They spent a long time at the police station, sitting on the wooden bench and waiting for an officer to become available.

“Not screwed,” Airtime said under his breath.

“Say what?” K8 asked. She was playing with the end of one of her dreadlocks.

“Nothing. These places make me nervous. I have to keep reminding myself I’m not in trouble.”

“I hear you,” said K8. “I’ve been in a lot of police stations. Too many.”

“Because of your graffiti?” asked Airtime.

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes? What else have you been arrested for?”

Before K8 could answer, a policewoman came into the room. She had braided hair and was holding a bulging file.

“Mfundo?” she asked.

Airtime got up. “That’s me,” he said.

She walked out, and Airtime followed her down a corridor to a side room with a table and two chairs. She pulled one out for Airtime and sat down next to him.

“Thank you for coming to us about the robbery,” she said, putting down the file.

“Did you catch them?” Airtime asked.

The policewoman shook her head. “We sent a patrol car, but it was too late. We contacted the owner of the house, though.”

“Oh,” said Airtime, disappointed.

“I’ll need you to make a statement,” said the policewoman. “But first, could you go through these pictures?”

She opened the bulging file in front of Airtime. It was full of photographs of people’s faces.

“Please tell me if any of these men are the ones you saw robbing the house.”

Airtime looked through the pictures one by one. They were mostly pictures of angry, scary-looking guys.

Halfway down the pile, Airtime stopped and stared at one of the pictures.

“Is this one of them?” asked the policewoman.

Airtime shook head, still staring at the picture.

“Nah,” he said. “Nah, it’s not.”

It was a middle-aged man with a round face and a familiar welcoming smile.

It was Sbu’s uncle.

Image: Andy Carter, CC-BY

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  What should Airtime do? If you were in his position, would you tell the cops that you knew Sbu’s uncle?