Chapter 21: New Apartment
The sun was already dipping low by the time Mr. Stein’s Toyota Camry eased into the small parking lot outside the boys’ new apartment block.
The compact red-brick building stood modestly along a quiet residential street, its snow-dusted roof catching the last golden rays of the winter sunset.
This unassuming structure, sponsored by the academy to house its international recruits, would be their home for the foreseeable future.
Amani pressed his face against the car window, studying the building with quiet intensity. Just that morning, he and Malik had officially checked out of their hotel, where they’d spent their first couple of nights adjusting to life in the Netherlands.
The hotel had been comfortable enough with a decent twin room with stronger WiFi, better computers, and a breakfast buffet that Malik had treated like an all-you-can-eat challenge. But it never felt like home.
This apartment, though? This was theirs.
As they stepped out of the car, the cold air bit at Amani’s cheeks, but the excitement warming his chest made the chill bearable.
He grabbed his duffel bag from the trunk, the weight of his few possessions a stark reminder of how little he’d brought from Kenya. Everything that mattered to him now fit in one bag, except for his dreams. Those wouldn’t fit in any luggage.
"Welcome to your new home," Mr. Stein announced, his breath forming small clouds in the frigid air as he led them toward the entrance. "The academy provides housing for all international recruits. You’ll be here for at least the next six months."
The building’s entrance was clean and modern, with a small security desk manned by an elderly gentleman who nodded at Mr. Stein with familiar recognition.
The elevator hummed softly as it carried them to the third floor, where Mr. Stein produced a set of keys that jingled like wind chimes in his hand.