Bonisile, abandoned at the tender age of eight months, had been raised by her father. Sibongile had been kind enough to leave her with someone who actually cared about her; Like Sindiswa adoptive mother, Bonisile's father had passed away when she was sixteen. By then Bonisile was a model and earning enough money to be able to take care of herself.
Khanyisile wasn't that lucky. Sibongile had left her in the hospital an hour after giving birth to her and she had been taken to an orphanage like Mandisa, but unlike Mandisa the orphanage she went to wasn't kind or tolerant. She had suffered emotional, physical and mental abuse that left permanent scars. Although Khanyisile was older than Sindiswa, they all considered her the youngest.
The kettle boiled and Mandisa made her tea. Thinking about the past didn't necessary put her in a bad mood as it usually did. Whenever she thought about how she and her sisters had suffered, Mandisa saw red. She could honestly say she hated her mother. The woman didn't deserve to be called a mother and she was glad that she was dead.
Mandisa took her tea to the kitchen table and just as she was about to sit, she heard a rattling sound coming from the living room. Taking her cup along she went to the living room to investigate. The sound came from the door and before she could cross the living room, the door opened and in came Sindiswa.
Sindiswa froze upon seeing her. "You back." She said surprised. Mandisa smiled at her.
"And not a day sooner." Mandisa said raising her cup as if toasting and then she took a sip.
"I didn't expect you to be back so soon. Why didn't you call us and let us know you were back?" Sindiswa asked closing the door. Mandisa shrugged.
"I was going to do that as soon as I was feeling like myself again." Mandisa said eyeing her sister above her cup. Something was wrong with Sindiswa. Mandisa sensed it immediately. Sindiswa appeared agitated and not her usual calm soft spoken self. She kept on playing with the keys in her hands and her eyes refused to meet Mandisa's as if she was guilty of something.
"Tea?" Mandisa asked raising her cup towards Sindiswa. She didn't wait for an answer but turn back to the kitchen certain that Sindiswa would follow.
Although they had recently found each other, Mandisa loved and trusted all her sisters. They all had keys to each other's houses so they could come and go as they pleased. It was an arrangement that served them well. In case Sindiswa was in the neighborhood and needed something, it could be anything from a change of clothes, a place to crash or something to eat. In case the owner of the place could not be available to assist then whichever sister was in need would let herself in and help herself to whatever she needed. Because of that it didn't cross Mandisa's mind to ask what Sindiswa was doing there. However while in the kitchen turning the kettle on again, she wondered if Sindiswa presence at her house was more than just her need for a change of clothes, something to eat or a place to crash.