We are attending Theko’s funeral, the worst criminal we’ve ever seen in our township. Theko ruined many lives in my township and the best revenge for his victims is to drink booze and sing songs now that he is finally dead.
We are very popular in our township, the unstoppable six: Zola, Toni, Sindi, Kabelo, Charity and myself, Andile. We are known for boozing non-stop, but it’s okay because we’re all over eighteen.
After seeing Theko buried, we walk through the cemetery to the buses to go home. Sindi rushes to pee behind a nearby bush. When she’s done, she calls us over.
“Guys, you need to see this!” she says as we reach her.
It’s a secluded part of the cemetery with bushes and trees.
“Look!” she points at an old grave.
“It looks abandoned,” Zola says.
Beloved Entertainer
SMILEY FACE
15 August 2021
We Laugh – We Grow – We Cry – We Realise
In Fear, We Grow Stronger
“I can’t believe it’s Smiley Face. He’s buried here… ” Zola whispers.
“Do you remember how he used to scare us all the time? He drove me mad. How did he even manage to get space in the cemetery?” I blurt out.
“So he couldn’t scare death away,” says Toni. “But how did he get buried here so far from the others? And if he died last year, why is his grave so messed up?”
“I heard he never even had a family. Maybe his friends buried him here. But it looks like someone was here today. There is water on the grave,” says Kabelo.
“I just couldn’t hold myself. I peed on his grave,” says Sindi shyly.
“Yho! That’s disgusting, Sindi,” says Charity.
“I just had to get my revenge. Smiley Face made my life hell when I was a child!” says Sindi.
“That’s true; Smiley Face ruined our childhoods. He’d scare us to give him money and our lunch boxes. We would starve in school because he said he was the devil and he knew all our sins and would burn us in hell if we didn’t do as he commanded,” I say.
“I can’t believe I fell for his tricks all the way to high school. But today is revenge day. What else can we do to him?” says Kabelo.
“Well, we already gave him water to drink. Maybe we need to dig him up,” I say.
“No ways, bro!” Kabelo objects.
“So what do we do?” Toni asks.
“Guys if you were dead, what would be your greatest fear?” I ask.
“Being stepped on?” Charity says.
“Being disturbed in my sleep,” says Sindi.
“I think everyone’s greatest fear is being forgotten,” says Zola.
“Yes!” we all say simultaneously.
“Let’s destroy his tombstone. That way, he’ll be dead even in memory,” I say
It helps that the tombstone isn’t made of granite. A few kicks from all of us break the weak blocks. A few stamps grind the blocks to ashes. It is the best feeling ever. I’ve never released such anger.
As we run back through the cemetery, sudden cracks of creepy laughs emanate from behind the trees. These laughs are followed by a violent whirlwind. Birds suddenly rise from trees.
“What’s that?” Sindi asks.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go,” I say.
We all try to hide what we feel, but I can see it in all our eyes. That creepy laughter we heard after we destroyed the tombstone definitely belongs to Smiley Face.