Naledi noticed the trash that Tshepo had not taken out. “How many times do I have to tell him to take out the trash when he goes to work?” she said to herself.

Feeling exhausted, she grabbed the black plastic bag and headed outside—or at least tried to—when her phone suddenly rang from the sitting room stand. The screen lit up, showing that it was a call from ‘tymer’.

She let out a deep sigh, feeling the urge to smash her head against the wall. “Papa.”

“Nana, I’m not calling to trouble you this time,” Simon—her father—teased, with a little chuckle coming through the line.

“Well, thank goodness for taking a day off, Tymer,” Naledi said, gripping the plastic tightly as she took it outside. On the way, she unhooked a bunch of keys. “How’s mom?”

“Worried. Your biological mother called and said your twin sister is ready to meet,” he replied, letting out a disgruntled sigh, clearly concerned about his ex-wife.

For Naledi, however, it was a different story. Her heart was overjoyed. She had always wanted to meet her sister ever since she found out she had a twin. Their biological mother was the hindrance between the girls, always telling Dinaledi to demand money for groceries and then using it for alcohol.

Naledi pushed open the butler door and headed towards the gate. “Tell her it’s fine. I know the person you are worried about is not Dinaledi.” Outside, it was chilly, with a heavy wind blowing and a visible fog of dust. Autumn had arrived. She clutched her gown tightly, as if the wind could blow her away at any minute. “Don’t worry if she tries to do anything, Tshepo will take care of it.”

“I trust Tshepo, but I want you to be safe. We don’t know why she finally agreed to meet without demanding money. As my child, I know how naive you can be, and that’s why you live a simple life in a big house.”

“You always tell me,” Naledi paused to unlock the small gate entrance, “but that’s why I have you, Mom, and Tshepo to be my intuition.”

“Then if that’s the case, meet her at your house where Tshepo can watch over you.”

“Mm, so that’s your plan of being a CCTV. I’m grown up now, you don’t have to worry too much.” She opened the black dustbin. “I also know you have a spy called my husband who tells you everything that happens in my house.”

“He’s not a spy, call him a good son-in-law.”

“Remember, Tymer, you are my father, not his.” Naledi smiled as if her father could see her.

“Nana, is it windy there? I can hear wheezing on the line.”

“A little bit.”

“Go inside now before you catch a cold. I’ll send your sister’s contact information.”

“Bye, Tymer.”

Naledi, on her way back to the house, caught sight of a baby’s blanket between the wall and the bush tree she had planted two years ago. It was a light blue blanket with violets on it. “Could this be a trap to get robbed?” she wondered as she surveyed the quiet and lonely neighborhood. There were no cars and no people around.

Her feet led her to the blanket to see what it could be. With every passing minute, her worry mixed with curiosity rose, as she anticipated finding out and being put at ease.

She knelt down when she saw an infant’s face – blue. Naledi knew very well what it meant: a mother had abandoned her baby. Pressing the back of her palm to her forehead, she realized the baby was cold. “How long has she been here? Could she be dead? Her pulse is faint.”

In shock, Naledi dialed Tshepo’s number. “Hello, Tshepo, you need to come back. There’s a dying baby on our pavement.”

“Nana, calm down. Take her to the hospital, and I’ll meet you there.”

***

“Nana! How’s the baby?” Tshepo asked, joining Naledi at the hospital waiting area.

“She was unresponsive but pulled through. Who would do such a thing? Life is unfair, really unfair.”

He pulled her towards him, gently caressing Naledi’s back. “Calm down, it’s fine.”

“Can you go to the police station and report it? I’ll stay here until I get an update about the baby.”

Tshepo nodded.