Two-Faced Friends

by Dyer, Dorothy;

  The boy put his head down and backed off. Lelethu hid a smile to herself.

  At break she found a place to sit on a low wall at the edge of the playground. She didn’t care if she was alone. She would just sit and watch the cool girls nearby. She tried to hear what they were saying.

  “I was at my auntie’s watching DStv,” she heard Princess say. “There was a programme, a make-over.”

  “I know those,” another girl said, the shortest one. “They turn some old lady into icherrie e-grand!”

  “And there’s one with houses,” said another. “Those Americans have huge houses. You should have seen the rooms of junk in one house. The lady ordered a truck to get rid of it. It was like they had a new house again.”

  The girls laughed, and Lelethu laughed as well from where she was sitting on the wall, hoping they would invite her over. But they acted like she wasn’t there.

  “But this girl,” Princess said. “It was amazing. I still can’t believe she was the same person. She even talked different.”

  Across the courtyard Lelethu saw Busi with a boy, and both of them were looking at her. Her heart sank. Was Busi going to try to be nice again, because she was so obviously on her own, wanting to join Princess?

  She couldn’t believe it when the boy came over. He was a good-looking boy, in Grade 12, but Lelethu knew that he had been sent by Busi. He jumped onto the wall next to her and held out his hand, like he wanted her to shake it. She pretended not to notice. But Princess had watched the boy coming.

  “Ouch, Unathi, looks like the village girl is not interested in you!” Princess said.

  Unathi shrugged. “Too bad,” he said.

  “But she is kind of your type,” said the short girl. “She is sqondamva.” The girls all laughed.

  “Is that so?” asked Unathi sarcastically. “Look who’s talking.”

  Lelethu looked at him, surprised. He had a quick tongue and did not seem impressed by these girls. But he was already sliding off the wall, walking back to Busi.

  Lelethu turned back to Princess, who was still looking at her.

  “I thought you village girls were good as gold, doing everything you’re told. Not being rude to nice boys,” Princess teased.

  “Is he really nice?” Lelethu asked, getting up to join them. The girl laughed even louder.

  “So you’re fussy as well. Seems like you’ve been in the big city longer than a couple of days.”

  Princess walked around Lelethu, staring at her till she started feeling embarrassed. Then Princess turned to her friends. “We could give this girl a make-over. Turn her from village girl to city chick.”

  Lelethu didn’t quite understand, but she liked this attention. The other girls were laughing, giving the girl high-fives.

  “We will give her the lessons of her life,” said Princess.

  Just then Busi walked past to the toilet. “Poor girl,” said one of the girls, loud enough for Busi to hear. “Always off to the toilet. I wonder why.”

  “I wonder,” said another. “Do you think it’s because of all that fun she had?”

  “Fun’s over now,” said Princess. “Now she’s been put in the rubbish bin.”

  Lelethu saw Busi trying not to look at them, and wondered what on earth they were talking about. But she didn’t have time to think about it for long, because Princess had turned back to her.

  “OK, let’s have a look,” she said. Lelethu stood still as Princess and her friends slowly walked around her. “Hair like wire,” the short one said.

  “Good figure,” said Princess. “Yes, I think we can do it. But it’ll be hard work. Just look at her.”

  Lelethu didn’t care what they said. She was just happy that they were paying her attention.

  “I’ll do anything you say,” she said.

  “OK, village girl,” Princess said. “The challenge is on. I’m giving you a make-over. First thing to do, you need to buy new clothes.”

  “In the programme the people give the woman new clothes,” one girl said.

  “Well this is my programme,” Princess said. “And I am telling her to get a few nice items to wear. We’ll see if she has some style. It’s the first test. Let’s see if she passes. So, girl, what’s your name?”

  “Lelethu,” Lelethu answered, much more confidently than she felt.

  “Lelethu, go get some new clothes, then come and find me after school tomorrow.” With that Princess walked off without even saying goodbye, the others hurrying after her without a backward glance.

