(Saturday morning Qhamani and Bongani are preparing to go to the party and Ayanda is with his girlfriend, Belinda enters to the room.)

Ayanda: Salute magenge, we are left with two hours; we are getting late.

Bongani: We are almost done my brother, give us a minute.

Ayanda: Qhamani, try this before we go. (Giving him a full glass of whisky)

Belinda: No you are killing him Aya.

Qhamani: I’m not a kid, give it to me. (Drinking it)

Bongani: You are the man.

(All laughing)

(They are done changing and get into Ayanda’s car and go. They arrive in Khayelitsha at Axola’s place and Qhama is already drunk. They are having fun there and Qhamani is introduced to drugs.)

Qhamani: What is this stuff guys?

***

(Interrogation room)

Qhamani: It was in a small plastic and it look like a salt. We used something like a globe to smoke it and it gave me a lot of energy. I wanted more because I couldn’t feel my body.

***

(Axola’s place)

Bongani: Do you want more?

Qhamani: Make it big this time. (His phone rings and he ignores it)

(Two minutes later Pamela arrives with her friend Mampho.)

Bongani: Qhamani look, who is at the gate. (Coughing)

Qhamani: I see the diamond. (Going to her)

Pamela: Wow Qhama you are also here. (Hugging him)

Qhamani: Yes Pam where else can I be if not here?

Pamela: Mmmm I think your books are worried about you not being with them at this time of the night.

Mampho: Let me leave the two of you guys.

Qhamani: We need to talk.

Pamela: I’m listening.

Bongani: He loves you Pam. (Shouting louder and the others laugh)

Qhamani: That’s not true. No I mean… (He falls quiet for a moment)

Pamela: Nothing is cuter than a shy guy trying to tell you that he loves you. (She smiles)

Qhamani: Sometimes it’s very hard to say I love you to someone because you are so afraid of losing them.

Pamela: Don’t think too much Qhama, you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.

Qhamani: You seem like oxygen to me, without you it’s hard for me to breathe. And I understand why the stars are jealous about you, you shine way better than them. (Smiling)

Pamela: That’s so cute Qhama, but all the birds in the sky, all the fish in the sea, will never explain what you mean to me.

Qhamani: You are the sun in my day, the wind in my sky, the waves in my ocean and the beat in my heart. I love you so much Pamela.

Pamela: I can’t read your lips unless they are touching mine. (She moves in and they kiss)

***

(Six months later; it’s the 11th of July, Qhamani is addicted to drugs and Pamela is pregnant. He has lost focus on his studies and has forgotten about the promises he made to his mother.)

Pamela: I’m three months pregnant Qhamani.

Qhamani: Pregnant with my child! (He is shocked)

Pamela: You are now a father Qhama. (She smiles)

Qhaman: I’m not ready for being a father Pam, we need to abort the child.

Pamela: Whaaat! (She is disappointed)

Qhamani: Please never call me again, I will call you. (Chasing her out to his room)

(Qhamani is being controlled by the drugs and he has no care for everything happening to his life. He is failing his studies and his friends, Bongani and Ayanda have dropped out. In a classroom Qhamani comes to Mr Nyathi’s class drunk.)

Mr Nyathi: Qhamani, you are disrespecting me in my class by coming drunk. (He is angry)

Qhamani: I’m sorry Sir, that won’t happen again. (Looking down)

Mr Nyathi: No Qhamani, you must leave my class now. Out! (He is shouting)

[Qhamani is not only chased out of class but even by the school and he has no choice but to go back home. He becomes sober within a minute because he knows that he made promises to his mother.]

(In his room Pamela enters.)

Qhamani: What do you want Pamela? (sadly asking)

Pamela: Qhamani what are you going to do now? (sympathetic)

Qhamani: Do you care!

Pamela: I do care Qhama because I love you and you are the father of my child. (holding his hand)

Qhamani: I must go home Pamela.

Pamela: What about our child?

Qhamani: Come with me. Yes! Come with me baby.

Pamela: What about my father? What am I going to say to him? What about school?

Qhamani: Ooooh. (Seems sad again)

Pamela: No! I’m a grown woman now, we can go together baby.

Qhamani: But we both don’t have money. (Thinking for a plan)

Pamela: I’ll take the money from my father’s locker.

***

Tell us what you think: Do you know of people who fall into the trap of drugs and peer pressure like Qhamani? Why do you think this is?