Sicelokuhle stands alone at the edge of the big town dam. He alternates between staring intently at something in the distance, and throwing rocks into the water.  From behind, unnoticed by Sicelokuhle, Lindispho appears.

 LINDISPHO: (looking at Sicelokuhle and thinking) I still remember the first time you moved into this little town of ours.  A few more months and it will be two years since that first day when you stood in front of us next to Miss Grootes. A strangely bemused and confident smile crinkled the acne on your cheeks. You seemed to enjoy panning across the different stares you got. You’d tell me much later when we were sitting alone in your room at your house, watching episodes of our favourite anime series at random on your laptop, that you could tell just from looking, the people who immediately liked you, the ones who instinctively hated you and the ones who were simply indifferent. You were fine with every single response because that’s just human nature, people don’t really need a reason to love or hate or be apathetic, it’s just in their nature to do so. This was after you told me you were gay and asked if I was still fine with us being friends. After I had said, ‘Sure, I don’t have a problem with you being gay.’ After you told me not to worry because I wasn’t your type. After you asked me not to tell anyone because they’d fool themselves into thinking they had a reason to love or hate you, not that you cared either way, it just didn’t concern them. After all you said, looking at me with the same smile on your face from that first day, you were not afraid of being alone. I realised there and then just how good you were at putting up a brave front.

 Lindispho slowly creeps up behind Sicelokuhle. Lindispho has his hands held out in front of him as if he intends to push Sicelokuhle into the water. At the last moment, Sicelokuhle senses a  presence behind him and quickly moves out the way.

 

SICELOKUHLE: (enraged) Voetsek!

Lindispho breaks out laughing.

SICELOKUHLE: What are you trying to do!?

Sicelokuhle charges towards Lindispho.

 LINDISPHO: (still laughing and retreating) I thought you might like a swim.

 SICELOKUHLE: You think I’m playing with you?

 Sicelokuhle picks up rocks from the ground and starts hurling them at Lindispho. The ferocity with which he does it finally tips Lindispho off to the fact that Sicelokhule’s rage is real.

 LINDISPHO: Look dude, seriously, it was just a joke.

 Sicelokuhle is not listening and continues to throw rocks that Lindispho barely dodges.

 LINDISPHO: Sicelo! Sicelo come on man! Aah! Look you got me okay!

SICELOKUHLE: (still holding rocks in hands) How many times do I have to tell you I hate these stupid little pranks of yours?

LINDISPHO: Okay, okay I’m sorry, you don’t have to hit me, I wasn’t really going to push you into the water. Not in this weather, I’m not crazy.

SICELOKUHLE: (hurling another rock) The problem with you is that you never listen!

Lindispho flinches but at the last second Sicelokuhle hurls the rock at the water instead. There is a long awkward, tense silence as both boys try to regain their composure. Lindispho pulls up the leg of his school trouser to look at the spot where Sicelokuhle hit him. Sicelokuhle deliberately turns his back to him. He walks back closer to the water and looks out over the water into the distance. Lindispho starts to walk away.

SICELOKUHLE: (turning back to Lindispho) Don’t go Lidz! I’m sorry too, okay? Just don’t do that kind of thing again.

LINDISPHO: Whatever, dude. That still doesn’t give you the right to fling rocks at me.

SICELOKUHLE: (sighs) What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be at rugby practice?

LINDISPHO: I quit.

SICELOKUHLE: You quit? What about operation Khwezi?

LINDISPHO: Nah dude, it’s a mission abort. I’ll have to woo her some other way, making it into the under 15 squad is not going to be it.

SICELOKUHLE: You say that now until the next game when you see her and the other girls screaming the names of the guys on the field.

LINDISPHO: (letting out an exaggerated sigh) No lie, it is going to hurt like a mother. That beautiful mouth dirtying itself with names like Jekesi, Asiphe, Mkhuthazi.

SICELOKUHLE: (guffaws) Your many nemeses.

Lindispho walks over to stand abreast with Sicelokuhle.

LINDISPHO: Dude let me tell you something. I didn’t realise just how important the few hours after school were for my mental well-being when I didn’t have to have them in my orbit. I mean you’re lucky you live at home with your parents and siblings. Me? Night and day, at the hostel, at school, I swear I was getting close to sneaking up to their beds at night and smothering all those guys with a pillow.

SICELOKUHLE: (laughing) Believe me I know the feeling.

Sicelokuhle tries to skip another rock on the water. The rock just sinks. Lindispho picks up a rock and demonstrates to Sicelokuhle how to throw it.

 LINDISPHO: How many times do I have to tell you? You’ve got to loosen your wrist and grip on the rock. Ever so faintly let your wrist suggest the motion you want the rock to travel in and let the momentum of your throw take it out of your grasp.

Lindispho throws the rock and watches, smiling with satisfaction, as it bounces off the water. There is another quiet moment as the boys take turns skipping rocks on the water. This time it’s a comfortable silence born of an easy friendship.

