The magician walked on stage with a broad smile painted on his face. His make-up fixed and his hat firmly placed on his head. First he rallied the audience, with a bit of song and clap. Then he ordered them to be silent, as he performed what he termed as a feat never before attempted by any magician anywhere.

He asked one of the carnival staff members to bring his cloth and they brought him a curtain this time, which he placed gently on the stage floor. Then he began reciting his spell as he waved his wand around. In three, two, one – Boom! There appeared a silhouette underneath the curtain. And for the big reveal, he removed the curtain and Lindiwe appeared with a broad smile. The crowd roared.

The sun returned to the sky. The dark clouds dispersed as the sun’s rays pierced through. A rainbow curved like a smooth road towards the ground. Light returned to the town of Sunrise Avenue. Birds chirped and sang.

Mark clapped like he had never clapped before. Siphiwe cheered excitedly. Mary-Anne also clapped. It seemed she was right after all, her travel’s had taught her to move on quickly. The magician bowed towards the audience and directed Lindiwe off-stage, where her parents welcomed her with a great big hug. They were overjoyed.

“But we can still press charges, you know, for your distress and everything”, Mark’s father chipped in.

“Oh, please”, Mark’s mother said.

Lindiwe finaly rejoined Mark and they enjoyed a laugh together. He remembered something. He dug into his pocket and retrieved the bracelet and handed it over to Lindiwe. They embraced. Siphiwe and Mary-Anne approached with a smile painted on their little faces. They all had a group hug. Siphiwe asked Mary-Anne for her number. And with a bit of thought, she gave it to him, and a little peck on his cheek.

Brother Boswell went on stage and thanked the town of Sunrise Avenue, and promised to be back again someday, hopefully. He also shared some good news and announced that he would be extending his show to travel around the country. And with that, the carnival ended happily.

The trucks roared and spewed golden dust from their exhausts. The earth tremoured as the carnival disappeared in the horizon. Mary-Anne waved from out of the windows with a huge smile on her face. The whole town cheered and continued the festival into the late evening.

Siphiwe was still staring at his phone in awe, when he thought he recognised Mary-Anne’s phone number on one of the truck’s number plates. She giggled and pulled her tongue at him. He chased after the trucks as he giggled and waved goodbye to his dear friend.

They spoke about Brother Boswell’s carnival for months to come. The town hailed it as the best carnival they’ve ever attended. And the final magic act was something special, which they still had not seen.

Lindiwe is still attributed as the star of the show and is a beautiful reminder of the best carnival that ever arrived in Sunrise Avenue. However, to where did she go during those few hours of chaos, still remains a mystery. It is little wonder as to why she is always seen holding hands with Mark.