kagablog

330 FASHION SHOW

The first 330 fashion show was held in the cramped main dance floor. Genie contributed a range, as did Spacey and Eva. Club models, from the tall and outrageous Gaiela, to the sixteen year old Vareena, strutted their stuff. Ampleby did not design any garments but gave two dance performances, the Red Bull and the Magician. Gyreth dj’d. Some of the Saturday night crowd had come to see the show which was only staged once. When he appeared with red g-string and Red Bull mask, some patrons standing at the back, fled. He found this out a few weeks later when he went to 330 on the Saturday night and joined a group of people who did not know who he was. The event had obviously become a talking point. He listened with amusement. And then he told them who he was.

ATHENA

Nonchalantly dancing on the dance floor was a tall blond girl dressed only in underwear: G-string, suspenders, stockings, bra, high heels. A prostitute? No - too innocent. Not enough make-up. In fact she wasn’t wearing any make-up. People around her tried to suppress their laughter, but were excited anyway, danced close to her. She succeeded week after week. “Wow,” thought Ampleby, “that takes guts. I hope she knows what she’s doing….but please, please, not another Chlorell!” Time proved, that if there was one person who could ‘handle it’ it was Athena. She could not have been far more removed from Chlorell. Her infatuation with Zee, lead to them becoming lovers. This proved to be an extremely tempestuous relationship. Athena was bisexual and occasionally preferred women. This encouraged Zee into threesomes.

ZEE

When Ampleby moved into Stella Court further down Umbilo Road, Athena and Zee were already living there. They were the only whities in the block. Zee was once gay. He took pride in the fact that he played hooker for the first rugby team and was having a scene with a male teacher at the school on the bluff, Grosvenor Boys High. He made sure his rugby mates knew about it. After he left school, he went to JHB with an intent to get into Television. He became the toy boy of the AWB. After two years, it still did not get him into Television. He returned to Durban and studied Drama at the Natal Technikon. It was in the closing days of Faces that Ampleby first noticed him. He turned ‘straight’. What it was that caused this turnaround remained unanswered. Ampleby and Zee shared an unspoken affinity. Something about the way Zee ‘lived on the edge’ held Ampleby’s attention. He was constantly at ease with himself, never seemed hassled by anything, took life in its stride. Zee was never without a quart of beer, and consumed any amount of mind expanding substances that came his way. By day, or rather when time allowed for he preferred working at night, he was a T shirt printer of note, printing slogans and selling them at flea markets, or taking orders for any company that needed a small run of prints. Athena visited Ampleby, but she did not confide in him, probably just needed someone to talk to, and Ampleby did not encourage any deeper involvement. He had learnt his lesson from Chlorell. Besides, he considered Zee a friend of his and did not want to get involved in his private affairs. Athena sensed this, and did not insist. However, her visits lead to a sense of strain with Zee, who assumed that confidences were being aired. One afternoon, Athena came screaming down the passageway towards Ampleby’s flat, sprinting flat out, Zee in close pursuit. As she neared the door, Zee dive-tackled her and her body weight caught the slightly ajar security gate, which was wrenched completely off the door frame as they both went sprawling down the passage, the gate creating a landing board. Zee dragged her back to the flat. A huge commotion ensued with Athena insisting that Ampleby call the police. When the police arrived and she was offered a lift out of there, she meekly refused, and returned to their flat. A few weeks later, Athena was rushed to Addington hospital and had to have 35 stitches in her arm. She had slashed herself from the pit of her fore elbow down to her wrists. Zee had attempted to set the flat alight by setting fire to the curtains. The flat looked like a trash heap. If their relationship pre marriage was hectic, marriage had the worst possible effect on them. It was as if they had given themselves a framework, a cage, around which to rebel. Take further liberties with each others emotional limits, break whatever pre-conception either of them had, or anybody else for that matter, about marriage. Ampleby designed and made their wedding outfits. His: grey and white pin-stripe suit (three quarter length trousers) and doc Martens. Hers: sparkling white bustiere flounced mini dress, silver and diamante trimmings, lace stockings and doc Martens! The veil: silver netting dotted with red fabric roses.
Athena worked in the VIP bar at 330 Saturday nights, taking the notion of ‘bar tart’ to ever new and increasing heights. She rampaged with her beauty. Zee rampaged with his dick. Athena fell pregnant. Not Zee’s child. They divorced. Athena married the father. Emigrated to England. Zee met a ballet dancer. Married. Emigrated to England.