We were at Thara’s housewarming and he laid down the challenge. “A prize to the first person to find the one happy face on my property!”

Damjan pointed to my perpetual grin. “I found it!”

“No,” Thara scolded. “A real smiley face.”

“I found it!” said Michael. He gestured to a sticker of John Howard stuck on one of the milk crates that supported Thara’s coffee table. The milk crate coffee table features in every impoverished university student’s household.

Thara just rolled his eyes.

Our hunt was distracted as the cheese platter and dips came out. Mmm, Tia Maria Tim Tams…

A few hours later, Thara reminded us that the prize was still up for grabs.

“Come on, Joanna,” I announced. “Let’s find that smiley face!” Joanna and I are the Dynamic Duo. We are an experienced ransacking-of-boy’s-house partnership. We had practiced in Daniel‘s apartment, after all.

Julian, the International Man of Mystery, joined us to form the Intrepid Trio.

We searched each room systematically, pulling out drawers, peeking in toasters, checking under toilet lids. We even opened up the margerine container on the hunch that Thara had carved a face into the soft yellowness. In the parts of the house without working lightbulbs, we appropriated a torch to continue the search. Thara became alarmed at our thoroughness.

“Hey Thara!” Joanna called. “Can we ransack your room?” We were being very thoughtful.

“Yeah…” came the cautious reply. “Waaait. Don’t look in the wardrobe. Or the laundry basket. Or that pile. Aargh, never mind! It’s not in my room! Just go away!”

We couldn’t find it anywhere in the house.

“Looks like we’ll have to go outside,” I reasoned. Joanna sighed and climbed into her white platform shoes. I put on my more sensible black leather sandals.

We flashed the torch around the newly-tamed backyard. As we yanked open the shed, Julian said pleasantly, “Be careful of spiders.” Shriek.

At some point, the bottom of my right foot was bitten by an insect and swelled up so that it felt like I was walking on a mini yoga ball.

We stomped through the house and exploded out into the front yard. Flash, flash, flash. Where was that face?

“There it is!!” I pointed at the lawn. A giant classic smiley face had been trampled into the grass. It was the cutest crop circle ever to be seen. The Intrepid Trio had done it!

Thara emerged from the house like a Grand Master of Ceremonies.

“Congratulations,” he intoned. “You have found the Happy Face. You can now choose any prize and it shall be yours.”

“Group conference!” The three of us huddled and whispered for thirty seconds. Then we turned around.

“Your laptop!”

“Oh, come on guys! No!”

“One of your housemate’s paintings. The one worth $2000.”

“Something I can actually give you, puh-leeze!”

….[thinking]…[thinking]…

“A packet of Tim Tams that never runs out!”

Thara finally revealed his own Happy Face. He marched into the house, opened the fridge, pulled out the last packet of Tim Tams and flung it towards us.

Mmm, Tia Maria…