ANDILE and SIPHO are standing nervously before BONGANI, who is inspecting the ring, holding it up to the light.

ANDILE: It's gold, nê. The real deal.

BONGANI: Why should I trust you?

ANDILE: You can't fake that shit, bra.

BONGANI taps the ring against his teeth.

BONGANI [to SIPHO]: It's real?

SIPHO: My mother gave it to me.

BONGANI [slipping the ring on his finger]: The wedding ring of Lieutenant Mthembu.

SIPHO [confused]: You know her?

BONGANI: Everyone knows ‘the good lieutenant’. [Sarcastically.] You could say we're old friends. [He looks at the ring.] What am I supposed to do with this? [He turns to ANDILE and kneels.] Are you asking for my hand in marriage? Bongani laughs loudly, the others join in nervously.

ANDILE: We want to put it down as insurance until we can pay it off.

BONGANI [acknowledging SIPHO]: You know I don't like to leave guests in my house standing around. [To ANDILE.] Get him a chair.

ANDILE [anxious and scratching]: Ai, Bongani, we don't have time for chit-chat. We need to get the goof and hit the street.

BONGANI [firmly]: I said pull up a chair!

BONGANI: Sipho, is that right?

BONGANI: You must understand, Sipho, I have to be very careful of letting anyone of Andile's iphara friends work for me.

SIPHO: I'm not like his other friends, Malume.

BONGANI: Please, call me Bongani. [Pause.] What you need to understand, Sipho, is I'm just a small part of a very big business. So when you ipharas at the bottom start smoking the goods instead of selling it like you're supposed to … that harms me. You understand?

SIPHO: I understand.

BONGANI: That harms my business … my family … my safety. Do you follow?

SIPHO: [nodding]: I follow.

BONGANI: My family always comes first, you hear?

SIPHO: Yes.

BONGANI: When someone threatens my children's future it makes me very angry. [Pause.] So you reckon you two can sell four sgodos worth by the end of the weekend?

SIPHO: We can, Malume.

BONGANI [correcting him]: Bongani.