As the other doctors left, and it was just the two of us, I took a deep breath and didn’t hold back on the truth.
“I’ve been having sex with my twin sisters.”
The doctor nodded, without an ounce of her composure falling away. Her English was good and her voice monotone. “Who initiated this behaviour?”
“It came from both sides. Just before I found out about the inheritance, I’d slept with our cousin…”
“And one thing led to another?” the doctor concluded. “Well, is there anything you’d like to discuss, or did you just want to tell someone?”
“Sorry?”
The doctor frowned; unsure if her English had been hard to understand.
“I’m just surprised you’re not lecturing me or prescribing pills,” I explained.
Smirking, the doctor took a step forward and placed her hand on her chin. “Have you been feeling out of control recently?”
“A little–”
“More often than not?”
“No.”
The psychiatrist nodded politely, taking mental notes and filing them away. “Sir, you do not present as someone in distress. However, I would advise proactive steps to ensure the sexual health of all partners involved.”
“Of course.”
“Will that be all?”
“Yes… Yes. Thank you, doctor.”
As I walked back into the villa after greeting the final doctor, I lost my way in the unfamiliar house. Part of me worried I might have returned to the mental haze I experienced in Cape Town. I had to stand still and take stock, before knowing exactly where I wanted to go next…
Finding the girls sitting by the pool, I decided it was time for a proper breakaway. No phones; no business.
“We’re going to Argentina.”
59 • The Fall(s)
We landed on a small airstrip that was a good two hours’ drive from our destination. Amanda had been left behind and our regular plane took her back to Texas as we needed to charter a smaller one for this leg of our travels.
I’d picked the destination in part because of its remoteness, but also because I wanted a second white-dress and black-suit moment with the girls. The area felt very safe, far away from everything, and I decided it had been too long since I got to chat to Alicia. So, I asked if I could ride shotgun with her. This was welcomed by everyone as the twins stacked into the car behind us with Skylar behind the wheel.
“Drive carefully!” I instructed the Aussie bodyguard, and she gave me a naughty smile in exchange. I had no doubt she’d entertain the girls with some adventurous off-roading.
We packed into our cars, excited for the trip ahead and the rare chance to see one of the wonders of the world. The Iguazu Falls looked breathtaking on pictures, so I couldn’t wait to see the real thing.
I was following the doctors’ instructions. Plus, this could be our honeymoon after the marvellous beach wedding.
Our route was a strange one, cobbled together on the plane as we tried to pick the most secure path. We’d be moving through backroads, kicking up dust as we cut through the forest. Alicia and I were alone in our car. The road was full of lumps and bumps — somewhere between rocky and muddy.
“How have you been?” I asked.
“Not too bad, sir. I’ve been enjoying seeing more of the world.”
“Have you been taking time for yourself?”
“Yes, sir. Not that I need it… I’m very content just sitting with work and nothing else.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Surely you must want more.”
“Like what?” Alicia asked sincerely.
“Love.”
My companion smiled a beautiful smile that lifted the mood in the car even as we hit a massive pothole. We simply laughed as our heads hit the roof of the car. For the next few minutes, we drove in silence.
We were making good progress; slowing down, speeding up, keeping pace with the convoy. There was jungle on either side of the road, but it didn’t encroach. We simply kept going straight, skipping over the bumps.
Then… Then.
There was a sudden screaming sound. Like a whistle.
Shooting straight at us, a rocket came flying from the trees to our right. Alicia gasped, grabbing the gearstick as she took evasive action. But we weren’t the target as the car ahead of us went up in flames. The men inside had no chance of survival!
Alicia didn’t waste a second, throwing the steering wheel with precision as we tried to make a break for it. One of our protection teams powered forward to take a firing position, but a second rocket soon extinguished their valiant attempt.
I desperately tried to find the car carrying my sisters. Our convoy was chaotic — I couldn’t tell which was theirs, couldn’t see them, couldn’t make sure they were okay… Suddenly, our vehicle shook as successive unending gunshots struck the bullet resistant windows. The thunks of the rounds embedded themselves in the thick glazing robbed me of my ability to breathe as my heart raced.
We picked up speed, gaining forward momentum. It seemed like we might get away, but a pick-up truck came racing in our direction slamming into our side.
There was no way we’d be getting back on the road.
“We need to get out of the car!” Alicia shouted. “Keep low and follow me.”
As we stumbled from the wrecked 4×4, Alicia fired shots into the windscreen of our attackers’ pick-up and I saw two men die. Keeping low, I circled ’round to meet her at the back and we started rushing deeper into the jungle. Footsteps to our right — the sound of rustling plants — drew another blast of fire from Alicia’s gun and I heard a man felled by the speeding bullet.
We kept moving; ducking, running, sliding, jumping over obstacles… We could hear people behind us and there were lots of them. Possibly half-a-dozen or more. Alicia fired a shot wildly in their direction to suppress their movements and they stopped running; moving more stealthily, now frightened by the prospect of death.
I jumped as suddenly a young man carrying a gun — far younger than me — appeared to our left. Alicia fired a close-range shot and took him down, grabbing my arm to keep us moving.
Having seen such vivid death, delivered at close range, I couldn’t help but throw up as we ran.
It was becoming darker under the trees and we were moving deeper into the heart of darkness. A fallen trunk, or maybe a large root, offered something to hide behind as we tried to regroup.
Alicia was a good markswoman; having learned to shoot from the day she was old enough to lift the gun, on that farm in South Africa.
She didn’t waste a single bullet.
Bang. Crack. Bang. Crack.
The tide had turned in our favour and as long as we kept this position, I thought we could fight them all off. One after the other, our attackers crumpled to the floor!
But then I felt it. The hard steel of a rifle against my back.
60 • Dear Sisters…
Dear sisters,
If you’re reading this letter, I’ve likely failed in my battle. It will open and close with me saying I love you more than I could ever have shown during my whole life. Around you, my heart always filled with kind things to say and adoration to proclaim.
Being your brother… Being more than that… No man could ask for more. No man could begin to deserve it.
Going forward, you will need to rely on each other more than ever. Your own special bond can endure anything except neglect, so nurture it.