Kwaito Love by Lauri Kubbuitsile Page A

around the designs to see them from all sides.
    Mpho took out a chocolate-covered doughnut. “You think so?”
    â€œDefinitely! Without a doubt. Look at this!” Her cousin was standing by the two-piece. “I love this! I love the tails at the back and the belt. Fantastic! You are so creative.”
    As Mpho watched Annabella her mood shifted. She looked at the evening gown and suddenly envisioned Marika in it with her long blonde hair teased out and her lips painted ruby red. She saw Annabella’s curvy body filling out the two-piece, her long elegant arms swinging out in front of her as she walked down the runway. She could see them both proudly wearing her designs, happy to be part of making her dream come true. Maybe things would work out after all, Mpho thought. “Annie . . . I’ve got a favour to ask.”
    Annabella sat down and started opening packets of sugar and dumping them in her coffee. “Okay . . . Shoot, sweetie.”
    â€œAny chance you’d like to model that two-piece on Saturday?”
    â€œMe? But I’m no model . . . I’m sure you could get someone better . . .” Annabella always underestimated herself; she lacked confidence in her looks and ability at most things. That was why she had settled for Johnny’s no-good father and worked at the dry-cleaners instead of trying to get back in school.
    â€œNo,” said Mpho. “You’re the best woman for the job. You’re beautiful and more importantly, you love the outfit. Clothes shine on people who love them. Please do me and the two-piece the honour of wearing it at the graduate show.”
    Annabella got up, took the jacket off the dummy and slipped it over her shoulders. Mpho smiled. The colours looked fabulous against her dark skin. Annabella looked down at the African printed fabric and rubbed her hands over the surface. “Thanks so much for asking me . . . I’d love to!”
    Mpho knew it would be only a short phone call to Marika and she would have her models. She also knew that in the end her models would do the best for her designs because they loved her. They would wear the clothes with pride, and that was all Mpho wanted.

Chapter 8
    8
    Mpho felt like she’d been running nonstop for three days. Trying to get everyone to the lab for fittings was proving difficult. When she was free, Annabella was working and Marika was in class. Or she was working and they were free. Koketso also had a frantic schedule. Mpho felt frazzled from lack of sleep and nerves over the show in just two days.
    She’d finally got everybody sorted out by waiting for Koketso at the lab until 11pm the night before. That was, everyone except for Annabella. She decided the best thing to do was to take the dress to the dry-cleaners and beg Mrs Smith to give her cousin a few minutes off so she could get the dress fitted. Mpho checked her bag to see she had everything she needed and headed to the door of the flat. “Okay, I’m off then,” she shouted into the kitchen where Jakes and her mother sat drinking tea.
    She closed the door behind her and turned straight into someone who was coming up the stairs. “Oh, sorry . . .” Mpho said, not knowing at first who she had bashed into. “Oh . . . Thabang . . . I’m just rushing off . . . I have things . . . and then I’m . . . just going to . . .” She closed her mouth, realising she was making a fool of herself.
    It had been five days since Mr Habib’s party. She’d kept herself frantically busy, trying to believe that she was over Thabang forever. In the chaos of preparing for the show, she almost believed it. But looking at him in the gloomy stairwell, she realised she had lied to herself.
    â€œI’m visiting my mother. She’s sick again. I want to take her to Morningside Clinic; the doctor she’s been going to can’t seem to find the problem.” Thabang smiled but Mpho could see a hint of