  Lelethu thought of the money her mother had given her for school books and unexpected expenses. Surely she could use some of it for a few items of clothing. Her mother didn’t expect her to go around in rags, did she?

  Things were going to change. Yes, she would go shopping for clothes with that money. There was no way she was going to look like a village girl any more.

  * * *

  It was strange being the one who didn’t look cool. At home she was always the one with style, the one all the girls wanted to look like. When the city cousins arrived at Christmas and Easter, everyone talked about the townies with their new hairstyles and fashions. But she was the one who also liked to copy them. She and Pholisa had spent ages dressing up in Pholisa’s cousins’ clothes, fresh from the malls of Joburg.

  Pholisa was happy just to look in the mirror, to laugh at Lelethu’s jokes and poses. But Lelethu wanted more. Once a cousin had said to her, “You look beautiful, like you’re in a fashion magazine.” She had decided there and then that she was destined for city life. She would wear nice clothes to smart places where people admired you and wanted to talk to you. She would leave the little hut on the hill, the mud in the rain and the dust in the heat. That night she told her mother she wanted to go to school in Cape Town.

  Chapter 4

  She rushed home after school to fetch her money before Bontle could ask her where she was going. It was a quick journey to town by train. She had heard Princess and her friends talking about the good deals there. As she walked out of the station building she was jostled by the crowds, and for a moment she was terrified. But then she reminded herself of the new Lelethu, the city girl who knew what to do.

  as she walked up the main road, she stopped to look in the shop windows. At the end of the road she found what she was looking for. There in the window was a stunning pink top, and she knew she would look great in it. But when she got into the shop a woman wearing a smart dress and lots of make-up marched over to her. “What do you want?” she asked aggressively.

  “I’m just looking,” Lelethu stuttered. The woman stood back, watching her closely. Lelethu tried to look casual as she admired the shirt and some pants on the next clothes stand. Could she afford both, she wondered? Then she looked at the price tag: R450 … for a shirt! Were they mad in this town? She had only R200 for everything. She slunk out without even looking at the woman. What was she to do?

  She passed another shop that had the same feel as the expensive one, with elegant dresses in the window. It was too much. She felt a prick of tears behind her eyes. How was she ever going to fit in if she couldn’t afford even one new outfit?

  But when she turned the corner off the main road she saw a huge sign: 2 T-shirts – R40! She looked at them critically. They were plain, but very pretty, with a good shape. She knew they would suit her. Inside the shop she found other bargains. These prices were not that different from the Eastern Cape, and the clothes were far more attractive.

  She tried on a new shirt, a new pair of jeans that showed her shape, and some pretty pumps. There in the mirror was a pretty city girl. Lelethu smiled at herself. Now she just needed a bit of make-up and she was ready for just about anything.

  * * *

  It was late when she got back to the township. The light was fading as she made her way through the unfamiliar streets w
ith her shopping bag. It was all so noisy, so full of people coming home. There were smells of smoky fires, and meat cooking to feed the hungry workers. A drunk man lurched past her and a group of boys whistled as she walked by. Not like the village where everyone greeted each other, where you knew everybody.

  She thought of Pholisa, and then her mother. What would her mother say if she knew where the money had gone? Lelethu felt a little shudder. Her mother was far away, but she had a temper that Lelethu feared. She wished Pholisa would phone her. It would be reassuring to hear her voice.

  But as she turned into a street near her aunt’s house, she saw Princess walking down the street.

  “Princess!” she called.

  Princess turned, saw her, and beckoned to her to come. Lelethu hurried to join her.

  “Have you got R5 for me?” Princess asked. “I am just craving a chocolate, but I don’t have money with me. Here you are, like an answer to a prayer.”

  Lelethu fumbled in her purse. She had very little money left over, but she wanted Princess to be pleased.

  “Here,” she said.

