A minute later, her phone rings again. She thinks it is Joe phoning back again, but it is a woman’s voice.

“How are you, Nothando? It’s your mother, Ma Ntuli.”

Nothando is very surprised.

“Hi, Ma, how are you?”

“My child, I just wanted to apologise for the treatment I gave you, and for accusing you of dating your father. I am so sorry. I know now that it’s actually another young girl, not you. I should not have listened to my sister’s gossip.”

“I am so sorry, Ma. It must be very painful for you to hear about this.”

“Yes. I have kicked my husband out the house since he confessed. That’s how I found out the truth. Please come home, my daughter. I miss you.”

Nothando doesn’t know what to say.

“Thank you Ma, but I can’t come now. I have to help my friend who is in hospital.”

She has just finished her call with Mrs Ntuli when her phone rings again. This time it’s Precious.

“Hi chomi, how are you?” Precious asks.

“I am well friend. How are you feeling? I can hear from your voice that you sound better than when I was there with you.”

“Yes, I am feeling much better after talking to the doctor, who was very kind to me. He said I should not be so very worried about my illness because it’s manageable now, unlike the olden days. He said if I keep a positive attitude and look after myself properly and take my ARVs, my baby and I can live a long and healthy life. He also helped me with advice about my pregnancy.”

“That’s wonderful news, friend. I will also keep you in my prayers. Hurry up and get well so that you can come back home very soon. Don’t forget to ring me if you need anything.”

“OK cool. Bye chomie.”

Back at the flat, Nothando sits down on the couch. She is feeling exhausted but very relieved that she has officially ended things with Joe, and that Precious is going to be OK. But now she has other worries. Her conversation with Mrs Ntuli is preying on her mind. What will she do when she finds out it is Nothando’s friend who is her husband’s blessee? She will think Nothando was in on it all along. And how can Nothando let her know that she might now be HIV positive?

She is also regretting what she told Sduh that day at church about having second thoughts about Sipho, and that he saw her climbing into the blesser’s car.

What if Sduh contacts Sipho and tells him that I said I don’t want to marry him anymore and that I’m seeing someone else? she worries. But surely I would know if that happened? I speak to Sipho almost every day, mos, and he would have told me if he knows something.

She throws herself on the couch, exhausted after her long, difficult day, her mind still on her troubles.

It’s time I was honest with him, she thinks. I need to tell him what happened, and that I almost did something very stupid, before someone else tells him first.

Her heart sinks at the thought of how close she came to losing him.

I cannot believe I almost threw away the love of my life over searching for a ticket to a financially free life! I am glad I ended it sooner, before losing myself in the situation.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a knocking at the door. Puzzled, she gets up to open it. She cannot believe her eyes when she sees who it is standing there.

“How are you baby?” Sipho says, staring at his girlfriend with his eyes filled with love.

“Sipho! What are you doing here? I had no idea you were coming to Durban,” says Nothando with excitement and shock.

“I know. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well it worked. I am really surprised! Come in and sit down. My friend Precious is not at home.”

Sipho sits down on the couch.

“What would you like to drink?” Nothando asks him.

“Some juice would be good, thank you baby.”

Nothando walks to the kitchen to get the juice, her mind busy, planning how to tell her boyfriend about Joe.

“I’m so glad you came, my love, because I have something serious to tell you,” she says, handing him the juice.

“OK great, because I am here to tell you something too,” he smiles.

“OK, you can start, Sipho.”

“I want to ask you to come back with me to Cape Town. I have a good job now, and I’ve rented a house there for both of us to move into together.”

“Whaaaaat?” She hugs him. “It’s like you knew I wanted to relocate from all this mess my life is in. I have even been applying for jobs out of Durban.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased. Now your turn baby. What is it you want to tell me?”

Nothando opens her mouth and closes it again.

“No baby, forget I said it. I’ll tell you some other time. It’s not important anyway.”

***

Tell us: What will happen to Nothando and Precious? Do you think they will both succeed in life? How? Should Nothando tell Sipho what almost happened?