Sbu and Songezwa and Airtime were chatting on their way to school, walking up from the taxi rank. Or at least Song and Airtime were. Sbu was too busy sending messages on his phone. 

Airtime was talking about his big dream of being a radio star. “Do you know how many demo CDs I’ve sent out? Hundreds! Or at least six. And not one single radio station has bothered to get back to me.” 

“Maybe you’re going about it the wrong way,” Song suggested. “You should start your own podcast. Build up an audience, get a name for yourself and use that to get a job.” 

“I’m going to pretend like I know what you’re talking about.” Airtime said. “See, this is me pretending.” He demonstrated by smiling and nodding and giving her an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Song rolled her eyes. “A podcast is like an online radio show. I can help you set it up. We could do it in the computer lab.” 

“I knew that!” Airtime said and then whispered to Sbu, “I totally didn’t know that.” 

But Sbu didn’t even hear him, he was concentrating so intently on his phone. 

Airtime shook his head. “Tjo. Check this guy. You can’t talk to him. He’s in luuuuurve.” 

Song laughed. “Yeah. Anyone who spends that amount of time SMSing on their phone is definitely in a new relationship.” 

Airtime waved his hand in front of Sbu’s face. “Earth to Sbu? Come in, Sbu?” 

“What?” Sbu looked up, irritated. 

“He lives!” Airtime shouted. “Thank goodness you’re back! We thought we’d lost you. Boy, that was a close one.” 

At that moment, Song’s phone beeped with an incoming message. She pulled out her phone to check it. 

“Ah man, not you too!” Airtime nudged Song in the ribs. Song waved him away. 

“Am I the only one here who still hollers at people in the real world?” Airtime complained.

Sbu was embarrassed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to diss you guys. I was talking to K8.”

“And how are things with you and Kath-e-rine?” Airtime teased. 

Sbu flushed. He and K8 had been best friends forever, but now that they’d hooked up, things had become more complicated.   

“Well, it’s” Sbu started to explain. 

 “Sies man!” Song interrupted him with a yelp. 

Sbu was insulted. “Hey, don’t say that, Song!”

“Not you, Sbu!” Song said, “It’s this picture message someone just sent me.”

“Yini?” Sbu said.

“I don’t know. It’s a pic of some chick”

“Woah!” Airtime said, as he managed to get a look over Song’s shoulder. His eyes opened wide. “She ain’t dressed for nada!”

Song yanked the phone away from Airtime. As she did, Sbu got a glimpse of the girl in the MMS. She was young, 15 maybe, and very pretty. She was posing on a bed in her underwear.

“I wasn’t showing you, Airtime!” Song snapped. “Why would somebody send this to me? I don’t know this chick.” 

“Actually,” Sbu said, “Mna ndiyamazi.” 

Image: 3rdeyek, CC-BY

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Have you ever got a dodgy message or picture sent to your cellphone? What did you do about it?