The Seven, and their Wealth.

XII - Elijah

At this rate, focusing on anything was far too difficult and he hated himself for allowing it to snowball in this fashion. If it was not school having him in a nasty chokehold, it was the news that Naledi actually had moved on or the constant texts he was getting from a clingy Tshiamo – with whom he had not spoken to in two days. Absolutely nothing was making sense, and again, Elijah hated it.

It's not like he meant for things to get out of hand. Really, he did not.

As part of the top achieving alumni of Hilton College for Boys, it went without saying that every move after his high school days would be heavily monitored – especially when you are trying to worm your way through a degree as challenging as actuarial sciences.

It was his final year, but it was not one that was achieved by merely waking up, opening his laptop, writing exams, and resting his head at the end of the long days.

It was far more complicated.

In the Letsatsi family, good merit and achievement are valued above all else. A certain standard ought to be maintained, it's mainly why he was shipped off to boarding at the first chance he got. His father believed that such an environment would cultivate a spirit of maturity from a young age; I mean boarding schools were often cited as being places where students learn to take responsibility from young stages in their lives.

This meant that he would be exposed to the, arguably, most intense learning environment filled with boys who are equally as smart if not more. On the very first day of classes in the eighth grade, he had forgotten one of his textbooks and got the scolding of a lifetime that put him in the limelight. It was this day he learned that the pressure is real and it had gotten to him.

Elijah's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door.

'Come in,' he responded, clearing his throat.

Jordan cautiously opened the door to reveal a portion of his face.

Elijah knew what it meant.

'Hey champ, is it time to head out?'

Jordan opened the door wider and nodded – looking almost somber. This prompted Elijah, dressed in shorts and a vest, to get up from his bed and put on his black Yeezy slides.

After a week back home, Jordan was headed back for much longer this time around. Don't worry, it was nowhere bad. Like his older brother, Jordan was enrolled at a boarding school except it was not Hilton College – rather its bitter frenemy Michaelhouse. Also located in the undulating hills of the KwaZulu Natal countryside. The timing was rather interesting, on how Jordan was in his final year of high school while Elijah was in the final year of his degree.

Without him, the house was notably empty because Jordan was in fact the lifeblood that kept the house in its lively mood. Without him, it would be often dull, with Musa spending most of his time on the move and Alice also walking in and out of board meetings. Jordan quite literally was the only other person that would be around long enough to keep the family together, without him it all fell apart and Elijah hated it.

He missed the days when they could be a normal family where after a long day, they'd gather around the dinner table, enjoy a hearty cooked meal and exchange laughs over how ridiculous everything is.

The last of Jordan's stylish luggage was neatly fitted into the boot of Alice's Mercedes-Benz G-Class. She, too, was traveling out of the city for a few days. While most would revel at the idea of being home alone, for Elijah it was a norm. One he was indifferent to, even though he wishes he could be able to spend more time with his family.

It was going to be a long year.

'Where's mom?' he asked, opening the rear passenger door to invite Churchill and Sabine.