Account for Mrs Nelson's decision to take Mandisa home early, just as she is laying the dinner table

Mrs. Nelson comes home early to take Mandisa home. Although she protests about having cooking left to do, Mrs. Nelson is insistent. She rushes into the home and demands that Mandisa promptly leaves with her: "Trouble in Guguletu, my girl! I think you'd better go" (21). This is alarming to Mandisa, who knows that it must be very big trouble because Mrs. Nelson is not making small talk about her day. She ushers Mandisa into the car to drive her to the train station.