Fight or flight
Siya changes after Michelle has a gun put to her head.
Michelle’s (Greta Pietersen) hard work of studying for her pharmacy assistant exams paid off when she receives her results on Wednesday 11 April, showing that she’s aced all of her subjects. Michelle and her doctor boyfriend Siya (Gantane Kusch), who helped her prepare, celebrate on Thursday 12 April with some friends at the local bar and that’s the perfect time for Michelle to give Siya a thankyou gift: an expensive watch. Little do they know that someone lurking in the shadows is seeing dollar signs in his eyes when the shiny watch is slipped onto Siya’s wrist…
UNEXPECTED VISITORS
Siya and Michelle head back to his place and their dinner is interupted by a knock at the door. “Siya goes to see who’s there and that’s when all hell breaks loose,” says Gantane. “The suspicious character from the bar and his masked friends burst into the flat guns blazing.” The thugs ransack the apartment “and they take Siya’s new watch. But that’s not enough,” adds Gantane. “They gag Michelle and tie her up and force Siya to go to the ATM and empty his bank account. It’s so violent and scary,” adds the actor.
TRAUMA SETS IN
They snatch his car and leave Siya on the side of the road on Friday 13 April, which is when he races home to his girlfriend. “She’s traumatised but relieved to see him,” sighs Greta. “But Michelle notices something is off about Siya when he refuses to talk about the ordeal.” Her hunch is right when Siya has a panic attack on Monday 16 April and he continues to hide it from her when she visits him at his flat. Greta adds that Michelle sees his anxiety “but he refuses to tell her what is wrong”.
OUT OF CHARACTER
Siya is still battling with the aftereffects of being held at gunpoint and becomes strangely aggressive on Wednesday 18 April when the littlest things bug him. His buddy Ty (Maurice Paige) notices the change in behaviour almost immediately and encourages Siya to take out his anger with boxing. “Siya is thankful for Ty’s help but doesn’t commit,” explains Gantane. But another violent outburst on Monday 23 April in Oos-Wes restaurant could change his mind…