“So what we gonna do, Prince? How we gonna get the money?” Themba felt desperate.

Prince shrugged. “Lettie will have to look after herself, she’s a big girl.” He looked at Themba. “Unless you’ve got a spare R500.”

“You’re going to do nothing?” Themba was shocked. “You were scared of that guy and now you are just going to let him hurt Lettie?”

Prince got angry. “Who are you to call me a coward, you! I’m not scared of anybody. But I’m not stupid either. Besides, now that Lettie let you into her bed, who’s to say she’s not going to welcome him?”

Themba was so angry he wanted to hurt Prince, push him to the ground, make him cry. But he took a deep breath. It was no use becoming violent. That was the problem with all of this shit. Everyone wanting to hurt each other. But one thing was sure. No one was going to hurt Lettie when he was around.

“Listen, bra,” Prince said, “those guys are serious. We don’t want to mess with them. We’ll just leave it all alone. We’re lucky they didn’t stab us right then.”

Themba couldn’t believe it. So Prince was going to let Lettie get hurt to save his own skin. So much for being a tough guy, a hero. And if Prince wouldn’t, then the rest of the guys probably wouldn’t either.

Themba walked off. He had to sort this out. He walked to Unathi’s house and waited for him to come home. He could see in the way that Unathi looked at him that he’d heard the gossip about him and Lettie.

“Don’t believe everything you’ve heard,” said Themba quietly. “Just know that I like Lettie. I would never use her. And I’m finished with Prince and the guys.”

Unathi looked at Themba and nodded thoughtfully. “My father said that you would see sense, sooner or later. He said he could see the goodness in your heart.”

Those words made Themba feel good for a moment. But then he remembered the other trouble.

“Unathi, there’s something else that I must tell you. I don’t know what to do.” And then Themba told him the story of the Matchstick guy.

Unathi shook his head. “Those guys, I know them. They are no good. They make Prince look like an angel.” He frowned. “But who knows, maybe they’ll just ask for more and more later.”

“I know,” said Themba, “but at least it will buy us time. I’ve got to get that money and I’ve got to show Lettie I didn’t just use her. First things first,” he said to Unathi. “How am I going to get R500?”

“What about being a taxi man with your car?” suggested Unathi.

“Car’s broken,” Themba groaned.

He thought for a bit. “I was with Prince and the guys,” he said. “And they went and took stuff from the shops. Maybe we can do that?”

“You mean steal stuff?” said Unathi, shocked. “Are you mad? That’s making new problems to solve old ones. Come on, Themba, I thought you’d stopped with that kind of thing now.”

Themba looked shamefaced. “I know, I know, it just seemed so easy.”

“So easy until you get caught. Or until you open a shop and someone steals your stuff. Or someone steals your phone. Then maybe you will think harder next time about what you’re doing.”

“OK, Unathi, I get your point. We’ll do this the legal way.” He stood up. “I can’t just sit here. I’ve got to get out and do something. Maybe I can get a job.”

“There’s no way you are going to manage to–” Unathi stopped when he saw Themba’s determined face. “OK, mfethu, I’ll come with you. Perhaps we can come up with a few ideas as we walk.”

They went out onto the busy streets. The boys stopped outside a second-hand shop. Unathi pointed out a car radio. “Hey, haven’t you got one of those? What about selling it?”

“No,” said Themba. The word came out before he had even thought about it. The car radio had been Joseph’s, and it was a good one. Themba remembered how Joseph had got a bonus, and had come home proudly with music pumping out the car. How could he think of selling it? “No way, man, I’m going to find money some other way.”

Unathi shrugged. “Your choice, mfethu.”

The first spaza shop owner laughed out loud when Themba asked for work. “You think I’ve got money to pay for skollies who won’t ever do a proper job?”

“This isn’t going to work,” said Unathi. But Themba ignored him, carrying on walking. Unathi sighed, but stayed next to him as he made his way down the road.

“Thanks, mfethu,” said Themba. “I know you think I’m crazy.”

Unathi shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe some beautiful woman will give you a hundred rand just to see your serious face smile for a change.”

Themba laughed.

“Wow, and I just got a laugh,” Unathi said. “That should cost at least a thousand. Sorry, mfethu, I can’t pay today, OK?”

With all his worries, Themba felt a warm glow at having a friend like Unathi.

They walked past a sign to the mall and Themba wondered out loud, “I wonder how much they would pay for the radio …” He let out a huge sigh and closed his eyes, letting the breeze blow through his mind. Unathi looked at Themba in silence, studying his face. But Themba said no more.

What did he have to offer the world? At 18, Themba felt totally useless. He wished he could be done with school already, and even with college or university, and earn money in a regular job. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with skollies like Matchstick guy, and he wouldn’t have to live with his mom. He could get her proper help if he had a real job.

But this was reality, and he had no job and no money. He also had no girlfriend. Themba couldn’t believe how much he had messed this all up. Would Lettie ever forgive him? Even if she didn’t, he had never felt this about anyone else before and he just had to save her. It wasn’t an option …

After a while of walking deep in thought and silence, Themba turned to Unathi. “OK, maybe you’re right. It will have to be the car radio.” His heart felt heavy as he said the words. But what choice did he have? He felt sure that Joseph would also want to save Lettie.

The two boys walked to Themba’s house. They sat in the car and Themba played one of Joseph’s favourite songs, HHPs bosso ke mang, almost as a farewell. Then they got to work, pulling out the face of the radio and undoing the wires. Finally it was done. There was a huge gap in the car, like a missing tooth. One day, thought Themba, one day I will get a car radio again. But he knew there wasn’t much chance of that. His mother certainly had no money, and he didn’t seem to be able to get hold of any.

“Let’s go,” said Unathi. They walked back to the street where all the shops were, Themba with the car radio cushioned in his backpack.