe I'm… becoming.