Thulani punches Zothani’s phone number. He stares at it for a few minutes with his thumb hovering over the call button but doesn’t press it. He does this every day for two weeks. Then he finally calls.
“What’s the biggest amount of money you’ve made from one heist?” Thulani asks.
Zothani chuckles. “No greetings, no nothing? Are you okay, Thulani?”
“Answer the damn question, Zothani!”
“Well, after covering all costs and splitting the money four ways, I’ve never gotten above fifty.”
“Fifty thousand?” Thulani asks.
“I know it’s little compared to the risks I take. But this is reality, not a movie. Greed seriously kills. If you don’t pay everyone who assisted you enough, you’re hanging yourself.”
“Thanks,” Thulani drops the call.
Zothani and Rasta are on the Opel Zafira heading to Bra Max’s panel beating shop.
“You should try it,” Zothani says to Rasta.
“Nah man, I’m not going to put a gun on my own head, loaded or not. And don’t even mention pulling the trigger. You are a psychopath, Zothani!”
Zothani laughs. “No man, it’s-” His phone rings. He looks at it and recognises Thulani’s number on the screen. “Big brother by minutes, what’s up?”
“Does the getaway driver get the same amount of money as everyone else?”
“Wait, what?” Zothani looks at his phone for a second and then puts it back to his ear. “Are you okay, Thulani?”
“Do you even care?”
“What does that mean?”
“I need money, Zothani,” says Thulani.
“What for? You’ve got a job and the family eats, man. Isn’t that all you ever wanted?”
“That’s all I ever wanted?”
“It’s that girl, isn’t it?” Zothani’s head drops. “She’s forcing you to marry her.”
“I want to marry her,” Thulani says and drops the call.
Zothani looks at his phone and shakes his head. After putting it back in his pocket, he sits back and covers his face with his hands.
“What’s up?” asks Rasta.
“This is bad, Rasta.”
“What?”
“Thulani wants to join us in a heist now so he can get money to marry that doctor girlfriend of his.”
“Makes sense, she’s suffocating him. Have you seen her Facebook?”
“Bra,” Zothani shakes his head.
They drive around in silence for a while. They find that Bra Max has suddenly left to attend to a family emergency and don’t stay long. On their way back from Bra Max’s place Rasta recognises the red Renault in front of them on the freeway.
“Here’s your sister’s boyfriend,” Rasta says to Zothani.
“What?”
“You don’t know Lindiwe’s car?”
“Oh, hey,” Zothani punches Rasta on the shoulder. “Don’t call my brother a sister, you idiot.”
They drive behind Lindiwe for a few minutes. Rasta suddenly chuckles.
“What?” Zothani asks.
“It’s a stupid idea bra, you don’t even want to know.”
“Come on, talk to me.”
Rasta glances at Zothani and shakes his head.
“Talk!” Zothani says in a serious tone now.
“Okay,” Rasta shrugs. “We can just kidnap this girl, get a ransom and give it to your brother. He never does the crime and sails into the sunset with his Lindiwe. And you no longer have to contemplate suicide out of the guilt you feel for always putting him in trouble.”
Zothani looks at the red Renault in front of them. He smiles as the idea grows on him.
“I know,” Rasta says. “It’s a brilliant idea. Are you’re still using that fake Facebook account?”
“Yeah.”
“Perfect. So she doesn’t know your face?”
“No,” says Zothani. He smiles again. Yes, a way to save his brother from crime – and solve his problem.
The Opel follows the Renault all the way to Lindiwe’s home. They follow Lindiwe to work and other places, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kidnap her.
***
Tell us: what do you think of their kidnap plan?