Mandla is seething as he walks behind Bongani. They sit at the table in the lounge in the lounge at Bongani’s house, where they usually conduct business.
“Something to drink?” Bongani inquires.
“No. Just bring the book,” says Mandla curtly.
“Are you sure? Not even a beer?”
“No. Show me the book. Let me see what is wrong so I can tell you and get out of here.”
“Hey, Mindlos don’t forget who you are speaking to. Show me some respect!”
“Well the thing about respect is you have to show it first in order to receive it. And who am I speaking to?” Mandla is angered so much his nostrils flare.
“Respect me, Mindlos! No one speaks to me like this!”
“Hey Bongs, don’t forget I have as much power in this gang as you do. You may have the enforcer part, but I have the supply part. Without me you’d have none of these things. None of the cars, this house, money, your puppets out there, and none of this cocaine you are snorting that is driving you paranoid!”
“Damn you!”
“Right back at you. And don’t you ever come to my flat and act like you did, Bongs! Don’t you ever disrespect my woman, my guests and me like you did today!”
Bongani laughs at Mandla. He takes out a bankie, scoops a bit of cocaine with a straw and inhales it. He giggles uncontrollably.
“All this tirade just because I offered you something to drink? You sure are funny. This woman is changing you,” says Bongs.
“The book, Bongs. Show me the book.”
“Fine.”
He disappears into the kitchen, returns with a couple of beer dumpies, a whisky shot in a glass and a two-quire exercise book. He opens both beers, and shifts one to Mandla across the table. Mandla shifts it back across to him.
“No, Bongs! I said I don’t want a beer! Give me the book!”
“Fine!” Bongs slides the exercise book across the table.
Mandla studies a page for a while. He scans each line entry intently.
Bongani coughs and says, “So this girl. Where did you meet her?”
“I’m still busy here. And she is none of your business.”
Bongani laughs mockingly and takes another hit of cocaine.
“There seems to be nothing wrong with the numbers here. The projections are spot on. What is the problem?”
“The problem is the money for this week is short. Your projections are wrong.”
“I’m never wrong. Did every dealer acknowledge receipt of the work?”
“Yes, they did.”
“Did they tell you about encountering problems from the cops?”
“No they didn’t.”
“Then the problem could from our side. Didn’t you think of that?”
Bongani takes another hit.
“Who does collections for these sections?”
“Mgodoyi?”
“Who?”
“Mgodoyi! You know Mgodoyi. Mindlos!”
“Why would you bring Mgodoyi into the business?”
“We need people who are feared?”
“But the guy is stupid. Can he even count?”
“Of course he can count.”
“Where is he? He should be here as we go through the books because he is responsible for this section.”
“He is tired. We partied hard last night. He’s only been out of jail for a month, he is still weak.”
“And you gave him this important part in the business?”
“He is a 26s General. I had to give him something. He is a brother who’d die where I’d die.”
Mandla shakes his head. “And that is why the book is not balancing, Bongs.”
Mandla looks at the book and realises that it is most likely that money was not collected from one of the dealers. He calls a few dealers until he gets to the dealer in question. True to form, no one has come to collect the money.
“Like I told you, Bongs. The money has been sitting with the dealer for two days. He hasn’t been able to reach Mgodoyi for a whole day, which means he hasn’t had drugs to sell for those days. Which means your decision to hire Mgodoyi is losing us money,” says Mandla.
“But it’s understandable he—”
“I’m going, Bongs. This has been a waste of my time and petrol. I drove all the way from town to Umlazi for this?”
“I’m sorry, my brother. It was an honest mistake.”
“I’m going. You are making too many honest mistakes lately.”
As Mandla leaves he looks back for a second at his friend Bongani who is spiralling out of control. Bongani takes another hit of cocaine and laughs; thoroughly enjoying the role of a gang boss that he is playing.
Tell us: Have you ever had a friend who got lost in drugs or alcohol? What advice would you give Bongani?