Bathandwa buys R90 worth of airtime, sits at a KFC, eats, and dials the number on the card. The call lasts thirty-five minutes. At the end she finally knows what Gogo owes. Debt has caught up with her. Bathandwa knows she will part with a hefty sum in order to wipe clean her grandmother’s debt.
She has to pull her thoughts back from despair, because she thinks way too far into the future and sees the same thing happening a year from now. Gogo will be suckered into debt again, unless Bathandwa finds steady work. The price of petrol and consequently food increases all the time. The pension is not enough to survive.
Being month-end weekend, Kokstad is buzzing. Bathandwa takes a taxi home and sits squashed next to a big lady who is carrying groceries. She brushes against the woman’s ten kilogram maize meal pack as she gets out of the taxi.
She is smacking the white powder off the leg of her black jeans when Che calls. As she walks on the gravel road taking her home, she chats to him.
“How did it go?”
“Terrible, Che. Gogo is in debt. She had no money in her cards because she is repaying all the loans she took.”
“Ag shame. Sorry to hear that.”
“Lucky that I have some cash, otherwise we would be starving for real.”
“Hey listen, send me your account details. I can send you some cash. It is not much but it will help.”
“Don’t stress, Handsome. I got it covered. I will let you know if I need help.”
“Cool. Where are you? What is that whistling?”
“On the gravel road going home. What you are hearing is the wind coming down from the mountains. We are in for a chilly night.”
“Stay warm, Beautiful. And please don’t be afraid to tell me if you need help. I am here for you.”
“Thanks, Che. I needed that.”
She still can’t believe she has finally found a genuine, kind and loving guy after the loser she dated in first year, the one who left her with a broken heart.
“Laters.”
Bathandwa quickens her steps as the wind picks up, whistling louder. Lights are on at home and she enters the yard just as the wind is about to tear clothes from the washing line. She has the clothes in a bundle as she enters.
There’s both a spiritual and physical warmth in the house. The smell of fresh baked bread and Gogo’s chicken soup fills every room. This aroma takes Bathandwa’s thoughts back to childhood for a second. Life was simpler then.
“Bathandwa you are back. I was about to send Noluthando to go buy airtime to call you.”
“I am back, Gogo.”
“You must be cold; have some soup and bread.”
“How come you are cooking? Are you feeling better? Where is Noluthando? She is the one who should be cooking,” says Bathandwa.
“Asleep. She did the washing earlier and got tired. Besides, the pills you gave me made the pain go away.”
Noluthando emerges from the bedroom with sleepy eyes.
“You back, Sis? How did it go? When are they paying back Gogo’s money?”
“Let her eat first and get warm,” says Gogo.
***
Tell us what you think: Is Bathandwa expecting too much responsibility from her younger sister?