The next few days are strange in the Nxongo household. Sandile is angry and unapproachable. He doesn’t even touch his newborn son. Every day he wakes up early in the morning and sits under the shade of a tree. He does this despite the howling winter wind. He stares at the same spot on the ground for hours. Sandile is not one to believe in muthi, but he is sure now that Naidoo and Nancy have cast a muthi spell on him.

This day, he acts the same way. His mother watches him for a long time. She eventually decides to confront him. Her arthritis is killing her in the cold weather, but she wants to speak to her son today. She sits next to him. Sandile is so deep in thought he does not realise she is there.

“Sandile my child, I don’t know where or how to begin speaking to you because you are not yourself since you came back from Johannesburg. You are cold and distant. What is wrong, my boy? You are losing weight, you don’t eat, you don’t speak,” she grabs Sandile’s hands. “Tell me, whatever it is. I’ll understand, I am your mother.”

Sandile looks at the ground. He looks into his mother’s eyes, then back to the ground. He shakes his head, wipes away tears, and removes his hands from his mother’s hold. He gets up without saying a word and doesn’t look back at his mother as he goes into the house.

Xolile finds him sitting on the bed, staring into a void.

“Sandile, is my presence in your home the cause of all of this? Am I and my child the cause of you acting like this? If it is so, tell me so I can leave with my baby,” Xolile says.

Tears pool in Sandile’s eyes. “Xolile, you are not part of this problem, neither is the baby.”

“Then what is wrong, Sandile? Just tell me, I am here for you. Your mother is here for you. Did you …” Xolile hesitates. “Did you get HIV in Johannesburg?”

“Thinking the worst of me is the only thing you are good at Xolile! I’ve done everything I can to show you love. I risked my life, sleeping on the streets of Johannesburg for you! I robbed people so I could send you money while I ate from rubbish bins.”

Sandile stands up and faces Xolile.

“Damn you, Xoli! Have you ever once thanked me? No! The only thing you are good at is asking for money day and night. I’m in this mess because you always wanted money. And now you accuse me of having HIV?”

“What is this mess that you are talking about? Just let me know, Sandile.” Xolile pleads.

Sandile becomes hysterical. “Every time you called you didn’t ask how I was. You never cared for my wellbeing. The only thing you wanted was money. You never asked how I was, how I slept or if I’d eaten.”

Xolile is scared, ashamed, disappointed and sorry at once. She acknowledges that she only called to demand money from Sandile, that she never even asked if he had work.

“Sandile I’m sorry. But I’m here for–”

His cellphone buzzes. He wipes away a tear and reads the message from Naidoo.

Make fast. What is taking u so long? Get me something today or your family dies.

Sandile grabs his backpack and rushes out, leaving Xolile confused.

He makes his way to a hill. He can see children walking in the distance. He checks his materials in the backpack – panga, balaclava, gloves. He runs into the woodland through which the children will pass.

***

Tell us: Is Sandile’s complaint about Xolile justified?