Disclaimer: I don't own South Park.
HERE LIES
JEROME "CHEF" MCELROY
A GOOD CHEF
A ONE-OF-A-KIND SINGER
A TRUE LEGEND IN SOUTH PARK
NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN
With stinging eyes, Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny read the words on the tombstone before them. The boys had met up at the South Park cemetery to visit Chef's grave. It had been a long time since the death of their good friend, yet all four of them missed him just as much as ever.
"I can't believe so much time has passed since we lost Chef," Stan said mournfully.
"I know." Kyle nodded. "Things haven't been the same in South Park ever since then."
"You're telling me!" Cartman agreed. "The food in school has been so crappy ever since we died!"
"Dude!" Kyle turned to shoot a glare at the overweight kid. "We're here to mourn our friend - and all you can think about is food, Fatass?!"
"'EY!" Cartman snapped. "I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT CRAP FROM YOU, JEW!"
"You guys, stop it!" Stan ordered calmly yet firmly. "We're in the cemetery now! This is no place for you two to be fighting! We need to have respect for the dead!"
Kenny glared underneath his hood. His friends never had respect for him whenever he died. Not once did they care whenever he was killed in such brutally violent ways - nor were they a bit bothered whenever he came back to life.
Kneeling in front of the tombstone, Stan ran a gloved hand over the letters that spelt out his deceased friend's name. He wished Chef was there that moment, for he would take the time to help them cope with his passing. The dark-haired boy could only imagine how their conversation with their dead friend would go if the boys chose to confide in him.
The boys were together in the school cafeteria, about to collect their lunch. They had just made it to the front of the line, where, about to serve them and pleased as always to see them, was Chef.
"Hello there, children!"
"Hey, Chef!"
"How's it going?"
"Bad!"
"Why bad?!"
"We miss you!"
"You miss me?!" Chef was puzzled at the words the boy had chorused together at him. "Aww but, children! I'm right here with you!"
"No you're not, Chef!" Kyle said. "You're dead!"
"I'm dead?!" Chef exclaimed, astonished by what he had just been told about himself.
"Yeah." Stan nodded. "I mean, this conversation isn't really happening. It's just in my imagination. You're not really here. You're dead - and it sucks!"
"Yeah!" Cartman agreed. "We can't get anymore kickass food here anymore, Chef! The school food has gotten so lame since you died!"
"STOP THINKING ABOUT FOOD, FATASS!" Kyle bellowed at Cartman.
"SHUT UP, JEW!"
"Oh ... right ... well, you see, children, everybody dies - and everybody at some point in their lives has to face loss and grief. No matter how much you long for somebody you've lost, they cannot come back."
Stan, Kyle and Cartman listened to the words of wisdom coming out of Chef - while Kenny let off an inaudible huff under his hood. He knew all too well that being unable to come back to life after dying was not true for him.
"Sometimes the best therapy for that is a little uplifting music." Chef smiled warmly. "Tell you what, children, I'mma cheer you all up - by singing you a lil song-"
"Nah, that's okay, Chef," Stan spoke quickly before Chef could start singing. "We don't wanna hear any of your songs."
Chef blinked, his smile fading at what Stan had said. "You don't?"
"Nope," Kyle added. "They never cheer us up."
"Oh..." Chef paused, feeling a tad stung to hear his little friends hated his singing - before finally managing to force out some words that he hoped would manage to help them. "Well just remember, children, I will live on in your memories. As along as you four remember me and never let me be forgotten, I will continue to live through you."
That was enough to lift the boys spirits. Some smiles found their way onto their faces, directing them towards their wise, beloved friend.
"We will always remember you, Chef," Kyle promised sincerely. "We won't ever let you be forgotten."
"Because you're our friend," Stan said, his eyes shining. "And we love you."
"Aww! Ain't you so sweet?" Chef smiled at his little friends who he was always happy to help through their difficult times - before pointing outwards to shoo them away. "Move along, children! You're holding up the line!"
Stan smiled. What he had imagined in his mind was precisely how he believed Chef would advise him and the others to get through missing him. He ran his one hand over the words on the tombstone again while using the other to wipe his teary eyes. Kyle, Cartman and Kenny watched him wordlessly. All four of the boys had sincere thoughts of their deceased friend on their mind.
"We miss you, Chef," Stan said wordlessly. "We will never have another friend like you - nor will we ever have another responsible adult we can look up to and be like."
"Stanley?! Stan, what the hell are you doing out here?!"
Stan jumped upon hearing a sudden irritated voice snap at him. Knowing perfectly well who it belonged to, he peered up from the grave to see his father standing before him. Randy had his hands on his hips as he glared down at his son.
"What d'you think you're playing at out here, Son?"
"I'm not playing, Dad!" Stan protested. "I just came here to pay a visit to Chef-"
"To hell with Chef! He's dead now - and the family business will follow if you keep moping around here! Get your ass back to the farm right now, Stan! There's Tegridy to be sold!"
Randy stormed off. The boys watched as he angrily made his way out of the cemetery. Stan stayed behind at the tombstone. He had no intention of going after his father to help him with his cannabis-selling business - which the young boy wanted no part in.
"Is it just me," Kyle muttered, "or has Stan's dad been more dominant around South Park ever since Chef died?"
"I dunno," Cartman answered. "But one thing I do know - is that your dad is a real asshole, Stan!"
Stan said nothing to defend Randy. For once, he agreed with the scathing comment Cartman had passed. He turned his attention back to Chef's tombstone. His father had just proved his point about what he had said about the boys no longer having any responsible adult to look up to and take after.
"You see what I mean, Chef?" he sighed. "There will never be another adult like you in South Park."
The end
