Zodwa is surprised when her mother addresses the white woman. They chat for a minute and then Zodwa watches in disbelief as Leleti throws herself into the stranger’s arms, embracing her as though they are long-lost friends. Their voices rise up into the night but Zodwa can’t hear the actual words over the sound of the traffic. What she can see is her mother smiling and laughing, wiping away tears as she holds the woman at arm’s length before pulling her back, time and again, into an even tighter embrace than before.

After a few moments of conversing, the woman reaches into the car’s boot and removes a few plastic bags. She holds them out to Leleti. When Leleti refuses them, the woman takes Leleti’s hand, holding it up and pressing it to her own heart before forcing the bags on her. The encounter is abruptly ended when the tire change is completed and the taxi drivers begin furiously motioning for the woman to move out of the way.

The woman gives the newspaper seller some money. As she pulls away, she winds down her window and waves and smiles at Leleti. “Goodbye, Precious! It was so wonderful seeing you!” Precious. It’s Leleti’s English name.

Leleti waves and smiles back, an expression of wonder on her face. Zodwa doesn’t know if it’s because of the windfall of groceries or the effect seeing the woman has had on her.

Zodwa smiles timidly as she greets her mother after she’s crossed the road. “Hello, Mama. Where were you today?”

“With Beauty in Soweto.”

Zodwa is taken aback. “Soweto? Why?”

“We were making inquiries about Nomsa and Dumisa.”

“Mama . . .” Zodwa shakes her head. That Leleti has traveled so far in her weakened state is worrying. At least she was with Mama Beauty, who would have looked out for her.

“What? I need to know what happened to him before I die.”

“Mama, you’re not going to . . .” Zodwa trails off when she sees the expression on her mother’s face. “Who was that you were with now?”

“Someone I used to work for very long ago when we were both just girls. The good Lord brought us together then and still He works His wonders today.”

Zodwa doesn’t share her mother’s faith. From what she can tell, it’s a quirk of fate or a spin of the wheel that decides who must suffer and who will be spared. Still, it’s more comforting believing that than thinking God chooses which of His lambs to torture and which to reward. If Zodwa’s rape and Leleti’s suffering were God’s will rather than something random, how much worse would that be? Still, she knows better than to say as much.

“You were hugging her,” Zodwa says accusingly.

Leleti smiles in admission.

“I thought you said all white people were demons.”