Boy has always had a blissful upbringing until Biggie met his death when a giant rock fell on him while executing his daily tasks. Things change dramatically as he learns of his father’s tragedy. In a split second, his life collapses around him. He wishes nothing for himself; he too wants to perish, to join Biggie in the everlasting peace.

“Where is Biggie?” Boy often asks himself, but he gets no answer to this question. He is really devastated. The world is against him. The melodious and sweet words don’t seem enough to comfort his soul. He sheds tears of sorrow day and night. He mourns for the one who’s close to his heart, his beloved father, Biggie.

The tragic passing of his father instantly propels MaBoy to be both the mother and the father figure to him. She takes all the responsibility to groom him into a respectable man. Noticing how Boy is stressing, MaBoy is dying inside. Thank God that she’s a Christian. It’s easy to seek comfort from a Christian they say. The scriptures in the Bible help her to pull herself together. And then she finds the strength to also console the boy.

“Hush, my boy! Your father is in heaven,” she says repeatedly.

Time is the best healer. Boy regains energy to move on with his life. He lifts his head, proceeds with his studies as the late Biggie wished.

Swiftly after graduating from high school, his studies come to a halt. He is extremely eager to dig gold in the mine. This is his childhood dream. Somehow, he doubts his fitness. He wonders if he’s fit enough to thrive in the underground.

“Will I cope?” Boy asks himself.

There is one myth that he grows up hearing, it’s about how best to prepare for the harsh mine conditions.

To withstand the challenges of the mine, one should first undergo the initiation process in the bush, the myth goes.

Even so, Boy is not quite certain if his mother will permit him to partake in this ritual. Her religion doesn’t favour the initiation culture — she’s a Catholic. Therefore, the practice is forbidden by her church. The church members are strongly discouraged to entertain such a norm. If by chance, it transpires that their children disregard the whole thing and embark on going to the bush, their parents know that they will be sacked temporarily from the church, face the wrath in accordance with the church laws.

Realising the squabble that may arise between him and his mother, Boy thinks of vamoosing from home to the bush. Nevertheless, he doesn’t have the guts to do so. He feels for his mother, and the trouble he’d drag her into. He’s wants to discuss the matter with MaBoy, to see if they can reach a consensus.

For Boy, to undergo the initiation had nothing to do with manhood, but his fitness to complete the duties under the abnormal conditions of the mine: hard labour, extreme temperatures and fears of depths. The majority of lads usually go there simply because they want to get married afterwards. They will be considered as real men and they will have licenses to start new families. So Boy has to overcome his element of doubt and face his mother. Boy thought that his mother simply had to accept.

Though MaBoy tries to say all sorts of things to discourage him, she fails dismally to convince him to abandon his plans. Even after raising concern about the hazards taking place in the mine that instituted the demise of her spouse, he refuses to budge.

“Please understand my situation,” Boy says with a serious look on his face.

MaBoy feels gloomy, but at the same time, sympathetic to her son who seems firm about his decision.

“Choice is yours, Boy,” says MaBoy, shrugging her shoulders. She is really hurting. “I can’t stand in your way,” she adds.

Though Boy feels pity for his mum, he’s not ready to deviate from his plan.

“I love you, mom… Please bear with me,” he says.

Tell us: How do you feel knowing that Boy wants to work in the mine despite what happened to his father?