They give Zenande a lift and drop her off at the Bottlebrush informal settlement.
“Here is something, sisi.” Fezile gives Zenande R500. “I hope it helps you. Give me a call if you need anything.”

“Thank you very much, sisi. God bless you.”

Fezile bathes Likho when she gets to her house. Her heart breaks when she looks at her dry skin, with eczema in parts, showing signs of neglect. She puts her to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms.

“So what are we going to do about this child, my love?” says Lindani as they cuddle in bed.

“We have to try to get in touch with her mother.”

“And social workers, I guess.”

“Yes, of course. But we have to get in touch with her mother first. No matter what we may think of Hlengiwe she is still her parent, and children need their parents.”

Fezile wakes up the next day and buys new clothes for Likho as well as ointments for her skin and multivitamins to boost her immune system. In the few days while Likho is staying with them, Fezile sees her happy for the first time ever. Likho is always quiet in class but now Fezile realises that she has a beautiful smile.

These days with Likho are also the happiest she has seen Lindani. He plays with Likho and she follows him everywhere in the yard. Fezile watches Lindani working in the vegetable garden. Likho is playing on the grass as Lindani works and they are talking and laughing a lot.

Fezile imagines Lindani working the garden and laughing with their own child. A tear trickles down her cheek when she thinks that neither Njeko’s muthi, nor Pastor Ngubo’s holy water and oil, have helped her to conceive.

Days pass, and Likho’s mom is still nowhere to be found. Fezile finally comes to the hurtful realisation that she has to take Likho to social workers who have set up a place of safety for the victims of the fire in Manyaleni. It is a sombre moment when Fezile leaves Likho behind there. She is still in tears long after they have returned home.

She is still thinking about Likho as she lays her head on Lindani’s chest in their bedroom. “I miss my baby Likho. She is like my own child. If it were up to me she’d never leave my sight.”

“Don’t worry too much about her now. She is in a safe place,” says Lindani.

“I wish she could grow up in a loving household with two parents,” says Fezile.

“Don’t worry too much. Let’s just be thankful she is safe.”

“I’m also worried about the people of Manyaleni. Where are they sleeping after their shacks were burned down? The hall the municipality organised for them is already crammed. A lot of them have no place to go.”

“I read in the paper their ward councillor is saying he is still looking for a place for those people,” says Lindani.

“Ward councillors and their lies. You can’t trust them.”

“My love, you can’t help everyone. Problems never end,” says Lindani.

“I know, but I can’t help it.”

“The only thing we can do is pray to God to help those people because we ourselves don’t have the power to help them.”

“That’s true,” says Fezile.

“Let’s try for a baby again, my beautiful wife,” Lindani kisses Fezile.

Fezile runs her fingers down Lindani’s face. “Turn off the lights,” she says.

Tell us: Do you think Fezile should try to adopt or foster Likho, or is the biological mother always best?