Different Strokes

Matt was now a big part of our lives. We enjoyed his company, but we still had to get used to his straight talk or what Thando called bluntness.

For example, this one day, he walked into out apartment with a magazine in hand and said, ‘Thando.’ He looked straight at her.

Thando ignored him.

That didn’t discourage him. He continued, ‘I see you’ve made the cover of You magazine… again for…’ He turned the magazine and looked at the picture of Thando. ‘Why are you in the cover again?’

Thando smiled. ‘I’m a celebrity,’ she said.

‘But you do nothing,’ he said.

‘Think of me as the Paris Hilton of South Africa,’ Thando said.

‘And that’s a good thing?’

At this point, I decided to rescue Thando, but I might just have made matters worse.

‘Ed and I are also featured in the article. Check the friends’ corner,’ I said.

‘Well, at least you two do something,’ Matt said.

I decided to let it go. But not Thando.

‘Matt, you are jealous because you’re just a personal trainer and you’re always wearing your gym clothes, while I look fabulous all day and am on the news 24/7,’ Thando said.

Matt shrugged. He didn’t seem offended.

I had a feeling the two would get on like a house on fire.

Thando was not wrong about Matt’s wardrobe. He wore his gym clothes all day long, I was sure he slept in them as well. This was a problem for us. You have to understand that all of us in the group were fashion fanatics. Ed and I worked for a magazine, and Thando, well… she was a socialite. Ed was the fashion editor and I was the features writer.

We were trying to find a way to get Matt out of his gym gear. Ed suggested that we do a feature on him, and a photo shoot. Ed thought that if he saw how good he looked dressed up, he would adopt it, change his wardrobe. I didn’t think it would work; the man seemed set on his ways.

Thando heard about our plan and she was furious.

‘I’ve never been featured on your magazine and now you want to feature Mr I-speak-my-mind? Who, by the way, has zero fashion sense!’ Thando said, louder than it was necessary.

I couldn’t repeat what Matt had said. Thando did nothing and our magazine was a reputable magazine, not a tabloid.

‘Thando, you know I do features focusing on health and well-being, so mostly I deal with trainers, dieticians, etcetera,’ I said.

She turned to Ed. ‘And what’s your excuse?’

Ed looked at me for assistance. I shrugged.

‘I usually work with models. I’m sorry I don't make the rules,’ he said.

Thando stormed off to her room. Moments later, she opened the door and poked her head out. ‘The next party I get invited to, I’m taking neither of you as my guest.’ She banged the door behind her.

‘So childish,’ Ed said.

Every city had women like Thando. Every city needed them. Women who did absolutely nothing, yet are still called celebrities. They’re invited to every party. They’re featured on numerous magazines and talk shows. People loved to hate them, yet they still spoke about them. They brightened people’s dull lives. And when they were as controversial as Thando, well, that was a cherry on top; it made people even more interested.