  “Thanks, chommie,” said Princess, flashing her big smile. “Aren’t you getting a chocolate for yourself?”

  Lelethu longed to buy one, but she was already feeling guilty about the money she had spent. “No, no,” she said. “I don’t eat chocolate.”

  Princess laughed, like she knew Lelethu was lying. “See you tomorrow,” she said.

  Lelethu hid her disappointment. She had hoped to be able to show Princess what she’d bought, and to walk and talk with her as she ate her chocolate. But she could see that wasn’t going to happen. Besides, it was getting late.

  “Bye, Princess,” she said quickly and turned back towards her aunt’s home.

  Just then her phone rang. It was Pholisa. A few mintues ago this was the call she had wanted. But now it didn’t seem so important any more.

  “Hi, Pholisa.”

  “Hello, Lele, how are you, my chommie?”

  “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

  “Things are not great here, Lele. My mother is worried.” There was a pause. Lelethu knew Pholisa wanted her to ask about the trouble, but Lelethu was in a hurry now. She wanted to get her clothes safely home.

  Pholisa carried on talking. “My granny is sick – you know, the old one in Cape Town. And she has nobody to help her.”

  “Shame.” Lelethu clicked her tongue, trying to show sympathy.

  “Maybe you can see her, Lele? I will send you the address.”

  “I will try, Pholisa, but life is very busy here. It’s different from home, you know.”

  “I know. Maybe I will have to …” The phone cut off again.

  Typical Pholisa, Lelethu thought, running out of airtime. By now it was dark and she was home at last.

  “Where have you been?” her aunt scolded her. “I was worried. You can’t just go wherever you like here. It’s a dangerous place.”

  “Sorry, Auntie,” said Lelethu softly. Luckily her aunt was bustling around the kitchen, so did not notice the big bag that Lelethu was smuggling in.

  “Get changed quickly and then come and help me peel potatoes. Bontle is out doing homework with a friend, so I need your help in the kitchen.”

  Lelethu carefully packed her new clothes into her side of the cupboard then went to help her aunt. It was strange to think that these potatoes were bought from shops, not dug up from the earth outside. She smiled to herself. Everything was different. And she was beginning to like it.

  Chapter 5

  The next day she was too excited to concentrate on the lessons. At break she went out to find Princess and her friends, hoping they would include her now that she was their “make-over”. But she couldn’t find them anywhere. Only at the end of break did she see them come in from behind the shed, smelling of smoke. At least they greeted her.

  After school she rushed home to get there before Bontle. She pulled on her new jeans, top and pumps and looked in the mirror. She looked gorgeous. But her face was still plain. She rummaged in Bontle’s draw. There, at the back, was a stick of lipstick. So Bontle wasn’t such a goody-goody after all! She put the lipstick on carefully and looked at herself again. So different, so glamorous! Surely Princess and the others would be impressed. Would she pass the test?

  Just as she walked out of the house Bontle was coming through the gate. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Lelethu. “Where are you going? And where did you get those lovely clothes?”

  “Bye, see you later,” said Lelethu, walking past her. She didn’t look back but could feel Bontle’s eyes following her down the street.

  She turned into Princess’s street. Her new clothes made her feel sexy, grown-up. The girls were outside a spaza, getting cooldrinks. Lelethu’s heart beat faster. Would they be friendly? Would they like her clothes?

  “Princess, look who’s here,” said one of them. Lelethu waved.

  “Hey, village girl.” Princess waved back. She was smiling. It was a tease, not an insult.

  “Hi,” Lelethu said, coming up to them, and trying to look cool. One of the girls touched Lelethu’s top.

  “Nice shirt, chommie,” said Princess. “Well done. You look good.”

  Lelethu’s heart lifted, and she started walking with them as they carried on down the street.

  “Wait till Unathi sees you now,” said the short girl, Pamela. “He will be buzzing around you even more!” She linked her arm in Lelethu’s and they all moved down the street as a group.

