Did you smile?

Asmile is such a funny thing, it wrinkles up your face, and when its gone you’ll never find it’s secret hiding place. But much more wonderful than this are the things a smile can do. You smile at one, he smiles at you and one smile makes two. True?

No one dares to ask you why you are frowning, it’s too deep to understand. He could have been frowning when he actually should have been smiling.

He had just won a money prize that was due to him six months before, but then because the money has been deposited into the account of the person who had also gained first position in a different competition sponsored by the same organisation. This was weird!

He frowned because he was wondering why this had happened. Was it prejudice, vengeance, racism, an inferiority complex, sheer selfishness or lack of a sense of responsibility? So he decided to place him in the “enemy box”.

Then by a sheer coincidence, three days later they meet in a queue of a supermarket and the enemy had taken a lunch break from work, and looking at him panicking, I checked the time.

He should have been sitting at his “confusion” desk and it was twenty minutes past the time.

He was sixth from the paying point and started whispering to someone standing right behind me, and pointing at his watch. So the lady, smiling asked if I could allow “the enemy” to go through before me. I returned her innocent smile. The enemy also smiled, hugged the lady, and not smiling any more hugged me also, whispering: “Can we meet at the corner restaurant at 5.30pm today?” Not even waiting for a response, he got served and rushed out of the supermarket.

I sauntered in at 5:45pm – just had to do this to prove a point. He was twiddling his thumbs. I was just about to sit down when he stood up, gave me a tight hug and whispered: “Thank you my man, I owe you one.”

We ordered. He didn’t want to miss the visiting hour because he was supposed to accompany his wife to a hospital in Port Elizabeth.

She had suffered multiple head injuries after an assault by three white men who after a struggle had left her in a bush by the roadside.

His wife had been waiting for their child to come out of school. When the nine-yearold little girl came to the car she was confused because her mom was not in the driver’s seat, and a strange, white man was sitting in the passenger’s seat. Her mom looked scared but smiled and said: “Get in honey, we’re all going home,” and winked at her.

The little girl ran back into the school premises, got to the clerk’s office just as she was leaving and told her what had happened.

The waiter brought our order. He continued: “To cut a long story short, the clerk phoned the police who found her mom in a bush by the roadside. The car was also abandoned; the thugs had run out of petrol.”

They did another hijack, they were “lucky” because the young driver had stolen his mother’s car and was driving to a gig in East London. He did not have a driving licence. The police explained that the thugs had taken his cellphone and wallet, dropped him off at the venue and reminded him: “Remember you do not have a licence, so don’t attempt any stunts.” Poor kid; he was happy to be alive.

We finished our meal; I ordered a taxi, we both drove to the hospital. At about 7:30pm, a smiling friend hugged me and boarded the ambulance.

His wife was hospitalised for two months and he was staying with his cute little girl who called me “Uncle Smile”. Apparently her dad told her our story which by the way was never addressed. But I still insist please smile today, whatever your circumstance.

She had suffered multiple head injuries after an assault by three white men who after a struggle had left her in a bush.