pretty woman of medium height with tightly cropped curly hair. Now that I looked around me, I realized that Asha had pretty much managed to describe half the plane!
After a few minutes we touched down. I had made it to Africa. Now all I had to do was find Michael and JoJo.
As it turned out, JoJo was by herself and was unmissable. She was holding up a bright pink sign with “Zara Hamilton” emblazoned on it. When she saw me head her way she gave a little squeal of delight and grabbed me in a bone-crushing embrace. “Zara Hamilton, I’m very pleased to be meeting you. Any friend of Asha’s is a big friend of mine.” JoJo had a cute sing song accent.
After the fridge-like cool of the airport, the heat as we stepped outside was gorgeous. My body instantly started to relax and stretch out and I let out a little sigh of happiness. So far I liked Africa!
JoJo was a gorgeously flamboyant extrovert. She positively bubbled with energy and enthusiasm. A former print journalist, she’d fallen into hosting the graveyard shift on a local radio station. Her show became so popular that she was now hosting the prime-time morning to midday slot. On top of that, she was about to release her first single and was the new host of African Idol.
Michael, on the other hand, sounded like a lovely, retiring introvert. He had worked his way through the South African public service and was now one of the most senior figures in the Department of Foreign Affairs. He and JoJo had met five years ago when she’d interviewed him on the status of Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa.
As we were driving through the streets of Jo’burg, I was struck by the number of armed guards patrolling residential complexes. When I asked JoJo about it, she merely shrugged her shoulders. “Unfortunately, crime here is quite high. We’re still a poor country, and poor people sometimes do desperate things. A small minority of the population lives very well while many people still don’t have enough to eat. This is Africa. Things are starting to get better, though, I think. It will take time, but we’ll get there in the end.”
We turned into one of the compounds and an armed guard saluted JoJo as he opened the security gate for our car. The grounds of the compound were amazing—gorgeous English-styled gardens manicured to within an inch of their life. JoJo’s condo was a luxe three-bedroom affair. The furnishings were simple, but beautifully crafted.
“So Zara, what do you want to do for the rest of today? I’ve got a work drinks thing this evening. If you’re not too tired, it could be fun. Please don’t feel obliged, though. There’s also a pool here if you want to go for a swim.”
As comfortable as my room looked, I was all for drinks and happily accepted JoJo’s invitation. And given that it was still morning, I had plenty of time to go and lie by the pool.
While I was planning on passing my afternoon blissfully by the pool, JoJo was off to the hairdresser for hours of boredom . Seriously, I couldn’t see how JoJo’s hair could take more than thirty minutes max. Maybe she was getting a mani and pedi too?
For the next few hours I lay on the world’s most comfortable sun lounge. It was so nice to be lying in the sun. I hate the cold, and New York winters are brutal.
As the afternoon wore on I wandered back to the condo. The place we were going for drinks was apparently just around the corner, so I had plenty of time to have a shower and decide what to wear. In the end, I decided to go with my short black dress and my black silk wraparound heels. Pleasingly, I’d already gotten a bit of color and didn’t look like I’d stepped off a plane only a few hours ago.
I could hear JoJo in the kitchen, so I wandered out to chat. Seeing her, I did a complete double take. She was dressed in a draped green dress which accentuated her dark skin, but the most amazing thing of all was her hair. She had beautiful long glossy black tresses. I couldn’t
After a few minutes we touched down. I had made it to Africa. Now all I had to do was find Michael and JoJo.
As it turned out, JoJo was by herself and was unmissable. She was holding up a bright pink sign with “Zara Hamilton” emblazoned on it. When she saw me head her way she gave a little squeal of delight and grabbed me in a bone-crushing embrace. “Zara Hamilton, I’m very pleased to be meeting you. Any friend of Asha’s is a big friend of mine.” JoJo had a cute sing song accent.
After the fridge-like cool of the airport, the heat as we stepped outside was gorgeous. My body instantly started to relax and stretch out and I let out a little sigh of happiness. So far I liked Africa!
JoJo was a gorgeously flamboyant extrovert. She positively bubbled with energy and enthusiasm. A former print journalist, she’d fallen into hosting the graveyard shift on a local radio station. Her show became so popular that she was now hosting the prime-time morning to midday slot. On top of that, she was about to release her first single and was the new host of African Idol.
Michael, on the other hand, sounded like a lovely, retiring introvert. He had worked his way through the South African public service and was now one of the most senior figures in the Department of Foreign Affairs. He and JoJo had met five years ago when she’d interviewed him on the status of Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa.
As we were driving through the streets of Jo’burg, I was struck by the number of armed guards patrolling residential complexes. When I asked JoJo about it, she merely shrugged her shoulders. “Unfortunately, crime here is quite high. We’re still a poor country, and poor people sometimes do desperate things. A small minority of the population lives very well while many people still don’t have enough to eat. This is Africa. Things are starting to get better, though, I think. It will take time, but we’ll get there in the end.”
We turned into one of the compounds and an armed guard saluted JoJo as he opened the security gate for our car. The grounds of the compound were amazing—gorgeous English-styled gardens manicured to within an inch of their life. JoJo’s condo was a luxe three-bedroom affair. The furnishings were simple, but beautifully crafted.
“So Zara, what do you want to do for the rest of today? I’ve got a work drinks thing this evening. If you’re not too tired, it could be fun. Please don’t feel obliged, though. There’s also a pool here if you want to go for a swim.”
As comfortable as my room looked, I was all for drinks and happily accepted JoJo’s invitation. And given that it was still morning, I had plenty of time to go and lie by the pool.
While I was planning on passing my afternoon blissfully by the pool, JoJo was off to the hairdresser for hours of boredom . Seriously, I couldn’t see how JoJo’s hair could take more than thirty minutes max. Maybe she was getting a mani and pedi too?
For the next few hours I lay on the world’s most comfortable sun lounge. It was so nice to be lying in the sun. I hate the cold, and New York winters are brutal.
As the afternoon wore on I wandered back to the condo. The place we were going for drinks was apparently just around the corner, so I had plenty of time to have a shower and decide what to wear. In the end, I decided to go with my short black dress and my black silk wraparound heels. Pleasingly, I’d already gotten a bit of color and didn’t look like I’d stepped off a plane only a few hours ago.
I could hear JoJo in the kitchen, so I wandered out to chat. Seeing her, I did a complete double take. She was dressed in a draped green dress which accentuated her dark skin, but the most amazing thing of all was her hair. She had beautiful long glossy black tresses. I couldn’t
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