chapter 10

Kamogelo Mmusi

OR Tambo International airport (South Africa)

Kamogelo Mmusi, Botswana former beauty queen just got off from a plane from home, coming to Johannesburg to check on her business Mmasentle clinic.  When she went to the baggage reclaim, two of her bags are missing and she was ushered to the control room where a young handsome man in his late twenties asked her to sit down. Normally Kamo as she is known by her peers she is a drama queen who always throws tantrums when things are not going her way. Ronald is the name of the security manager assisting Kamo about her lost luggage.

He went through different flights schedules and it seems as Kamo’s luggage went on the wrong flight when she left Gaborone.

"I am sorry ma’am, according to this schedule, your luggage was loaded on a wrong flight but it will be here within the next three hours. We apologised for the mistake and inconvenience. Anything we can do for you ma’am while we wait? My name is Ronald." He was the most handsome guy that Kamo has seen in her life.

"Ehhhh what’s your name again... yes Ronald, I have an appointment with a very important client in an hour’s time. Some of the things that I must use on my appointment they are on the same luggage that you are saying it will be here in the next three hours and my appointment will be gone so does my business."

"Ma’am, I wish there is something that I can do but the only thing that is left is to wait for the flight. How about we ask one of our chauffeur who drives executives to drop you to your office and when the luggage arrives, I will personally come and drop it. I am also requesting that if possible you communicate with your client and move the appointment with four hours, I hope they will understand."

"Thank you very much Ronald but you don’t understand the importance of this appointment; it is not any other appointment. I am meeting the First Lady of DRC who is here accompanying her husband on SADC meeting and they have busy schedules. It is not any other appointment that I can just cancel or move."

"You have an appointment with DRC First Lady, she is very sweet that one, actually is a friend to our CEO, let me ask her to talk to her, I am sure they can work something."

"I don’t want my clients to think that I am not capable of running my business but anyway you can speak to your CEO to talk to the First Lady."

"What kind of business are you into ma’am if you don’t mind me asking?" It was Ronald curious of the beautiful face in front of her.

 Kamo with a smile on her beautiful face responded..first you must call me Kamo everybody calls me that. Have you ever heard of Mmasentle Clinics? If you have not heard about it, it’s one of Johannesburg most visited beauty clinic with small offices in other countries like Botswana, DRC, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Nigeria and other countries. 

"Masentle...I know about the clinics, my sister is a regular there. And is expensive but I think with the service that the clinic offers is worth it. And what do you do there, are you one of the beauty therapist or what?"

Kamo more relaxed… "Well, I am the owner of Mmasentle and my clients come first hence I am disturbed with the appointment with DRC first lady."

Ronald with disbelief in his voice, "You mean to tell me that you are Kamogelo Mmusi the former Botswana beauty queen who most people…" before he continues he started to stutter because he was going to say something not nice about Kamo.

"What do people say about me Ronald, you may say it that I should know. Without knowing it I will not be able to change it."

Before Ronald could answer, his phone rang, it was the PA to the Airport CEO who wanted Kamo to come to her office.

"Thank you, Pam, we will be there in a minute. Well, Ms Mmusi, it was the CEO she is asking you to join her, she has DRC first Lady on the line."

That was quick. It was Kamo surprised that they have DRC first lady on the line already. Kamo followed Ronald to a lovely office where they were both ushered in by a beautiful girl; it might be Pam that’s what Kamo thought.

"Hi, Pam…you always look beautiful, Boss lady called me and our guest," Ronald spoke so sincerely to Pam.

"Thank you, Ron, you can go in she is waiting."

Ronald opened the door and let Kamo enter first then he followed.  The CEO showed them where to sit. Ronald does not come to this office often unless there is a problem with clients like today. He had full confidence that if there is someone who can resolve Ms Mmusi’s problem is the beautiful woman sitting on the other side of the room. She was on the phone but she hung up and told the person on the line that she will call back in two minutes.

"Hello Ms Mmusi, my name is Olga and I am the CEO of Airports Security. My apology with your luggage, I heard you have an appointment with DRC first lady in an hour’s time and you won’t make it because some of the things you wanted to use were on your luggage."

"Nice to meet you Olga and apology accepted…it's just that I don’t want the first lady to think that I am no longer capable of running my business, she has been my client for quite some time, she is the reason I have also opened Mmasentle in DRC."

"That is true Kamo, customers should be treated with respect and dignity hence we are also doing our best that your luggage arrives and you still honour your appointment although it will be on a different time. When you came in, I was with Marie-Olive on the phone; I told her I would call her back. I have already explained to her and apologised and she is so understanding. Let me call her back to put you at ease."

Olga dialled the hotel room where the First Lady is staying and put the phone on a speaker.

The voice on the other phone…said: "You are speaking to the First Lady of DRC, how can I help you?" 

"Hello, Marie it’s me Olga. I have Kamo on the line with me she is so worried about your appointment. I was trying to explain to her that since it was my people who misplaced her luggage, I have apologised to you and you understood that circumstances do happen. Can you please tell her that the appointment is still on and it will work perfectly since the meeting you were supposed to attend with the President is moved to later tonight?"

