Ever since baby Thulani had come into their home everything had changed. He had to be looked after all the time.

“Why don’t you fill the bath with water for me?” Mom asked. Patricia heard another beep on her phone. She turned her back on her Mom and read the text message.

R u coming or not?

“I don’t want to fill the bath with water! I don’t want to bath Thulani!” Patricia yelled, making an ugly face at her mother.

“What is the matter with you, Patty?” her mother responded calmly. “Thulani is only a small baby.”

Thulani had come into their lives only a few months ago. Since he came he had never seemed to stop crying. Patricia thought she would go crazy from the sound of his screaming. Mom kept saying that he would settle down soon. She said that he had to get used to his new family.

“You can’t take your bad mood out on an innocent child, Patty,” Mom said, shaking her head. “We’re his family now. We must take care of him.”

Patricia sighed deeply. “He never stops crying. I can’t stand it.”

“It’s just all so strange to him,” Mom said. “He misses his old home. He misses his mother.”

Patricia saw that her own mother was close to tears, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to get out of the house and meet Tefo. She knew Tefo wouldn’t wait much longer for her. He wasn’t the type of young man who spent his time waiting for a girl. He could have any girl he wanted. He only had to snap his fingers and most girls from school would go running to him. Patricia had always laughed at that kind of girl. She swore she never wanted to be like any of them. She had promised her Mom that she would not sleep around. Now she was behaving like a star-struck teenager.

“Where is Aunt Winnie? When is she coming to fetch her baby?” Patricia demanded.

Mom had tears in her eyes. “She’s not coming back, Patty. Aunt Winnie died recently. I explained everything to you when I brought Thulani home with me.”

“Sorry. I forgot,” Patricia lied.

“Now wena, how could you forget something like that?” Mom said, looking sternly at her daughter.

“I suppose I blocked it out,” Patricia lied again. She knew she had to get out of the house now and go to see Tefo.

Mom looked at her with concern – as Patricia knew she would. Patricia had recently become good at manipulating a situation to suit herself. “OK, go and meet your friend. But remember you must be back here by ten at the very latest, Patty.”

“Yes Mom,” Patricia said. “I’ll just go and wash my face and hands.”

Patricia disappeared into her bedroom. She pulled a brand new, white, strapless T-shirt from a box under her bed. She had also hidden a short denim skirt and a pair of very high-heeled, gold, strappy sandals. She pushed the clothes deep into her backpack and flung a few books on top. Then, grabbing some make-up and perfume, she pushed them into her bag. After that she washed her face and hands.

“See you later, Mom,” she called.

“Bye, sweetie!” Mom didn’t even look up because Thulani was crying very hard while she tried to feed him a bottle.

***

Tell us what you think: Should Patricia be going out to meet Tefo without her mother’s permission?