Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Heavy For A Wednesday

"You boys are looking good this season."

Leaning back on the brown leather couch, I lace my hands behind my head. "It feels like we finally have all the right pieces in place to make a real run at it."

"Sibisi's winner last night," Karabo, our mutual therapist, begins. "That was a beautiful goal."

"Yeah, he made sure to show me the replay more than a few times over drinks afterwards."

Sibisi always plays better at home than away, so it's no surprise he's top of the scoring charts after our two weeks at Ellis Park. But Karabo knows Sibisi as well as I know my best friend, so there's no need to spell it out. He's always on top of his game when his family is in the ground.

I, on the other hand, thrive on the hate at away grounds. They've been doing my accent back at me from those terraces since I was nineteen, and I've become accustomed to being my own support system in every aspect of my life, football included.

"How are you feeling about Christmas?"

That question causes me to pause. I've tried to avoid thinking about the dreaded family holiday, but of course, Karabo was going to ask. He's been my therapist for almost a decade now. Our weekly sessions are typically just a conversation between two friends, but Karabo being Karabo, he always knows when to find the root of something deeper going on. And him knowing every single sordid detail of my family history, it's no surprise he brought this up with Christmas around the corner.