An oriental looking man with a Japanese accent spoke up on the tails of the big American's voice, "Two years ago my sister and her little boy were taken as hostages. I could not save my sister, but the boy is safe and I raise him now as my own."
One after the other of the group spoke up as their combined words broke the ice of the perceived judgmentalness of their gazes upon me.
Instead of being in a court filled with judges I was instead among a collective group of people, who all had their own experiences that enabled them to relate to how Anna and I felt in this moment.
Flint spoke up and I zoomed in on him. I hadn't been expecting him to say anything, "I was a boy growing on to be a young man as I was raised on a small farm in Minnesota. One night people came in the night and stole me, my brother and my sister because they thought we were special. There was a lot of testing done on us, but I escaped. I have unclear memories about virtually everything in my childhood. I can't even remember what my parents looked like. Tyre, you know how committed I am to saving children from the missions that I have undertaken through the years. Missions that you've helped me make a success many times over. I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say that if we do not tolerate such practices occurring in the greater outside world we most certainly do not tolerate such occurrences against one of our own!"
In the wake of his words there was a general noise of acceptance upon everyone's part seated around the table.
I nodded at Flint in thanks as I felt a tear slip down my face. Oddly I didn't feel embarrassed by the show of emotion.
A middle-aged woman with skin as black as coal spoke smoothly into the quiet aftermath of the entire group's affirmation of Flint's words, "Perhaps now that you have heard our stories you will feel more at ease at sharing your own." She stated in her beautifully accented Ethiopian voice.
I nodded, "Where do you want me to start?"
"From the beginning and please do not leave anything out even if it sounds trivial to your own ears. Everything is useful in helping us to build a picture of how it will be best to save your son."
I started my story with Anna and I and I made my way through what already felt like it had been years long into the making of the reality of the past few days.