by Omonike Odi

I stole another look at the models. I remembered the catwalk, the beautiful designer clothes…

From where I stood, I observed five women on the other end of the room. One wore a Mohawk invention that gathered the hair around her ears in braids before toppling them in short tufts on her head, the other wore an embellished mini print dress  and the prettiest of them all had just stumbled  into the room alongside a skinny lady who was holding on to a bundle of clothes.

From my viewpoint, I noted the fifth one. She wore a black and gold dress topped with a black turban. I felt I recognised her from the cover of a magazine; she was one of those people you knew well enough but without the familiarity of meeting them in person. She was Madame Ferera of House of Raah and the other four ladies were her models!

Seeing them all together under the same roof made wild thoughts explode in my head. This was my chance to do something, something I wanted to do since coming home from the States.

You see, since I was little I dreamed I would be a model but my parents never approved. They didn’t understand a career that made me show skin. “You will go to University in America then join the family business Kautar, forget this modelling thing,” my father had persuaded, and he eventually won. I was saddled off to New York to study at NYU.

Eventually, it turned out to be a good thing because I could easily focus on being an MBA student from Monday to Friday and at the weekends, I did what I loved- I modelled. That was then though, now I worked long hours as a business analyst in my father’s consulting firm but I never forgot my dream to be a model. I always thought I would one day be able to do both and today, looking at these girls made me wish for my double life again.

So I did what every goal oriented person would do, I made up my mind and pushed myself forward.

I stole another look at the models. I remembered the catwalk, the beautiful designer clothes, the locations, the freebies; the partying and a feeling of lust for their world assailed me yet again.

Madame Ferera looked up in surprise as I approached.

“Hi, my name is Kautar” I heard my voice say weakly as I handed her a PSG consulting complimentary card. “I am a business analyst but I am also a freelance model.”

She was reading every line on the card in silence.

I knew that if I had a chance to prove myself, she would hire me.

“I would love to audition for you sometime” I said.

At that she lifted her gaze.

She didn’t say a word, she just looked at me. My throat became dry as I realised she would probably decline. I came back to my senses. What was I thinking? How many girls like me had accosted this innocent woman with a similar request? She must think I was stalking her. She reached into her Miu Miu bag and I tried to imagine what she was looking for, a gun, a court restriction or a fly- swatter!

 “Give me a call sometime…”  I almost fainted with my body standing still!

I have no memory of walking back to the reception but moments later, I stepped into the sun clutching the black and gold coloured complimentary card from Madam Ferera herself. Breaths of wind rustled my hair and I smiled as I paused to tuck my curls in place. With that successful venture, I remembered I was the business analyst again.

 

Omonike Odi is a freelance writer and a media content provider on all media platforms. Hang with her on her blog at www.omonaikee.blogspot.com or follow her on twitter for daily inspirational quotes https://twitter.com/omonaikee  or contact her – [email protected].