“What?” Babalo demands. “Spha? Your face, it’s gone like … grey?”

“I’m going to have to drop this thing after all.” Spha stares at his phone, then slides it back into his pocket. “They… It’s not just me they’re threatening now.”

“Your family?” They stare at each other. “Me?”

“All of you.” He hopes she won’t ask for details.

She shakes her head. “You didn’t care when it was you they were threatening–”

“I did. I was terrified.”

“But you weren’t backing down. Only now, when it’s someone else they’re threatening, you’re ready to pack it in. What does that say about you?”

“That I care about you?” He’s puzzled, not sure what she’s really asking. “Care about your safety.”

“More than you care about your own safety.”

“Isn’t that normal?”

Babalo laughs. “Normal for you, anyway. You don’t need to worry about me, Spha. I know how to take care of myself, but I get that you’re worried about your mother and Pumla. So what will you do?”

“Maybe nothing.” He’s scowling. “I don’t know if I can bring myself to say I made a mistake like they want me to. That would be such a lie.”

“And it would probably hurt you physically to tell a lie,” she teases.

“But maybe if I just do and say nothing more, they’ll think I’ve let it go, and leave you and my family alone.”

“And it will eat away at you, won’t it? Packing it in?”

Spha tries for a casual shrug. “Then that’s the price I’ll have to pay.”

Better than having something happen to the people he loves most.

Babalo pulls a face. “Isn’t there something – anything – else that you can do?”

He laughs, although it’s not really funny. “Why are you so otherwise? You’ve been wanting me to mind my own business. Now suddenly it’s another story.”

“Because I know you, Spha.” She reaches over and takes his hand, squeezing it. “But I won’t pressure you anymore, either way. I already feel like I’m turning into one of those nagging girlfriends … Only, just let me share this idea I had when you told me about Mr Sibuyi, and how he didn’t exactly spring into action.”

“I still can’t believe it.”

“I think he’s scared he’ll get into trouble if it all comes out and what’s-his-name, the owner, has to be told. Because he should probably have picked up that something was going on.”

Spha thinks about this.

“He was definitely worried about something. Yes, it makes sense.” He sighs. “Nothing I can do about it now.”

Tell us: Will it be enough to keep Babalo and his family safe if Spha just keeps out of things, or does he need to lie and say he made a mistake?