“Hey, Andile, wanna go over your speech? I’m a great listener,” called Refiloe, catching up with him. “And how was that with Antonia? She is bad news, hey?”

Andile’s heart wanted to defend Antonia: No, she’s not! She’s my great new girl. But his head replied: What about this election? Will someone ask me about her atheism?

He looked at Refiloe, and she gave him a sweet smile. All the guys in SU wanted to be in a prayer group with Refiloe. She was cute, it was undeniable. And, to be honest, Andile had wondered more than once what it would be like to kiss those lips. But that was before he had feelings for Antonia. Now he just needed to get away from everyone and think.

“Hey, I can’t talk now. See you at SU,” he said quickly as he slung his bag over his shoulder and made for the school gates.

Andile jogged to the nearby park, and lay down under some huge trees. It was like an open-air church; he came often to think and pray in peace. It was so tense at home: his unemployed brother, his parents worrying about money, his squabbling sisters and his granny in her widow’s black. She was a fan of the Old Testament:

“Just you kids wait til Judgement Day and the raging fires of Hell. God sees every sin!”

Thank you, God, he thought, grateful for the joyful worship and support of the Loving Shepherd Family Church. It had changed his life and it was easy to ignore Granny’s opinion when she said things like: “How you can think that happy-clappy nonsense is real worship, I don’t know.”

But now he thought of lovely Antonia, and was puzzled. How could I not have sensed that Antonia has no faith? Why didn’t God give me a sign? Is this a challenge, to bring her to Jesus? Can I go out with, even be friends with an atheist? Lord Jesus, what must I do?

He sat up and sent a WhatsApp:

Hi Pastor Theuns. Crisis. Nd to talk. Urgent.

Sure. Got a free slot at 5.30. Cum ova.

How great was that? A church with a hi-tech pastor you could WhatsApp anytime?

* * * * *

Sindi could not think straight. She banged into the house, breathing heavily, tears dripping down her face.

“Sindi, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, Ma. I’m just fine,” she snapped, while thinking: I can’t talk to Mama because I feel embarrassed. It’s like Antonia has done something scandalous that reflects badly on me!

But that was ridiculous. “No, Mama, I do want to talk about it. Sorry,” she said hugging her. “Ma, you won’t believe it, but Antonia told the whole class today that she is an atheist!”

“Oh my God,” gasped her mother, crossing herself. “You mean, she actually said …”

“That is what I mean.”

“But surely everyone knows that we exist only because of Him, for Him. I mean the Bible tells us … but I also just feel it.”

“I know. It’s so hard to understand.” Sindi thought about their routine: grace at meals, ‘God bless’ at goodbyes, ‘Thank Gods’ all day, praying at night. And it always worked – the next day the answer to any problem would have come to her. Then sunrise, giving thanks for His glory. The wonder of Creation. Life was unimaginable without God!

“Sindi, is she maybe depressed? Now I am worried for her. We should pray for …”

Sindiwe interrupted: “She’s fine, Ma. You know, I just always thought an atheist would be a shallow person, with no morals – someone I could never like. But Antonia …”

“Yes, she’s a lovely girl. And isn’t she a Senior Leader, and in EnviroClub? And her father has helped a lot of people. Is he one too? All of them? And remember when Gerry …”

Sindi nodded, her throat tight as they remembered her twin brother, killed in a car crash. Antonia was close to Gerry. In fact, everyone expected them to get together; hoped they would. She and Antonia had cried and grieved together. And prayed!

“When did she lose her faith? She should have told me! And now what?”

“Go see Father Eusebius this evening. Right now, let’s pray on it.”

*****

Antonia dived onto her bed and hugged her pillow. On the walk home some kids had pointed at her, and whispered. She could lip-read their mouths: “An atheist! Yoh yoh yoh!” Next thing, phones were out and fingers flashing as they passed on the gossip.

Safe in her room, she began to cry. It was so scary: ‘evil’; ‘the Devil’. Unbelievable: some people really thought a devil existed? Could work through an ordinary teenage kid?

And why hadn’t Sindi or Tanya messaged her? Should she message them?

Then she heard a loud knock and Tanya calling. She opened the door to Tanya’s mock-horror face, her fingers in the sign of the cross. “Back, back, Evil One!”

“Tans! Am I glad to see you. I’m freaking out! So you don’t think I am Satan’s handmaiden?”

“Course not. There is no such thing as ‘Satan’ and ‘Hell’. But hey – an atheist – seriously? That’s drastic. I mean … if you don’t believe, how do you explain, um, how life exists? Surely all us zillions of believers can’t be wrong?”

“Why not? What you believe in is just what you are brought up with. And religions all say they are the one, true way. Which is right? Why would this creator guy tell each group to live this way or that way? And that each is ‘the chosen one’? It’s illogical.”

“Well, some things are … just a mystery,” said Tanya. “You just have to have faith.”

“But, Tans – I can’t just fake faith. Plus I don’t get this, ‘I am God and I love you but your job is to totes praise and obey Me. Disobey, and its punishment and no heaven for you, baby!’ Why does a God who made everything even need praise? It’s megalomaniacal.”

Tanya squirmed, thinking, I don’t know how to answer this stuff. And it’s so awks to hear someone talk about God like that. Is it wrong to even listen to it? Nah – can’t be.

“But I like praising and singing and praying,” she said. “And, um, what about teaching us how to live a good life? The Ten Commandments and stuff?”

“Mxm! That ‘do as you would be done by’ thing and the Commandments are just common sense, gal. Peeps who have never heard of the Bible could think a bit and make that list.”

“Yeaaah, I guess. And your family are … good … even without …” replied Tanya uncertainly.

Antonia smiled. “Thanks. And your belief doesn’t affect how I love you, hey? I do understand how people find religion comforting. Sometimes I’m even a bit envious.”

The girls were quiet for a while. There was a lot to think about. Then Antonia spoke.

“Religion is just not an issue in our house. My folks say we must be open minded and ethical, that’s all. You know – do what is fair and right.”

“Ja – just like my church! And what about a smart guy like Andile? He’s religious and big into rights and …”

“Oh, don’t even mention him. I can’t bear to think this will end it … sob.”

“Shame, girlfriend, but let’s hope he at least respects you for being honest.”

Antonia sighed, “Ja, let’s hope, and he’s great, but in my opinion most religions just seem to make problems worse. Like refusing rights to women and saying being gay is wrong, and that ‘go forth and multiply’ crap. Today? Is praying gonna make jobs for all those people and stop the environment being trashed?”

“But, Ant, Andile’s and my church don’t go with those old-fashioned …” began Tanya, then her phone pinged. She opened the message. “OMG!”

“What?”

“I dunno if I should show you.”

“Come on, I can take it.” Antonia looked at the Facebook post: her with Photoshopped devil horns, tail, vampire teeth and evil red eyeballs. And a caption: ‘What a little Devil!’

Despite herself, Antonia giggled. “It’s quite well done, actually.”

The she realised: Oh no! This is going viral. What’s the fallout going to be?

***

Tell us: Antonia had the right to express her beliefs. But was she unwise to do so?