Adapted from story by Sinovuyo Pholongo

“You are beautiful,” my friend shouts, and we laugh. She is entertaining us by shouting at everyone passing by. But this woman is different. She stops.

“Who are you talking to like that?” she shouts back.

We laugh again. The woman is furious. She starts coming towards us where we are perched on the steps. We stop laughing.

“Go, Anelisa, she is coming to get you,” we say. Anelisa just stretches out. “She won’t do anything to me.”

The woman arrives, towering above us. “Who shouted at me?” she yells. Cowards we are as we all point to Anelisa. And before Anelisa can move, can say anything, the woman slaps Anelisa on the cheek, then turns round and marches off.

We look at Anelisa. We want to laugh. We want to cry. We can see she wants to cry. But she just shakes her head. “Ow, guys, I just see stars in front of my eyes.” And then we all laugh.

Eish!