“A dj-set!” I shouted in amazement. “Thanks so much!” It was my eighteenth birthday and my foster dad and I were both standing in front a deejay-set he had hid in the basement. I was overcome with joy.

“Wow, how did you know?” I stuttered, examining the rather expensive looking equipment.

“I’m not daft son. You obsessed with dance music and idolise so many deejays. Even a blind guy with Alzheimer’s would know that this is the perfect gift for you,” I stood up and gave my foster dad a hug.

“It is really the perfect gift,” I exclaimed. “Just wait until Mat hears about this,”

It had been five years since the adoption and life was fantastic except with Elena. At high school I had made a few good friends – Mat being the closest. And at home I built a solid relationship with Sam and my foster dad. Everything else was perfect – almost. The one problem being Elena. I was at constant war with my foster mother and sadly, a ceasefire between either side seemed to be off the cards for a long time coming.

We were always disagreeing on everything and she almost never took my side on anything. I felt distant towards her ever since I overheard her saying she hated the fact that my foster dad persuaded her to adopt me. Nevertheless I always showed genuine respect for her even though at times it did not seem like it.

The Saturday morning after my birthday, Elena was told to drop me off in front of Mat’s house as I was going to help him set up for a braai he was going to have later that night.

“So what time will I be fetching you?” she asked, while we were both seated in her car right in front of Mat’s high gate.

“Oh around eight-ish, if you don’t mind,”

“Eight? What, is this like one of those all night rave thingamajigs?” She replied, still sitting in her car, parked outside Mat’s house.

“Haibo! Firstly, it not a party it’s a braai; big difference, and secondly, I must help Mat set up,”

“Yeah right, I was also young…” Elena’s statement was interrupted by a cell phone call.

“Sorry I’ve got to take this one, cheers!” she exclaimed.

As she brought her phone to her ear I noticed a thin tan line where her ring used to be. She was quite forgetful and misplaced everything. It was probably due to the stress of her job as marketing director at an established print media company. I got out of the car, signalled good bye and saw Matthew waiting for me outside the gate. We made our way in the house and started the preparations.

The braai only really started going on around seven. It was a chilled out get-together. Mat’s school mates, cousins and some other people he and I knew occupied the back yard braai area. Some guys were in the pool and there was a dj-stand under the gazebo Mat and I had put up. I had just gotten back from the fridge with a Grapetiser when I stumbled upon a tipsy Mat, setting up the deejay equipment.

“Hey Mat, everyone’s excited and can’t wait for your performance!” I exclaimed. Mat tilted his head up towards me and then smiled.

“Wha-what?” he giggled, still crouched behind on the dj-stand.

“Your performance? You’re supposed to have been playing already,” I whispered. His eyelids were hanging low and he giggled once more.

“Wha-what?”

“Argh cuz, you’re wasted!” I whispered, crouching beside him. As I crouched, I heard a shout for Mat’s name, then another and another. I then grabbed Mat by his chest and looked him in the eye.

“You darn idiot, you must perform now…” I mumbled to him, “They’re calling your name. Go-go-go,” I said, giving him a little push.

“You know the funniest thing happened…” Mat started, but then looked dead serious.

“What happened, Mat? Is there anything I’m missing?”

“Wait… I-I think I’m gonna be sick!” He slapped my hand away from his chest and ran into the house covering his mouth.

“Mat, what’s up with you? Oh, no! You can’t be serious. Please, don’t tell me you can’t perform now?”

“Cover for me!” he shouted, still running to the house.

“Wait, what?” I exclaimed. He then yelled something once more but was too far in the house for me to make out his utterance. The shouts grew louder and louder.

“We-want-Mat! We-want-Mat!” the crowd chanted. I slowly rose up to the dj-set in front of me. Everyone was staring at me.

“We-want-Mat! We-want-Mat!” they chanted. This was a big testing time for me. I started to tremble. I had only gotten a dj-stand the previous day for my birthday and had no other deejaying experience otherwise. I thought of running away but it was too late.

***

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