  “Zikhona, Lelethu needs your hair relaxer,” said Princess, looking at Lelethu’s hair. “That’s the next step in the make-over. Something must happen to that hair.”

  The girls went into Zikhona’s house. It was smaller than Auntie’s house. Two small children were playing in the dust outside. The girls pushed Lelethu onto the bed.

  “OK, operation transformation,” said Zikhona. Lelethu thought she would explode with happiness.

  “Move up,” said Princess, lying back on the bed, playing on her phone while Pamela started combing the hair relaxer into Lelethu’s hair. A little girl with two pigtails on the top of her head came running in.

  “Do my hair, do my hair!”

  Lelethu stretched her hand out – she was missing her own younger sister who always wanted to follow her around at home. But Princess was already up, pushing the little girl out through the door.

  “Hamba, wena,” she said. “We don’t want you here. You look like a porcupine with that hair.” She closed the door, and they heard the wailing start.

  “Your little sister is a pain,” said Princess to Zikhona with a sigh.

  “Yes, she is,” agreed Zikhona, but doubtfully, like she didn’t really believe it.

  Lelethu’s phone rang. She saw it was Pholisa. It was not the right time to talk to her, and she switched it off.

  “That phone,” said Princess, “bisis’tena. A city chick needs a city phone.”

  “I don’t know how you manage without a proper phone with Mxit,” said Pamela. “I wouldn’t survive a day.”

  Lelethu felt worried. “I can’t really afford a new phone.”

  “Oh you won’t have to buy one, chommie,” said Princess. “We will arrange one, if you know what I mean.”

  Lelethu didn’t know what she meant, but she was glad she wouldn’t have to spend money.

  * * *

  Later that night when she was in bed her phone beeped in the darkness. It was Pholisa, sending a message.

  Gnite frend. Pse cll me.

  Lelethu thought of Pholisa and her worries. She remembered Pholisa’s gogo. She used to tell them stories and make them laugh. She couldn’t imagine her being sick – she was such a strong old lady who still worked and sent money back to Pholisa’s family.

  Gnite Pholi

  I wll fone
soon Lele. Low on airtime. Luv u.

  She did have airtime. But she was busy. And besides, Pholisa’s granny was not her problem.

  Chapter 6

  “Hello, sweetie!” Princess shouted in greeting on the way to school.

  Lelethu saw Bontle looking up to see who she was talking to. Her eyes widened as she realised it was Lelethu.

  Now you see how popular I am, Lelethu thought. “Hi, Princess,” she called back, rushing to catch up with her.

  “We’re late for school – hurry up and run!” shouted Princess.

  Lelethu started sprinting – this was something she was good at. She ran on past the girls to show them her speed. She had won all her races at her Sports Day. But suddenly, right next to them, she tripped on something and found herself diving onto the dust, sprawling out on the road. Her phone smashed into a paving stone and split open, the screen shattered. Her knees stung, and tears of humiliation came to her eyes as she saw Princess and the others giggling at her.

  “My phone!” she said. Seeing it lying in pieces there made her want to cry.

  “Oh, it was a terrible phone,” said Princess. “We’ll get you another one.” She pulled Lelethu up, and watched her as she picked up the remains of her phone to get her sim card.

  “Another lesson, chommie,” said Princess. “You walk too fast, like a boy. Walk slowly, as if you are walking on one line, like this.” She minced along, taking tiny steps, one in front of the other.

  “We’ll never get to school on time like that,” said Lelethu, brushing down her skirt, trying to look cool and not like she was sore and upset.

  “Who cares about school?” said Princess. “Anyway, I was just joking, girlfriend.”

  * * *

  Later, as Lelethu was changing classes, she felt a hand on her arm. It was Bontle.

  “I saw what happened this morning,” she said. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” said Lelethu. “I just fell.”

  “You didn’t fall,” said Bontle. “Princess tripped you. She’s mean, that one.”