"So what is your plan?" Rose Motsepe asked her son.
Tebogo didn't answer. His attention was on the road or rather it should be but all he seemed to be doing lately was to think of Mandisa. She had some how gotten under his skin and try as he might he couldn't shake her off. She was like a virus that he had no cure for. And that kiss, it had just made things worse. He couldn't remember the last time he had the need for a cold shower because of an erection. He was choosy about the women he bedded and unlike most men he didn't mind waiting until he got to know a woman well before sleeping with her, in fact he preferred dating a woman for at least six weeks before seducing her. He had known Mandisa for four weeks and had only seen her three times but he wanted her so badly it frightened him. And it was all because of one simple kiss.
"I still don't understand how you could let her have an upper hand." Rose was saying. "What is it about her that makes you not deliver? Should I remind you that you are the head of this family and it is your duty to protect your brother?"
"You protect him well enough." Tebogo answered. He also was wondering what it was about Mandisa that made him act like a lustful, dimwitted animal. He had lied to himself when he had thought he had covered the entire base. He hadn't asked the investigator to look into Tumi's life before marrying Sindi. He hadn't thought of it which was stupid. Tumi was trouble. Always has been and always will be.
"Well I can't do it all by myself." Rose grumbled. "It's too much and I'm not as young as I used to be." Tebogo looked at her. She was right. She wasn't young, she was pushing sixty though one couldn't tell by looking at her. She did however look tired and weary. Perhaps it was because she spent all her time worrying about Tumi and what everyone was saying about her family.
"Maybe you should stop then." Tebogo said. "Tumi should learn to stand on his own two feet and fight his battles."
"You know he can't." Rose said staring outside the window. "Tumi is not as independent as you. He wouldn't know how to take care of himself even if he had a step by step handbook."
Tebogo's eyes expanded and he stepped on the brakes hard. To say he was shocked would be putting it mildly. He turned to face his mother who held on to the dashboard for dear life.