"Hello Kamo, you are such a darling and I know how much you care for your clients. When Olga told me that she has you and explained what happened I completely understood. But do not worry, I will come to the clinic at 15:30 in time before I joined the President for dinner with other SADC leaders. And how was your flight from Singapore to Botswana now you are in South Africa? You are such a busy lady!" The First lady understood Kamo's situation.

"Thank you for understanding First Lady…I  will make sure that today I am the one who will work on your face to make up for the lost time. My flight was okay although I am jet legged but I will go and have a lovely sleep after my appointments."

"See you soon and Olga thank you for all your troubles."

"Take care les ami, see you tomorrow." It was Ron’s boss saying goodbye to the first lady.

"You called her les ami, are you that close to the first lady?"

"Oh yes Marie and I grew up together, I studied in DRC when my parents were in exile. We became friends from first grade until university. I was her best lady when she married the president."

Kamo could not believe that Ronald’s boss can be a friend to the first lady. She, on the other hand, had few friends from primary that were still friends. "Thank you for speaking to the first lady. I think it will be better if I go to the clinic and look at some admin before my appointment."

"It is always a pleasure, we pride ourselves by taking care of our clients. Ronald please be a darling and make sure that Ms Mmusi gets to her office quickly."

"Consider it done boss." Kamo could sense that Ronald and Olga a good working relationship.

Kamo and Ronald left the office and Ronald asked Kamo to wait at the reception as he had to take the keys for his car in his office. Ronald quickly came back and ask Kamo to follow him to the parking for him to drop her at the office.

Ronald’s car was something out of this earth, the leather seats, music, the interior was so beautiful that you can mistakenly take it for a girl’s car. The same thing that happened to Kamo when she laid her eyes to Ronald earlier came back, 'this young man is hot and I would not mind to have him as a Ben 10 when I am in Mzansi'. She did not want Ronald to think otherwise since he was still going to come back later to drop her luggage. She is going to ask him to join her for dinner when he comes back. For now, she will play a good girl and enjoy to be driven by such a handsome young man.

"Ronald, how long have you been working at the airport?" Kamo asked starting a conversation.

"Its been three years mam. I love my work!"

"I can imagine having to deal with dissatisfied customers like me is something to enjoy," Kamo says that with an irony in the tone of her voice.

"It is not every day but we have been properly trained on customer service and I would not say you are a difficult client I would have done the same if it was my luggage as well."

"Ja

"Not at all Ms Mmusi, anyway, what made you focus on the business of beauty, I mean why not any other business?"

Kamo felt that Ronald is getting to where she wants, he is interested in her life is a good sign; well she will not have to do a lot than she expected.

"I grew up participating in beauty pageants that’s where my love for beauty started. When I was crowned Miss Botswana in 2010 I was doing my degree in Engineering which I dropped and did Dermatology after visiting some of the rural regions in Botswana and saw many young women having skin problems and I said to myself I will open a beauty clinic which will help treat skin condition and also mentor young women to have self-esteem."

"Your clinic is one of the expensive places not everyone can afford, how is that related to what you just said?"

"I know it seems like is not the truth, believe it or not, Mmasentle was born in rural Botswana and for two years I enjoyed helping young women treating their skin and coaching them until a certain benefactor who I will not mention visited my clinic and he was charmed with my work and in three months’ time, he had helped me to grow my business to be what it is today."

"Wow, a certain benefactor," Ronald said that with a sense of jealousy in his voice. "How did he help you and why was he interested in your business?"

"Let’s just say he saw that I had what it takes to grow my business, he introduced me into right people which includes mentors, attending beautician workshops, taught me how to develop a business plan, ask for funding which events to attend and who should I network with, as they say, the rest is history Mmasentle is in four different African countries including DRC. And why do I sense a bit of jealousy on your question?" Kamo asks more relaxed now, it’s like she has known Ronald for ages.

"I am not jealous it's just that I was struggling to understand how someone you have never met before gets so excited and helps you to turn your clinic into a renowned beauty clinic in Africa."

Kamo could feel that Ronald is a bit jealous by the way he is speaking but she did not want to show him that actually she like his caring.

"Thank you, Ronald, we have arrived, and thank you again for driving me and you are a good driver."

"It’s my pleasure ma’am, it's the little I can do after all that happened earlier. I will ask one of the drivers to come and drop your luggage later."

Kamo with a bit of disappointment on her voice, "A driver? I thought you were going to bring the luggage yourself and maybe we could do dinner."

"I am sorry ma’am, I have a lot of work that I need to go through before weekend and besides, our company’s policy does not want us to socialise with clients."

"Company policy does not want you to socialise with clients, I wouldn’t call dinner socialising, I wanted to say thank you for assisting after I gave you a hard time."

"Let me get your number, I will give you a call when I am more flexible then I will show you some of the lovely joints in Jozi."

Kamo gave Ronald her business card and said to Ronald; "I cannot wait for that call. Take care Ronald and what about me getting your number?"

"Oh yes, here is my card too, you can call me anytime."

Kamo gets out of the car and took her hand luggage and walked towards Mmasentle building, when she turned back Ronald was looking at her still in the parking lot and she smiled at him as she opens the door to the reception.

She closed the door behind her and she was all happy that Ronald was into her and by the look of it, she is planning to have a lot of fun with him. She had learned from an early age how to control the opposite sex and Ronald will not be that difficult.