The Khumalos were, at last, moving into their new home. The morning had been filled with ups and downs of boxes and furniture making their way to the house. Dan and Sihle had arrived earlier to help with the big move. Sheila was all over the house admiring the ceramic tiles, praising the spacious kitchen and the freshness of a new house that smelt of new beginnings.

MaKhumalo had been on her feet all morning, choreographing the move and cleaning the new house. She was so busy she’d forgotten about the deposit and the bank notifications, and she’d left everything in Busi’s hands. Now they’d just moved the last bit of the furniture into the house, and MaKhumalo served everyone refreshments. They all drank the cold drinks in silence, drinking away the tiredness and allowing time for their muscles to relax.

Busi drank almost nothing of her sizzling Coke. Her glass was shaking along with her hand, and she almost dropped it when Dan’s phone rang.

“Please excuse me for a while,” Dan said, going outside. The ladies just agreed with head gestures and began the task of setting up a new house.

While Sheila and MaKhumalo were busy deciding where the family portraits should be hung in the living room, Busi snuck outside, mumbling something about checking that the gate was closed.

Dan was hanging up his call when she came outside, and he looked anxious.

“Busi, my patience is wearing thin! Where is the money?”

“Don’t scream. I’m here in front of you,” Busi interjected with a cracking voice.

“Where’s the damn 10K Busi? That was my boss – he wants to know what happened to the deposit? And he’s not a man you want to deal with!”

“The guy disappeared on me.” She looked down at the ground.

“And how is this my problem? If you don’t pay me now, I’ll have to sell the house to someone else. This is not on me, sister! I need the money, and I need it now. You have no idea how much trouble you’ve caused me. I could be fired. Pay me now, or am telling your grandmother the truth.”

“Busi, what truth is he talking about?” Gogo’s shadow crossed the ground as she made her way to Dan and Busi. She laid her hands on her hips, and her eyes pierced straight into Dan’s.

He shrugged and looked at Busi.

“I am sorry, Gogo, but I haven’t received the deposit yet, and that was my boss on the call asking about it. You’ll have to pay today or …” His words pricked the wound in Busi’s heart.

“Tjooo! Bathong, what are you telling me, Dan? Busisiwe, what’s going on?” Gogo’s hands rapidly moved from her hips to over her head.

“Keng MaKhumalo?” Sheila rushed to Gogo with Sihle tailing her.

“I lent Thabani the money…he was supposed to bring it by today, but he hasn’t responded to my messages or calls,” Busi laid out her story. “And I don’t even know where he lives – we always met at the tavern or at Gogo’s place.”

“That thug again! Did I not tell you to leave him alone! Now he’s cost me a whole house!” Makhumalo cried out.

“And you, how could you be silent about this? Who is the elder between you and Busi?” Sheila shot out at Dan, who was now sandwiched between the angry ladies.

“It’s not my fault that your beloved granddaughter here is not to be trusted!”

“Tjoo bathong!” MaKhumalo cried out even louder now, stomping on the ground, raising dust that caused a grey cloud amongst them, almost covering up Busi’s face, flooded with tears.

“I know where this boy lives! We can go and try to get the money back…that’s if he’s still there,” Sihle suggested and Gogo calmed down slightly.

“Or we’ll take the police with us…he’ll have to pay us back!” Sheila emphasised with a clench of her fists.

“I’ll be here to collect the money later. I don’t care how you get it …it’s either today or no house at all,” Dan said, moving away from the furious ladies. He turned back.

“I’m sorry I got caught up in all this in the first place, Gogo.”

As he left, he could hear Busi sobbing softly as the others interrogated her.

Tell us: What do you think Dan could have done better in this situation?