Introduction
Three friends decide to risk it all and use up all of their money to do something they might end up regretting.
Cast of characters
John: Works at a local liquor store
Sello: Works as a waiter at the restaurant
Lesley: Works at a food retail store
(It was a Saturday morning around 08H00 when David, Lesley and Sello where chilling at the tuck shop.)
John: (Recharging his Betway voucher) This time I’m going to get something, guys, I can feel it.
Lesley: (Laughing weirdly) Isn’t that what you said last time though?
John: No man, this time I’m for real, plus I really prayed hard last night…
Sello: You’re really wasting time with that Betway of yours, you really need to come up with another plan to make money.
Lesley: I agree with you, Sello, but that applies to all of us though, we really need to find another way to make money.
Sello: That’s true, my brother, our salaries are not really sustaining us, just cover basics only.
John: I hear you guys, but what’s on your minds?
Lesley: Kasi business or something…
John: Car wash or tekkie wash, come on man, there is no enough profit there.
Sello: But it’s a start, my brother…
John: No man, come on, I think I have a plan.
Lesley: OK good, come with it.
John: We go to the casino and use only the small amount of money from our salaries to gamble.
Sello: Oh come on, man, you know how we feel about this thing of gambling, we hate it.
Lesley: He is crazy this one.
John: Come on, guys, we all bet and one of us will win, obvious, and whoever wins will share his winnings and so on.
Sello: (Starting to get tempted) What if we all lose then?
John: No ways, my brother, that is impossible. Remember, we will be at the same table. All we have to do is to pretend like we don’t know each other.
Sello: OK! I guess it’s worth a try.
John: (Realising that Lesley isn’t agreeing) Come on, Lesley, you have the child coming. Do you think you will be able to take care of that child with your small salary?
Lesley: OK! If your plan works, will we use that money to open the business then?
John: No problem.
Sello: Let’s set a date then.
John: Date? No, we are going there now.
Lesley: Brother, we are not ready, we know nothing about gambling, remember?
John: You will follow my lead, guys, come on, let’s go.
Sello: You can be so pushy sometimes. Let’s go then.
(It’s in the afternoon. John, Sello and Lesley just got back from the casino. They are at their usual chilling place, it is very tense. Sello just broke up a fight between John and Lesley.)
John: (Silent)
Lesley: (Sweating and angry) How am I going to explain to my girlfriend that I used the money I saved for our child?
Sello: I used the money that I was supposed to use to further my studies.
Lesley: So what, you kept listening to him when he said we must keep going until we win big. Did we win big or lose big?
Sello: I am sorry, man, you know how persuasive this guy can be sometimes.
John: I am sorry, guys, I will pay you back the money you lost.
Sello: How are you going to pay us back while you used the money that they gave to you to pay suppliers, do you think your job is still safe?
Lesley: (Standing up and preparing to leave)Immediately after our second win I told you guys that we must leave but you, John, you kept talking about blessings and luck.
A tip from a Kenny Rogers song: gamblers know when to walk away and know when to run away…
Tell us: What did you learn from this play about gambling?