"Over my dead body!" Mandisa roared. She turned to Sindiswa again. "Why didn't you tell me? I spoke to you guys almost every single day. Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I was hoping he would go away." Sindi said in a pathetic little voice. Her eyes remained fixed on the kettle.
"That is no excuse." Mandisa scold her. "You should have called me the minute he showed up." She said furiously. Sindi burst into tears. Mandisa felt like a jackass. She quickly went to her sister and put her arms around her. Bonisile headed for the window, she opened it and ash outside.
"I'm sorry." Mandisa said lovingly. "I didn't mean to yell at you."
"He claims that Joy belongs to them and they have a right to take him and raise him in Durban." Sindiswa wept "Like hell they do!" Mandisa spat out and pushed Sindiswa away from her. "Where the hell were they this past two years? They didn't show any bloody damn interest in him when he was born and now they claim he is theirs?"
Bonisile shrugged unaffected by Mandisa's anger. "He is suing for custody." She said flicking her cigarette out the window and closing it.
"Custody?" Mandisa screamed out the word. "I'll show him custody, that good for nothing swine! First he married you when you were hardly legal, then he impregnated you and threw you out just because his family didn't approve of you. Who the hell does he think he is?" Mandisa asked shaking with anger.
"Actually…" Sindi said lamely. "Tumi is not the one suing for custody. It's his brother, Tebogo."
"Tebogo?" Mandisa asked looking at her.
"Hence the term brother in law." Bonisile offered. She walked to the table, sat down and helped herself to the cup of tea originally made for Sindi. Mandisa ignored her and looked at Sindiswa.
"You said he resides in New York or did I get that wrong?"
Sindiswa shook her head. "He is back."
"To make our little sister's life a living hell." Bonisile added. Sindiswa burst into tears again.
"I don't know what to do." She cried. "Tumi is in the hospital and Tebogo…" She couldn't finish as she choked on her sobs. Bonisile took it upon herself to finish Sindiswa's sentence.
"…scares the bee Jesus out of Sindi. I haven't met the guy myself but from what she and Khanyi have told me, he is the devil himself."
"And where the hell is Tumi?" Mandisa asked looking at Sindiswa. Realizing that Sindiswa was too upset to provide an answer, she turned to Bonisile.
"In the hospital." Bonisile offered. "Apparently he was involved in a car accident."