“Music is the soundtrack of your life…” A saying all too familiar to 18-year-old Joe. He is the icon of good times, never fears the thrills of the night life. It is a Tuesday evening, the weather… grey, the rain….. thick but the club, loud and alive. Joe only obeys his inner spirit, which is always at an all-time high; a happy young man he is. He has the kind of energy that can make the angriest of people become merry because, what are problems in Joe’s world? Just a construct of imagination.

The DJ prepares his mix set; in his mind he has what it takes to blow the minds of the revellers. The place is filled with young people, mostly from the schools nearby. Young but unbothered of the potential dangers that befall such rave events. It is usually a jungle in such a night, the “hyenas” who hunt on “injured antelopes” and the lions who control the kingdom, the likes of Joe.

Jack and Cole walk in and head straight to the counter. Their purpose, to operate smoothly and gain the hearts of young girls for the wrong reasons. They too have the party energy but not at the same level as Joe. They order for their drink, an ice cold Coca Cola for Jack and a warm Krest for Cole. They sip on their drinks, as they try to pull a super star look, all dressed up in a flashy manner in the name of attracting attention.  Their efforts eventually yielded as three girls pulled up and introduced themselves. These girls knew what they wanted; free drinks! They did not hesitate to direct Jack and Cole to the counter. From the smiles at the corner of their mouths, the young men had equally identified an opportunity. Left to their imagination, it was more like how hyenas look at their prey in the jungle.

Joe on the other hand was playing it cool. He had nothing to prove. He was not all dressed up like his friends but he was having the time of his life. He may be confused for a boring guy but if one gets to know him well, one thing becomes clear: Joe is the life of the party, without him, there is no party. As the night progresses, the DJ makes an intro beat, the master of ceremony captures the attention of the revellers and the party kicks off. Deep into the night, the DJ had the crowd hooked to the beats. Joe was not drinking any alcoholic beverage. However, he was too occupied to notice his friends spiking his soft drink at the counter. The night grew older and soon, it was time to head home.

Joe could barely walk or coordinate his speech. His gut feeling could tell him that something was wrong. Two of the ladies who were dancing with him had also fallen prey to Jack and Cole’s malice. They were laying on the floor, passed out. Joe tried to reach out for his phone in his pocket but it was nowhere to be found. This left him in a state of regret. He knew for sure that his ‘trusted’ friends had something to do with all that he was experiencing.

Lucky for him, the manager at the club was a good friend of his elder brother. Seeing him in that state, he called Joe’s brother, 19-year-old Sam. Joe and Sam were pretty close, given the one age difference between them. Upon Sam’s arrival, he quickly judged the situation based on the knowledge he had acquired from several life skills education sessions during the soccer tournaments he participates in every Saturday.

By this time, Jack and Cole were feeling embarrassed. Their secret had come to light. With the help of the club manager, Sam took Joe and the two ladies who had passed out to the nearest health facility, just to ensure the effects of what had been used to drug them was managed. This was a narrow escape for them.

In as much as Joe liked to PLAY, he vowed to INNOVATE in future like Sam to save young people who had fallen prey of the club’s vices, and THRIVE in other areas of his life other than parties.