Sex, drugs & bad decisions
Lindiwe Ngema tries to look grown up by introducing some “adults only” activities to her life.
In March last year, naughty Lindiwe Ngema (Nomvelo Makhanya) was blackmailed into shoplifting by The Plastics, the popular girls at her school. Lindiwe bunked school, partied and drank until she was shocked sober when The Plastics’ bullying drove Lindiwe’s friend Mary (Mikateko Hlabangwane) to attempt suicide. But ever since her half-sister Omphile (Botlhale Boikanyo) moved into the family home in November last year, the clouds have been gathering again. And the constant criticism about how immature Lindiwe is will lure her into some new “adult” activities that she might not be ready for.
SISTER BLISTERS
“Lindiwe feels as though Omphile has invaded her space. She doesn’t have privacy anymore and her parents (Patrick Mofokeng and Gcina Nkosi) are taking care of Omphile more than they are of her. It’s always, ‘Omphile’s doing X, so you should do X. Omphile can help you do this because Omphile is good at that’… It’s never- ending,” explains Nomvelo. “She just feels as though she’s the black sheep of the family. No one understands her and no one wants to understand her. It’s like, ‘Oh, it’s Lindiwe the drama queen. She’s always so dramatic about everything. She’s an attention seeker.’”
CORNERING KABZA
Lindiwe wishes that she could just grow up too – but she’s got a few crossed wires about what that means. “She thinks that other people seeing that she has a boyfriend will allow them to think that she is a woman now.” So Lindiwe sets her sights on her brother Scelo’s (Mbulelo Ndlazilwana) friend Kabza (Buhle Nhlapo). On Thursday 4 February, Lindiwe corners Kabza and pours her problems in his ears, then sends Kabza a message pretending to be Scelo so that she can set up a meeting with him and seduce him.
FIRST KISS, FIRST PUFF
Mary confronts Lindiwe about bunking school on Thursday 11 February but Lindiwe can’t hear anything but the beating of her own heart – she’s just kissed Kabza and she can’t wait to tell. It was Nomvelo’s first on-screen kiss and she giggles, then laughs out loud about it. “It’s an okay kiss, I guess. There’s really not much to say. She goes on about it to her best friend Mary, like, ‘Oh my gosh, it was so magical!’ but you look at it and you’re like, ‘Okay Lindiwe, it’s just a kiss.’” Whatever she is feeling, her kissing partner’s not onboard. “Sometimes boys act in a certain manner because it’s in their nature. And then the girl is like, ‘Oh this guy is doing this because he probably likes me,’” hints Nomvelo. And snatching at adulthood again, Lindiwe tries to get in on the act when Kabza drops by with a dagga joint. Fibbing Lindiwe claims that she has smoked before, only for her grown-up games to backfire spectacularly when the dagga doesn’t agree with her…