The girls return to the waiting room. On their way there, Cynthia spots Agnes and approaches her, to Bina’s alarm. Bina watches from a distance, afraid to go near.

CYNTHIA: Mrs Moholo!

Agnes looks at her disapprovingly.

CYNTHIA: You don’t recognise her, do you?

Agnes glances over at Bina, her expression unchanged.

AGNES: What is it now? I have a line of girls just like her to see to.

CYNTHIA: You make it sound as if all these girls got here on their own.

AGNES: No, I know they didn’t get into these situations alone. But you girls want to grow up too fast. You all want to be blessed with luxuries from older men, and then have to come and sit here on a Saturday to deal with the consequences. No, I’m tired of seeing it. I want you to respect yourselves, take some responsibility.

CYNTHIA: You think that’s what really happens? It’s so easy? Do you think it’s nice to sit here and be insulted by people like you?

AGNES: I don’t have time for this. Go now, you don’t even need to be here.

CYNTHIA: What about your son? Should he not take responsibility?

Agnes freezes. She looks, startled, at Cynthia. Cynthia wears a sad smile on her face.

AGNES: What are you talking about?

Cynthia looks over at Bina.

CYNTHIA: She didn’t get into this alone. Desmond made promises. He didn’t want to use protection. He said he would be insulted if she pushed for it. Tell me, how much is his conscience bothering him? Is he worried about HIV? About having to have an abortion on a Saturday morning?

AGNES: I don’t believe it. Desmond is not like that.

Cynthia chuckles, humourlessly.

CYNTHIA: We all believe what we want to believe. You want to believe your son is a saint, that the girls who come in here are irresponsible. Bina believed Desmond would be heartbroken if she refused to have sex without a condom. I don’t know what Desmond believed. Maybe Desmond believes he is invincible.

Agnes calls Bina over. She approaches, terrified.

AGNES: Is what she’s saying true? That my son Desmond is the one who you were with? Who you say talked you into having unprotected sex?

Bina nods.

AGNES: (to herself) What have I done?

BINA: Sorry, ma?

AGNES: I thought he knew better. Bina, come. Let’s sit.

Agnes looks extremely distressed, and she, Bina and Cynthia take a seat.

AGNES: Listen. I am… I am hard on you girls. Maybe it’s unfair. It is unfair. The thing is, I am angry, I want you to be careful. I want you to listen to me, to be afraid. Because I don’t want what happened to me to happen to you.

BINA: What are you saying?

AGNES: When I was your age, a man, older than me, made me his girlfriend, and spoiled me, and I thought I was all grown up. When it came time for sex, he didn’t want to use a condom. Oh, he made me feel ashamed, like I was dirty or something! He said he only needed a condom if I was sleeping with other people, and of course I wasn’t, and I wanted to prove to him that this was the case. But…

Agnes goes quiet for a moment.

AGNES: You can imagine. He was lying. I got pregnant… and… I also got HIV. I was pregnant with Desmond. I take all my medication, I live a healthy life now, but it was hard work. And telling people about it, back in those days! It was impossible. It’s easier now, but you still don’t need to put yourselves through it.

CYNTHIA: But Mrs Moholo … if you were pregnant with Desmond, then that could mean…

Agnes nods.

AGNES: He was born with HIV. He’s been on medication all his life. Which is why … I just don’t want to believe it. He knows he can infect someone.

Bina sits in shock, shaking with worry. Cynthia comforts her.

CYNTHIA: Whatever happens, Bina, you are not alone.

Melody calls Bina’s name from the waiting room. Startled, they look at each other.

Tell us: were you surprised by the twist in this story?