The two of us became unlikely friends in high school - and we've been writing to each other ever since. But it wasn't until recently that we realised our scribbled notes and heartfelt letters had the potential to be a novel.
The year was 1985. The place was Pinelands High School, Cape Town. More specifically, Mrs Gammon's Standard 7 maths class. At the end of the lesson, one of us (the popular one) strode to the back where the withdrawn-and running-late new one was stuffing books into her bag.
'Hi,' the confident one said.
'He asked me to give you this.'
So it started: with a note. The note didn't lead to a high-school romance (the boy wasn't kind). Instead, it led to two very mismatched girls becoming friends.
In the Eighties we'd walk down the road in our school uniforms, pushing our bikes. There were plays (one of us the lead, the other in minor roles). There were Outdoor Club hikes.
We pounded up and down pools and netball courts (in teams separated by several digits). The one would smoke out of the other one's bedroom window, which got us both into trouble. We had sleepovers, and we made each other laugh.
As students, one had a crush on a someone who looked like a young Bob Dylan, the other fell hard for a surfer. One liked playing pool in Observatory; the other liked The Lounge, where she'd occasionally fall into a passionate conversation about grammar with men on the balcony.
In the Nineties, in Yeoville, we shared a succession of flats. We were a kind of double act. On Rockey Street and at parties, people mixed up our names even though one had a mane of curly hair and wore a black faux-fur coat whereas the other preferred denim and biker boots.
SNAIL MAIL
Our friendship is still going strong. At the end of last year, the two of us , - now in our fifties – launched Love You Madly, a book we co-authored.
Bu hikaye Fairlady dergisinin May/June 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Fairlady dergisinin May/June 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Easter with edge
Grant knows what it's like to miss out on the celebrations that anchor family life.
The MALE bias
Historically, medical studies were mainly done on male mice and on men; and then extrapolated to treat women, as if a female body were just a smaller version of a male one. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense, and how to work with your body’s natural rhythm for better health.
Wellbeing
How to sleep better, feel better and look better!
The other type of CHEATING
Lies about money can have devastating consequences in a relationship.
THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES
oe r Despite many highly Hs hazardous pesticides being banned in their countries of origin, 192 of them are still legally exported to South Africa
START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer
There's nothing quite like a South African entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, they innovate and persevere. But what fuels that determination? We chatted to some self-starters to find out.
How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY
It's easy to get complacent in a long-term relationship. Before you know it, your partner is little more than your roommate. Here's how to shake things up.
SUPER TROUPER
At one point, Josie Borain was the most famous model in the world. Her face was on every magazine that mattered. And in the madness of all that attention, she never lost her sense of self. She talks to us about turning 60, being single, and starting her third act with a move to the platteland.
Little wonder
Over the years we have visited 16 Greek islands, but when we first set foot on Halki, the little-known gem just south of Rhodes, we knew we'd found the closest thing to the perfect one. And we vowed to return. Often.
HOME AFFAIRS
These three entrepreneurs are redefining the heartbeat of homes through their unique blend of creativity, sustainability and purposeful design.