That night Thandi lay awake, unable to sleep. Babalwa was lying curled up in bed, fast asleep, looking like she didn’t have a care in the world. At one time the sisters were very close − but not anymore. Thandi was thinking hard. It was about three months ago now that Babalwa had started behaving very strangely. Thandi wondered if something had happened and her sister wasn’t telling her.

Thandi checked her school bag to make sure that she had everything ready for the next day. Babalwa had been suspended from school for a week. It was like she didn’t care. But Thandi cared very much. She hated it when Babalwa did all these bad things. When her sister had been called into the school office she told the principal that she was Thandi. The school had decided to put them in different classes after that.

“Why are you sitting there staring at me like that?” Babalwa suddenly opened her eyes and looked at her sister.

“I’m just wondering when you are going to stop doing all these bad things, Babalwa.”

Babalwa shrugged her shoulders. “I like being bad.”

“No, you don’t,” Thandi said. “What you do is bad enough, but then to blame everything on me − that’s worse still. The teachers at school know that you’re trying to make a fool of them. They won’t tolerate it for much longer, Babalwa. You’ll get expelled from school, and what will you do then?”

“I’ll lie in bed half the day,” Babalwa yawned, as if she was bored. “Then I’ll watch all my favourite shows. And of course I’ll drive you and Gogo crazy with how I carry on.”

“It’s like you’ve turned into a different person.” Thandi wanted to cry, but she wasn’t going to break down in front of her sister. If she did, she would never hear the end of it. Babalwa would make fun of her for weeks.

“Oh, goodnight Miss High and Mighty,” Babalwa sneered, turned over and closed her eyes.

That was another thing that Babalwa had started doing: calling Thandi names.

“You can make as much fun out of me as you like, Babalwa, but if I ever hear you talking to Gogo like you did earlier, I’ll make you pay.”

“What are you going to do? She’s just a silly old woman anyway.”

“Have you no respect? That ‘silly old woman’ as you call her, raised you. I will not have you disrespecting her!”

“You’re boring me, sis,” Babalwa said. But Thandi felt as if she had hit a nerve. She stood up and went to look in on Gogo, who was lying curled up in bed. She looked frightened.

“My sight might be failing me, but there’s nothing wrong with my ears. What on earth has happened to that child? She used to be such a sweet girl.”

“I know, Gogo,” Thandi said. She stroked her granny’s hands tenderly. She loved her so much. She didn’t want her sister’s nasty tongue and her nasty ways hurting Gogo.

Thandi sat with Gogo until she fell asleep. By the time she climbed back into bed she was exhausted. But still she couldn’t sleep. She was angry with her sister but she was also frightened for her. She wondered what she could do to help Babalwa. Something had happened to make her sister change.

***

Tell us what you think: What is wrong with Babalwa?