After a few minutes, Miridald pulled up in front of House 200.
She looked back at Edward, who was absorbed in his phone, and gently nudged him.
"We're here, son."
Snapping out of his screen, Edward glanced at her, then looked out through the tinted window. Realizing they'd arrived, he quickly turned off his phone and unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Okay, Mom. Let me go say hi to Neema and the twins," he said, pushing the door open and stepping out.
To his surprise, Miridald stepped out as well.
He gave her a puzzled look.
"What?" she asked. "I'm going to say hi too."
Edward shrugged. "Alright," he said and walked to the door, his mother trailing behind after locking the car with a quick beep of her keys.
Ding dong! rang the doorbell.
Almost immediately, Mdachi flung the door open, a wide grin stretching across his face.
"Hi Edward. Hi Miridald!"
"Hi, Mdachi," they replied in unison.
"Come on in," Mdachi said, stepping aside to let them through.
Edward let his mother walk in first, then followed. Mdachi closed the door behind them and quickly leaned in toward Edward.
"Hey, you didn't tell me your mom was driving us to school," he whispered.
Edward glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, she is. Now grab your stuff. We're leaving right after saying hi to your mom and sisters."
"Okay," Mdachi nodded. "Give me a minute, though. I need to grab something upstairs."
He dashed off.
Edward tucked his hands into his pockets, eyes wandering around the home. It was still as beautiful and warm as he remembered—comforting in its own unique way.
His gaze settled on Neema and his mother, who were chatting warmly near the dining table.
Neema stood much shorter than Miridald, her complexion a few shades lighter—just like her kids'. She had a soft, graceful energy to her, though exhaustion showed in her messy hair and tired eyes. Being a single mother hadn't been easy, but she never complained.
The twins were still at the table, busy tucking into their breakfast. Beneath the table, their loyal Africanis dog, Jasiri, lay peacefully.
"Good morning, Neema," Edward greeted as he approached them, hands still buried in his pockets.
"Oh! Hi, Edward. Good morning to you too," Neema replied warmly, walking over to hug him. Edward returned the embrace.
"Nice to see you again too," she added with a playful glance toward Miridald—clearly pointing out that her friend had taken too long to visit.
Edward shot his mom a sheepish look.
Miridald just smiled gently, her hands clasped in front of her.
"So, you came to pick Mdachi?" Neema asked, stepping back.
"Yeah," Edward nodded.
"Well, have a seat while you wait. That clumsy boy still has one more thing to handle before he's ready," she said, pointing upstairs. "I told him to do it earlier, but… what can I say? Boys, right?" She looked at Miridald with a knowing smile.
"Totally," Miridald agreed, nodding emphatically.
Edward raised an eyebrow and curled his lips to one side in mock offense.
"Boys?" he muttered inwardly. "Why do we always have to be the confused and messy ones?... Ah, women." He shook his head slightly, amused.
While he had drifted off in thought, Miridald's expression turned serious. She stepped closer to Neema and gently pulled her toward the kitchen.
"I need to tell you something," she said quietly.
Alarmed, Neema followed. "What is it?" she asked urgently.
Once they were far enough, Miridald whispered, "Have you heard what happened at House 10?"
Neema looked confused. "No. What happened?"
Miridald lowered her voice further. "Hallington—the owner—was found brutally murdered there."
Neema gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Her eyes widened.
"What?" she almost shouted, but quickly tempered her voice to avoid alarming the kids.
Her heart raced.
"Who would do such a thing? And why?" she whispered, trying to steady her breathing. Her voice shook with horror and concern.
"The police still don't know," Miridald replied. "They can't even explain what killed him. It's… horrifying. And baffling."
"Oh my God…" Neema murmured, placing a trembling hand over her chest.
"I just felt you needed to know," Miridald said softly. She glanced toward Edward, fidgeting with her hands. "Hallington… he was Edward's friend. I don't know how to tell him. I don't want to burden him—especially with how strange this case is. But I also don't want to hide it from him. He deserves the truth… right?"
Neema's eyes softened. She reached out and gently rubbed Miridald's arm.
"I understand, Miri. That's exactly how I felt when Orwa passed… and I had to tell the kids. As mothers, we never want to see our children in pain. And if we could take it all away—we would. But sometimes… they need to face it. To grieve. And we just have to be there to help them through it."
Miridald's eyes brimmed with tears. "Thank you, Ema. You always know what to say."
Neema pulled her into a comforting hug. "You're welcome, Miri."
-------
Meanwhile, Edward, now snapping out of his own thoughts, noticed the two women stepping away. He took a seat at the table, across from the six-year-old twins who had been silently observing everything.
"Hi, Tini. Hi, Tola," he greeted them warmly.
"Hi, Edward!" they chirped in chorus.
"So, what's new?" Edward asked, glancing between the two identical faces. Then he turned to Tola. "How's your new friend Nekesa doing?"
