Mr Not Quite Good Enough. Lauri Kubuitsile

in the sitting room and came back to the table. “Hello?”

      The other two listened. At times Gorata held the phone away from her ear with a pained look on her face and both Amita and Kelebogile could hear the person on the other end clearly because she spoke as if she was talking through a bullhorn. In the end Gorata said, “Okay, go siame.”

      She threw the phone down and let her head fall to the table with a loud thump.

      “Who was that?” Kelebogile asked.

      Gorata didn’t lift her head but spoke into the table. “Mmandu.”

      “Mmandu? What does she want?” Kelebogile asked.

      “Who’s Mmandu?” Amita asked.

      “Gorata’s eldest sister,” Kelebogile said and turned back to Gorata. “Is everything okay at home?”

      Gorata lifted her head as if it weighed a ton. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Why now? She had so many things to deal with. She didn’t need this as well. Finally she said, “She says she’s coming to Joburg.”

      “Mmandu’s coming here? Why?” Kelebogile said.

      Gorata’s head was back on the table. “For a visit.”

      “So what’s the problem?” Amita asked.

      Gorata’s head shot up. “The problem? The problem?” Annoyed, she stood up and paced the kitchen. “The problem is Mmandu. Busybody, always in your face, loud-mouthed Mmandu!”

      “You’re overreacting,” Kelebogile tried to pacify Gorata. “Your sister isn’t that bad.”

      “What? Have you forgotten? Mmandu is bad. She’s very, very bad. She and my Joburg life don’t go together. Mmandu in Rustenburg is bad enough, but a Joburg Mmandu – no, no, no!”

      Amita looked confused. “I don’t get it.”

      Gorata turned and glared at her. “You will. Don’t worry, you will.”