“C’mon, Sam. Don’t play with me,” I said.

“But I’m not,” Sam said as we entered my house. The expression on Sam’s face showed that he was not making a joke.

“You mean to tell me that the people who murdered those two guys are here in Parkview?” I asked when we sat down in the living room.

“I’ve sent you a text, Bongi.”

“I know, bra, but I thought you were just playing around.”

“Clearly I was not.” Sam said.

“How did you find out?” I asked.

So Sam told me how he had found out and how two drunk men had bragged about it.

“If Zakes lives there too, then he must be the killer’s brother.” I said.

“Zali,” Sam said.

“What?”

“The killer’s name is Zali.” Sam said.

Minutes after Sam and I got here, Thandi burst through the door. I knew why she was there.

“What’s going on Bongi?” Thandi asked.

“What do you mean? Sam and I are just talking.” I said, trying to sound surprised.

Thandi stood with her arms folded in the middle of the living room. “You know what I’m talking about. You know I just came from the mini-market. Wendy told me that you and Zakes will be fighting tonight, because he thought you were hitting on me. Is it true?”

Thandi looked at Sam, but he looked away.

“Yeah, sort of,” I said.

“Why?”

“He falsely accused me. You know I hate it when people falsely accuse me. Do you remember that time…..?”

“Ya, I remember. I think the whole school will be there tonight,” Thandi said

“Who told ‘em?” Sam asked from the kitchen.

“I don’t know, but everyone is talking about it.”

I feared that something like this was going to happen but I had to find out for myself.

I went out to the mini-market. It was true what Thandi had said: all the kids were talking about it and they expected to see a good fight that night.

Zakes was the favourite. He had told everyone about all the fights he had been in and how he had won all of them.

Just lies, I said to myself as I went home. I hope Mama won’t come home tonight, I said to myself as I ate lunch in the living room.

At 16h45 someone knocked on the door. Probably Sam, I thought. To my surprise it was Renesha.

“Look, I just came to wish you luck for tonight’s fight,” Renesha said smiling.

“Thanks, Renesha, I appreciate it. Look I’m sorry about earlier at school.”

“Nah, it’s cool.”

“Can I at least hug ya?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Well, see you around,” Renesha said.

“Bye, I said. See ya.”

The time went by slowly.

Why am I doing this again? I asked myself, trying to think. Oh well, no point in sitting around and doing nothing, I said to myself.