Tola didn't respond. She simply stared at him, expression flat.
Tini matched her twin's glare.
Edward's smile slowly faded.
He pouted his bottom lip dramatically. "Hey… why are you two so cold today?"
Tola crossed her arms and turned away.
Tini answered for them both, clearly annoyed. "Because you're a liar!"
Edward gasped and pulled back, hand to his chest like he'd been shot.
"I am? Why would you say that?" he asked playfully, though he was trying to remember what he'd done.
"We were expecting you on Saturday!" Tini said, leaning forward with a fiery glare. "But you didn't come!"
Edward's amusement vanished. His expression sobered as he tried to recall… but nothing came. He knew he hadn't shown up—but couldn't remember why. That frustrated him deeply. He knew it wasn't just forgetfulness. It was the memory erasure. And that made it even worse.
But before the feeling could overwhelm him, the sound of footsteps on the stairs brought him back.
"I'm really sorry, Tini… Tola," he said softly, realizing he'd gone quiet mid-thought. "Something urgent came up. But I'll make it up to you. A full day with just us—how does that sound?"
"Okay," Tini said, leaning back with a smile.
"…Okay," Tola mumbled after a pause, giving him a side glance but still seated the same way.
"Alright, guys. I'm ready," Mdachi announced as he entered the room.
Standing from his seat, Edward's gaze shifted to his mother.
He noticed her wipe something from her face.
Tears?
Strange. Why was she crying?
"Okay, boys," Miridald suddenly chirped as she entered the dining room, trying to sound cheerful. "Let's go before you end up really late," she teased playfully.
Mdachi crouched beside the dining table to pet Jasiri.
"See you later, boy," he whispered to the dog, scratching behind its ears.
Jasiri barked joyfully, tail wagging, clearly understanding.
Standing up, Mdachi began walking backwards toward the door, still exchanging goodbyes with his mom and sisters.
Edward had already reached the door and turned around briefly to say his goodbyes too—including to Jasiri—before stepping out. Mdachi followed close behind.
As they walked side by side toward the car, Jasiri's barks still echoing behind them, Edward quickly raised a hand to hush Mdachi when he noticed him about to speak.
Mdachi snapped his mouth shut immediately.
"I'll tell you with Anita," Edward whispered. "Can't risk Mom overhearing us."
He knew Mdachi still had questions from the night before.
Just then, they heard the car beep and looked back to see Miridald walking toward it.
They all got in—Mdachi placing his bag next to Edward's on the seat between them.
Edward turned suddenly to his mom, catching her off guard. "Mom… why were you crying earlier?"
Miridald froze for a moment with her hand still on the ignition.
Mdachi looked at Edward, then glanced at Miridald, suddenly curious.
She turned toward her son with a soft gaze. "It's just something… sad," she said gently.
"What is it, Mom?" Edward asked, his voice full of concern.
"I'll tell you at home, okay?"
Mdachi, sensing this was family business, respectfully looked away and focused on his phone.
Miridald added, "But don't dwell on it now, alright?"
"Okay," Edward agreed, sitting back. He didn't want to press her—not yet. He knew that she would tell him in time.
------
A few minutes later...
Miridald pulled into the school's parking lot and came to a stop.
The boys quickly got out, murmuring their thanks.
"You're welcome," Miridald replied warmly.
As they walked toward the front yard, Anita spotted them and waved excitedly at Miridald.
Seeing her, Miridald smiled and waved back.
Edward and Mdachi turned to wave one last goodbye to Miridald, grinning before she drove off.
The school yard was alive with energy—students chatting in groups, cars pulling in and out of the parking lot, and birds filling the sky with their morning songs as the golden sun peeked over the horizon.
"Wow, Anita! You look divine," Edward blurted, eyeing her from head to toe.
She wore an apple green Zara double-breasted blazer dress that complimented her smooth, chocolate skin beautifully. On her feet were crisp white chunky trainers paired with white socks. Tanei beaded earrings dangled from her ears, and a black and rainbow heishi bracelet hugged her left wrist. Her hair was styled into a sleek ponytail, with delicate tendrils framing her goddess-like face.
"Yeah, you really do," Mdachi added, snapping Edward out of his daze.
Anita blushed. "Thanks, guys. I just got this dress yesterday. And you both look really nice too."
Just then, Anita's eyes flicked past them. She watched as Miridald's car rejoined the road—and right behind it, a sleek white Range Rover Vogue turned into the parking lot.
The boys noticed her distracted stare and turned to look as well.
The car parked with poise. A tall, stylish boy stepped out—almost the same height as Edward. His features were sharp, his fashion on point, and his skin was a few shades lighter than Edward's.
Mdachi's expression shifted immediately. Arms crossed, he stared at the new arrival with a look of nonchalance.
Sighing, he muttered under his breath, "Edric."