My Sisters Keeper

28

When it rains it pours, that's what the learned people of the world say when things go from bad to worse. And for the Mashile's it wasn't just pouring, there was thunder and lightning to boot.

After a few days in jail with no visitors or any hope of getting out, Amanda had begun to lose hope. Paul hadn't come to see her and it seemed like the Mashile's had no plans to help her. Her one last attempt at getting out was Malcolm. But he had been avoiding her calls. She reached out to a friend of hers whom she convinced to bring her her laptop and phone from home. The friend did just that.

It felt like Amanda's world had come crashing down around her when she realized all the leverage she held against Malcolm was gone. All the videos of him having affairs with different men were no longer where she kept them. In fact nothing was there. Not her pictures, not her children's pictures or even anything that was important to her.

She called Malcolm one last time and he promised he would come see her. True to his word he had showed up late in the night with the help of a contact inside the police station. He waited in a room and Amanda was brought in. She looked like a former shadow of herself. Her long weave was gone, now replaced with unkempt dry hair. Her skin had become a tad bit drier than usual.

"You need to get me out of here." She said soon as she saw Malcolm.
"You know I dont have the means or the power to do that."
"Then get me a lawyer. Dont forget I can still make your life difficult even from in here." Malcolm laughed and sat on top of the table.
"No you cant. I know whatever pictures or videos you had on me are gone. You have no hold on me now." She swallowed at the realization that her last card was useless.
"Maybe, but imagine what the world will say when I tell them that you helped me to cover up your own brothers shooting. That you actually helped me get close enough to him that we fell in love."
"Come on Amanda, you didnt fall in love with Paul, you fell in love with the convenience of being with him, the doors it opened for you, the opportunities and the money. And now the train ride has come to an end. And if you think anyone will believe you then go right ahead and you'll have more than attempted murder charges to deal with." He whistled as he walked out leaving her there alone with no one in her corner.

She was dragged back into her cell. She stayed up in the cold cell with her legs raised up to her chest and tears rolling down her face. It was all over. The life she had created for herself had gone down the drain in just a few days. And she knew she couldn't even count on her own family for help because she had burned that bridge a long time ago.

On Sunday the country woke up to a scandal that would shake not only the country to its core but it would bring the country's leadership into question. The pictures that Amanda and Malcolm had thought were gone forever were now splashed all over the Sunday tabloids. Videos of Malcolm having sex with other men were trending on social media.

Lesego woke up to find his wife in the kitchen with the newspaper on the counter. He looked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. He quickly grabbed the newspaper and looked at it.

"Tell me how you plan on sorting that out." Lebo said as she poured herself some tea. She looked at her husband who was fuming. He took out his phone from his pyjama pocket and called his mother.
"Have you read the news." He questioned soon as his mother picked up the phone.
"No, what's happening?"
"You need to call Malcolm and ask him to come to the house. I'll be there in a few minutes."

He threw the newspaper in the trash and went to his room to get dressed. He came down a few minutes later and rushed out. He got into his car and drove to his mother's house where the rest of the family had assembled. Malcolm sat on the couch with his head down. His wife was on the other side of the room throwing daggers at him.