"And how did you know she would be here?"
Sindiswa looked up at Bonisile. "We were about to have tea, want to join us?" Sindiswa said quickly, clearly running away from answering. Like Mandisa she didn't wait for an answer but rushed into the kitchen. Mandisa turned to Bonisile and crossed her arms on her chest. "What is going on?" She asked sternly.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Bonisile replied innocently.
"Yes you do and you better tell me right now."
Bonisile shrugged again. "I told you I'm just here to borrow keys."
Mandisa didn't believe her and her face said as much. "If you don't tell me what is going on this instant, I'll…"
"Okay, okay, okay." Bonisile said resigning. When Mandisa lost her temper, which no one wanted to be around for, she turned into a terrifying shrewd no one wanted to face. "Sindi and Khanyi have been staying here for a while now."
Mandisa frowned confused. "Staying here? Why?"
Bonisile bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure if it was her place to tell Mandisa why her other sisters were invading her house.
"Bonisile!" Mandisa said firmly.
"Sindi is running away from her brother in law. Apparently he is in town and making her life difficult." Bonisile told her. Revealing that much seemed to cost her a lot that she reached for her bag and fished inside for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Mandisa disapproved of her smoking but at that moment she was more concerned about what Bonisile had said than about her lungs.
"What are you talking about?" Mandisa wanted to know but Bonisile was no longer interested as she lit up her cigarette and blew smoke out of her mouth. Mandisa took a step towards her intending to snatch her cigarette away but then she changed her mind and headed for the kitchen. "Sindi!" She called out to her sister. Sindi who had offered tea to her sister was standing by the kettle but showed no sign of preparing the beverage.
"Is it true?" Mandisa asked attacking Sindi. She was a lawyer through and through and didn't know how to get answers without interrogating. Sindiswa who feared Mandisa's temper worse than Bonisile refused to turn around and face her. She stared at the kettle as if all her solutions rested in there. Bonisile joined them.
"Why would I lie?" She asked blowing smoke all over the place. "He showed up a week ago and told Sindi that he was here to take Joy home with him." Mandisa looked at Bonisile confused. "He wants Joy to go live in Durban with his family." Bonisile explained.