It is swelteringly hot in the Durban city center. Taxis blare music up and down the streets and hoot at passengers on pavements. S’bongile is traveling in her small VW Polo Vivo and is in a hurry amid this bustle. She can’t wait to get to her office where has a meeting for a prospective catering contract for her recently started catering company.

Her cellphone buzzes in her pocket while she is waiting for the light to turn green. She recognises the cell phone number on the screen. It belongs to her sister, Thando. But her voice sounds different today, as S’bongile answers — her breathing is urgent.

“S’bo, hurry home!” says Thando, panting.

S’bongile has a puzzled look on her face.

“What, what happened?” asks S’bongile.

“Mama is sick, it has started again…”

“Whoa, Thando, I told her to go to the doctor before, did she go?” asks S’bongile, interrupting Thando.

“Oh S’bo, you know what Ma is like, she is stubborn, and she didn’t dare to go there,” says Thando, her voice trembling.

Then the traffic light turns green, but because she is on the phone, S’bongile doesn’t notice.

“Oh dear! It means that the old lady is determined to die…” S’bongile speaks, being interrupted by the hoots of cars behind her. “Please call me back, I’m hurrying somewhere,” she says, as she hangs up the phone, pressing the accelerator and turning the corner.

***

S’bongile opens her gate in the afternoon by pressing the remote control with her right hand and lifting it up to the window of her car. As the gate slowly opens, she drives her car inside. She pulls up into the parking and waits a few seconds before getting out. She sighs and looks at her phone to see the time. She sees 12 missed calls, including 10 from Thando and 2 from an unknown number.

Arriving here in Durban North, S’bongile became a domestic worker, working for the Tembe family, who is always busy. Bab’Tembe is a lawyer and his wife runs a large food-and-clothes store in town. Every time S’bongile looked at Mam’Tembe, she would be inspired and motivated to change her life. Mam’Tembe is S’bongile’s biggest inspiration to become what she is now. Mam’Tembe is a woman deeply immersed in Christianity and passionate about her life and work. S’bongile smiles a little as she leans back in her car seat thinking about how far she has come to be where she is now.

Leaving Mgababa behind, she was very passionate about what she wanted to do, to find a life that was right for her and her daughter, Adia, in every way. After a year of working for the Tembes, taking care of their three daughters, she decided to follow in Mam’Tembe’s footsteps by joining her church. The Tembe people treated her well. One day Mam’Tembe advised S’bongile to do short courses that would help her start her own business. They told her not to worry too much about Adia — they enrolled her in one of the expensive schools their daughters attended.

“Mommy!” says Adia, with pride, banging the car door.

S’bongile is a little shocked, then she returns to the world slowly and stops thinking.

“Yes, honey!” says S’bongile, shouting loudly, opening the door. “Look what Mama brought you, sweets!”

“Hayi, Ma, you always bring me sweets!” says Adia, showing disappointment.

“Calm down, Adia, I have good news! Let’s go inside the house and start praying, thank the creator,” says S’bongile, as she gets out of the car. She grabs Adia’s hand and pulls her inside the house.

They enter the house together and go into S’bongile’s bedroom. As soon as they come in, S’bongile takes the Bible sitting on the small table by the bed. “Let’s kneel and pray and give thanks.”

As soon as they finish praying, Adia starts to shake on the ground, and she convulses and averts her eyes.

“In the name of Jesus! By the name of Jesus, what is this demon abusing my child!!” says S’bongile, hissing loudly. Panicking, S’bongile picks up her phone and urgently calls Mam’Tembe.

“S’bongile, calm down, sister, what’s going on?” asks Mam’Tembe.

“It’s Adia, it has started again…she convulsing…” S’bongile gasps.

“OK, calm down, sister, do you remember how we were last time? Just calm down, try to talk to her, this will pass now…just try to talk to her in a low voice,” says Mam’Tembe on the phone, speaking in a low voice herself.

“OK, I’ll do it like that, I’ll do as you say…” says S’bongile, “thank you very much, Ma.”

She holds Adia for a few seconds, shaking her, and then she lets go.

As soon as Adia wakes up, S’bongile tells her the good news she has kept inside her about her meeting. Her meeting went well.

***

“Hello, Thando,” says S’bongile, exhaling, “I’m calling to find out how Ma is doing?”

There on her bed, she sits with her legs crossed. After all, it is night now, and Adia is fast asleep.

“Do you care, S’bo?” Thando asks over the phone.

“Oh, yes, Thando, after all, that’s my mother, what can I do…” S’bongile speaks, interrupted by Thando.

“Well, Sis, if you so well know that she’s your mother, when I was talking about her illness, you would’ve rushed to come home,” says Thando, “then I wouldn’t be the only one taking care of her.”

“Love, don’t talk like that, things are not as easy as you say…” says S’bongile, taking a deep breath, “and I always put her in prayer every time before I go to sleep.”

“In prayer? Heeee, don’t make me laugh, girl…you keep telling us about your prayers, the Qwabes need you and my niece back home,” says Thando, hanging up the phone

Tell us: Why do you think S’bongile is not rushing home?