LINDISPHO: Look Sicelo, I just want to say I’m really sorry again about sneaking up on you. I understand why you were so angry. After what the guys at the hostel did to you and Fezekile, I should know better.

SICELOKUHLE: Don’t worry about it. I overreacted. Is that another possible reason why you’ve decided to quit rugby?

LINDISPHO: Partly, but not in the way you think. That day sort of cast everyone in a different light for me, you know? It just made those guys even harder to be around after I realised what they are capable of.

SICELOKUHLE: How’s Fezekile?

LINDISPHO: Haven’t you spoken to him?

SICELOKUHLE: Not since that day. He acts like I don’t exist. It’s probably a good thing that he does, for his own sake. I imagine things are tough for him living in the hostel and all. How’s he doing?

LINDISPHO: Not good dude, I feel for the kid. At least now, with the exception of Masande, people have stopped actively bullying him. But I think he’s been ostracised. He seems cut-off from everyone. It’s weird, if you guys were more outwardly gay like Yandisa, Charles, Vuyo, flamboyant, camp, I think no one would give you any trouble really. It’s like because you guys seemed to be normal dudes it sort of scared everyone when they found out that you actually weren’t what they thought you were.

SICELOKUHLE: That and the fact that Masande caught us kissing in Fezekile’s room.

LINDISPHO: Actually, the rumour going around is that you guys were having sex.

SICELOKUHLE: (laughs bitterly) Of course that’s a lot more scandalous. I really hate this place; I hate this small town. I hate the school, but most of all I hate the people.

LINDISPHO:  Sicelo, I’m really worried about you.

 SICELOKUHLE: Don’t be. Anyway, aren’t you afraid of being seen with me? I’m sure everyone thinks you’re gay too.

LINDISPHO: I don’t care.

 SICELOKUHLE: Really? Are you sure about that? Even if Masande were to appear here right now?

LINDISPHO: I wouldn’t even flinch. Besides, no one comes to the dam in the winter. You’re the only one crazy enough to hang around here in this cold.

Sicelokuhle gets closer to Lindispho and points to a spot in the distance.

SICELOKUHLE: Look, I want to show you something. Look where I’m pointing, between those two mounds there. Can you see?

LINDISPHO: See what?

SICELOKUHLE: Just watch for a moment. Don’t take your eyes off that spot.

Lindispho spends a few seconds watching intently.

LINDISPHO: Yo! What the? Yo, there’s something moving. What is that?

SICELOKUHLE: Not what, who?

LINDISPHO: I don’t understand.

SICELOKUHLE: A couple of your matric seniors dummy, having sex.

LINDISPHO: (shocked) Here? Out in the open in this cold?

SICELOKUHLE: Where else? You just said so yourself that no one comes here in winter, this is the perfect place.

LINDISPHO: Who is that? I can barely see from here.

SICELOKUHLE: I’ll let you guess.

Lindispho watches on and recognises the learners.

 LINDISPHO: No way! Is that Masande?

SICELOKUHLE: Right the first time! It’s him and that girlfriend of his.

LINDISPHO: Can’t they see us?

SICELOKUHLE: Not through that thick cloak of teenage libido. Besides you couldn’t make out who they were. I doubt they’ll be able to make out who we are on this side. You disappoint me Lidz, you’ve lived here since grade 4, but you still didn’t know that learners come to this place to have sex? Whatever your next plan for project Khwezi is, you need to act on it fast my guy.

 LINDISPHO: Sicelo, dude, what are you doing here?

SICELOKUHLE: I came here to think.

LINDISPHO: Dude, I’ve been walking around looking for you all over town. I first went to your house and your aunty said you hadn’t even come back from school yet. Come on, Sicelo, let’s get out of here.

Lindispho looks at Sicelokuhle’s backpack on the ground and picks it up.

SICELOKUHLE: (angrily ripping the bag out of Lindiipho’s grasp) Leave that alone!

LINDISPHO: Why is it so heavy?

SICELOKUHLE: Books, you idiot!

LINDISPHO: Even if you put all your textbooks in that bag, it shouldn’t be that heavy.

SICELOKUHLE: (sneering) Did you actually say you were worried about me?

LINDISIPHO: Yes.

SICELOKUHLE:  You!? I doubt it! You think I didn’t see you at the back of the mob that day? Wide eyed, afraid, following meekly as your hostel mates pushed us into the showers?

LINDISPHO: Don’t try to change the subject.

SICELOKUHLE: (howling a bitter laugh) And then you have the liver to say you don’t care if anyone sees us? Haven’t you been avoiding me for the past couple of weeks at school?

LINDISPHO: What do you mean? You’re the one who changed where you hang out during lunch. You don’t wait for me after school, I thought you needed some space.

SICELOKUHLE: (walking away) How about you keep giving me my space? Enjoy the free porn show across the water. It’s the normal type, normal people like you having sex.

Sicelokuhle leaves. Lindispho sits at the edge of the dam for a few minutes, staring at the water.

 LINDISPHO: (to himself) There was nothing I could do, Sicelo. Nothing I could’ve said. Nothing I could’ve done to change what happened