Sandile Jabavu sat across from his wife Khanyiswa, eyes fixed on her as she scrolled through her phone, barely paying attention. He had been trying to find the right moment for weeks, but now, there was no point in waiting any longer.
", Kufuneka sithethe ngabantwana"Â he said, voice firm but calm. (We need to talk about kids)
Khanyiswa looked up, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Abatwana?" she repeated, almost laughing. "You're joking, right?"
"No, I'm serious," Sandile replied. "I think it's time we start a family."
Khanyiswa rolled her eyes, tossing her phone on the coffee table. "You know I'm not having kids the natural way," she scoffed. "I'm not going to ruin my body and look like a whale for nine months. The only way I'll have a baby is if we hire a surrogate."
Sandile's face tightened, his jaw clenching slightly. "A surrogate? Khanyi, that's notâ"
"It's either that, or no baby at all," Khanyiswa cut in, standing up as if the conversation was over. "You're the one who wants kids, Sandile, not me. I'll do it, but only if I don't have to carry it."
On the other side of Johannesburg, Mmabatho Phiri sat on the floor of her small apartment, sipping tea with her best friends, Onalenna and Thandi, as they chatted about everything and nothing.
"I've been applying to so many jobs, but nothing is sticking," Mmabatho sighed, frustration bubbling in her voice. "At this rate, I'm going to have to beg for shifts at Shoprite just to survive."
Onalenna, always the optimist, perked up. "Hey, I actually saw something online the other day. It looked like a job ad, but I didn't think it was real at first. Turns out it is!"
"What job?" Mmabatho asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
"It's... well, it's a bit unusual," Onalenna hesitated. "It's for a surrogate."
Mmabatho blinked, shocked. "A surrogate? Like, carrying someone else's baby?"
"Yeah, exactly. The couple pays five million rand when the baby's born, and they give you a monthly allowance throughout the pregnancy."
Thandi whistled low. "5 million rand? Are you serious?"
"Yup. I looked it up. It's legit," Onalenna replied, handing her phone to Mmabatho. "Here's the number if you're interested."
Mmabatho took the phone but didn't dial immediately. She sat back, thinking. Becoming a surrogate was a huge decision. It could solve all her money problems, but it also meant carrying someone else's child, dealing with all the emotional and physical challenges. Was she really ready for that?
After a long pause, she asked, "What do I have to lose?" She grabbed her laptop and pulled up the website for the surrogacy application.
Fingers hovering over the keyboard, she hesitated for a moment before finally starting to fill out the form.