I stand here, in the centre of the timeline. Present. I turn towards the ones who came before me. I see you. I see the sorrow that was too much to hold. The pain that had nowhere soft to land. The places where life was cold, where blood was spilt, boundaries crossed, and support was scarce. And I feel how, out of deep loyalty, out of a young and innocent love, my body tried to carry what could not be completed before me. Today, something completes. I am ready. The burden can
There was a time when friendships were simple. When the earth beneath my feet was warm and hardbaked, when dust coated my legs as I ran—fast, free, wild. We climbed trees with scraped knees, chased each other along the walls, played football until the sun sank low. There was no difference between us then. No categories, no question of who belonged where. I arm-wrestled my friends and won. I ran just as fast, climbed just as high. We were a pack, and I was part of it. A brothe
