Kwaito Love Read Online Free Page B

you can believe it – TJB was offered a recording deal.”
    â€œA recording deal? How come no one ever told me about that? What happened?”
    Thabang took a drink of his wine and looked out the huge window at the passing parade of dropouts, New Age converts and teens with enough metal in their faces to build a small car. When he turned back his face showed he was upset. “You know, maybe I was wrong. Looking back now, it might seem like I did it for my own benefit but I didn’t; I swear I didn’t.” He looked sincere. He seemed to feel guilty about what he was about to say. Mpho became nervous. She didn’t want her dream date to be rocked with unpleasant news.
    â€œDid what? You sound like you’re somehow to blame for the break-up?”
    â€œWell, Jakes thinks I am. I wouldn’t sign the contract and the company said it had to be all of us or none. I thought the contract was exploiting us. It was too much in favour of the company. Any small hitch and they would drop us and own all of our work. It was unfair. Jakes kept insisting that we could work out a better deal once we had a hit. But I wasn’t certain about that and I didn’t think we should take a chance. In the end, the group broke up over it. Now Jakes is fixing buses and Bongani, last I heard, did some time in jail for hijacking cars. It all went so wrong for them . . .” Thabang stopped and turned back to the window.
    â€œBut not for you . . . So you feel guilty,” Mpho finished his thought.
    â€œYeah, that’s about it.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t feel too bad. Jakes is doing alright. He’s getting married soon. And he likes working at the bus company; he’s a supervisor now.”
    â€œAo! Jakes . . . getting married.” Thabang considered the idea for a moment. “Well, that’s better than me. I haven’t even managed a relationship that lasts longer than a few months.” He looked away again and then changed the subject. “I’m actually surprised Jakes never spoke about the band’s break-up. I’m even more surprised he’s letting you go on a date with me. I remember him being very protective of his little sister.”
    Mpho saw a flash of the naughty look Thabang had in his eyes as a teenager. “To be honest, he never even mentions you. No one does. It’s like there’s been a blackout on Thabang Modise information in the Kgosiemang household. So I thought I’d continue the family policy.”
    Thabang laughed and then became serious. “You mean he doesn’t know you’re here?”
    â€œNo, he doesn’t. Despite what he thinks, Jakes is not my father.” Mpho knew defiance was easy from a distance, but she didn’t care. It was time she stood up to her brother; she was a woman now, not a girl.
    â€œThe whole botch-up with the recording company deal got me so angry I decided I wanted to understand the business myself, inside and out,” Thabang continued. “That’s why I was in Cape Town for two years. To learn about the recording business. To find ways that everybody can make money without the musicians being screwed over. I think we’re doing that now with Mmino Productions. We’re fair to our artists. It’s something that’s very important to me. TJB taught me what the other side looks like.”
    Time seemed to fly by. They talked about when they were kids and the time between then and the present. Mpho could feel all of her old feelings wrap around her like a familiar worn blanket. The sun sunk lower in the sky as afternoon slipped into early evening. Mpho told Thabang all about her fashion design course and her plans to one day be a top South African designer.
    â€œBut what about a husband and a family?” he asked.
    Mpho was embarrassed. What would Thabang think if he knew that most of her teenage years he had played the role of husband opposite her stunning performance