[Zweli is very furious and he is holding two treasure boxes in his hands.]

Zweli: (angry) Since my father passed away I have been feeling evil in this house, fights between me and my twin sister are not like before. We usually fight, but not like at this point, there is too much anger and threats between us. Something is going on in this house and today I’m going to find the real enemy behind this. Who can it be? Maybe it might be someone behind something. Firstly my own mother has been acting so wired these days, what exactly does she cook? I think she might have something to do with these terrible fights and threats between us. Is my twin sister trying to kill me, because of money? I don’t think so, because if someone is trying to separate us she would have told me by now, which means whoever is behind this, she trusts that person, but the question is, WHO? I think this person lives with us under this roof. I’m going to make my sister and my mother choose one treasure box each, then whoever opens the box and finds a purple apple and bite it, that person will die which means that is the enemy who must confess.

[Zoliswa comes in.]

Zoliswa: (guilty face) Zweli I’m rushing to town I’ll be back now.

Zweli: (smiles) No so fast mother, come sit down, I have something for you and Zimkhitha.

Zoliswa: (sweating) That can wait Zweli. I have to go, I don’t have time.

Zweli: (angry) You sit down now! Today you will listen to me. I’m waiting for Zimkhitha.

Zoliswa: (tearful) Whatever I did to offend you my son, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.

Zweli: (angry) Don’t even go there. I’m not in the mood for your smooth talks. What I want today is to find the enemy in this house.

Zoliswa: (tearful) Who can be the enemy in this house? The enemies are outside there praying to see us suffering. Please my son, don’t allow the spirit of evil to rule you.

[Zimkhitha enters.]

Zweli: (seriously) Sit down Zimkhitha.

Zimkhitha: (confused) What is going in here Zweli? Why is mother crying?

Zweli: (shouting) Stop asking me questions, sit down!!

Zimkhitha: (sitting down with fear) I don’t know why you are angry, but please calm down.

Zweli: (shouting) Don’t tell me to calm down when amongst the three of us there is an enemy who is trying to destroy this home.

Zimkhitha: (confused) Enemy Zweli?

Zweli: (shouting angrily) Shut up! And listen to me now. See those two boxes before you, each of you, take one.

Zoliswa: (shouting) Zweli stop this madness!

Zweli: (putting a stick on Zoliswa’s neck) Shut up and do what I tell you to do. Now open the boxes, both of you. (Zimkhitha and Zoliswa open the boxes) Whoever has the purple apple must take a bite now.

Zoliswa: (scared) What is this? Do you think we have time for this?

Zimkhitha: (tearful) What is the point about this, Zweli?

Zweli: (angrily) Zoliswa, you are the one with the purple apple, so bite.

Zoliswa: (scared) But…

Zweli: (shouting) Stop talking and bite. So it is you, mother, all this while you are the cause of what is happening in this home? Answer me.

Zimkhitha: (more confused) Cause of what? I don’t understand.

Zoliswa: (confessing) When your father left you 20 million I was so angry, because he didn’t leave me with money, just a house. But I thought if both of you can be gone then I will have the money.

Zimkhitha: (stand up angrily) So you wanted us to kill each other so that you can take the money? Money is so important that you would want us to be dead? I don’t believe you. If I killed Zweli it is certain you would have killed me also. What kind of a person are you?

Zweli: (tearful) Zoliswa, we know who raised us and you think we’ll just take our money and leave you? How can we leave our own mother to suffer. The money is ours, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have a say in it. I love you so much, but if you do this to me, I don’t see you as my mother anymore.

Zimkhitha: (angrily) I don’t even know what father saw in you, Zoliswa. I hate you! I hate you with my life!

Zoliswa: (crying) I’m sorry my children, I don’t know what got into me. Please forgive me.

Zweli: (angrily) Take a bite mother!

Zoliswa: (begging) Zweli please…

Zweli: (shouting angrily) Take the bite now!!

Zimkhitha: (tearful) Zweli, I want to say sorry. I don’t know why I allowed mother to come between us. I know you might be angry with me, but please don’t kill me, I beg you my dear brother.

Zweli: If I kill you that will mean I’m after the money. I want to tell you one thing, never allow money to be in control of your life, because money is not life and money will never restore our lives. Let us be a family as we were when of our father was alive. With that, I forgive you my sister and know that I love you with no condition, come here.

[Zweli and Zimkhitha reconcile. They sit down and cry.]

The End

*****

Tell us: Do you know of instances where family members try to kill each other because of money? Would you kill for money?