I Hope You Will Never Regret

Joy Dube was in her office on the third floor, reminiscing about her past. Her family was very poor. Her father, as the eldest son dropped out of school when he was doing Grade 5 because his parents didn’t have enough money to raise his five siblings.

Since her father, Mr Bongani Dube didn’t have any skill, he couldn’t find a decent job. In order to put food on the table, he decided to sell vegetables at the market. His wife, Cebi Dube, was a housewife. Even though they were poor, they hadn’t slept with an empty stomach.

The government gave them an RDP house because her father couldn’t afford to buy a house. Joy Dube vowed that she would work hard and achieve great things. She indeed kept her promise, her Grade 12 results were good, but she couldn’t get a bursary. Her father was overjoyed; his heart was swelling with pride.

Mr Dube took his daughter’s Grade 12 results and went to his second sister’s house, Mary Dube. She was a director at the Taylor Group. He asked his sister for help, but she told him that she had never asked him for help. Therefore, she didn’t have an obligation to help his family. Mr Dube left his sister’s house with a heavy heart.

He asked his other siblings, but they refused to help. On the registration day, Joy was accompanied by her parents to the university. Her father’s savings were enough to pay for the registration fee. During the registration, they were told that first-year students were provided with a free tertiary education. They were over the moon when they heard the news. She then studied fashion design.

When she was doing her third year, her lecturer, Mr Blues, came to class with a young man and his aura showed that his background wasn’t simple. Mr Blues introduced the young man and said, “CEO Martins from the Martins Group is looking for a talented student to work for his company.” When she heard Mr Martins called her name. She was so shocked because she wasn’t the top student in the class.

He funded her work and rented a space for her at the mall to open her boutique. He also bought a factory and hired seamstresses and tailors for her. She never thought that one day she would own a company and her brand had become a household name. The Lord had rewritten her path by allowing her to meet Mr Martins.

When she started, Mr Martins asked her to design clothes for his mother and for his aunt. From that day onwards, she decided to specialize in women’s wear. To show her appreciation for Mr Martins, she became his fashion designer. She gifted him with elegant custom-made suits and casual clothing.

Joy walked out of her office; she wanted to chat with her clients. Her eyes lit up when she saw Mr Martins coming out of the lift. She walked to him smiling and said, “What a pleasant surprise, Mr Martins. Is your family well?” Mr Martins told her that his wife had a fever, but everyone was well.

Mr Martins asked her about her family. Joy indicated that her family was doing well. Two years ago, she had bought a beautiful mansion for her parents in La Lucia. Mr Martins smiled broadly and said, “I just came to drink tea.” Joy giggled and asked him to follow her to her office. She quickly boiled the water and made two cups of tea.

They sat on the sofa and drank tea. Mr Martins indicated that Aunt Rose had lost all of her clothes and he was visiting her to place a new order. Joy was shocked to hear that, but she was scared to ask. She was fond of Aunt Rose; she always had something for her.

She looked at him and said, “Mr Martins, I have a gift for you.” Then she walked out of her office. A few minutes later, she came back with a suit cover and handed it over to him. Mr Martins took the suit cover smiling and asked, “What is this?”

Joy smiled brightly and replied, “Open the suit cover.” Mr Martins opened the suit cover smiling. Nestled in the suit cover was a custom-made three-piece mauve suit. Joy smiled and said, “Mr Martins, please go to the fitting room, I want to see if it doesn’t need any alterations.”

Mr Martins smiled and walked out of the office to the fitting room with Joy in tow. They went to the second floor; she had a private fitting room for Mr Martins. She stood outside and waited for him. Aunt Rose and Suzie were on the same floor as well. They smiled brightly when they saw Joy.

A few minutes later, Mr Martins came out of the fitting room. His handsomeness caught the ladies off guard. They stared at him blushing. Aunt Rose smiled brightly at her nephew and said, “Wow, you look dashing young man. That colour suits you well.” August smiled broadly at his Aunt.

When Joy saw him, she smiled brightly and said, “You look amazing, Mr Martins. Is it possible for you to be my model?” Mr Martins laughed out loud and replied, “Not a chance, young lady.” Mr Martins was thirty years old, and he was very handsome.

Then they took a lift to the third floor. Joy looked at Mr Martins and said, “I am thinking of having Durban Fashion Week this year, maybe in April or immediately after Durban July. What do you think, Mr Martins?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Mr Martins replied, “Why don’t you have Durban Fashion Week before Durban July? Also, it would be amazing if your dress could win the Best Dress competition. Another thing, please go to the Restoration Group and look for models.” The Restoration Group was established six months ago, and its President was low-key.

Joy promised that she would make an appointment to see the Restoration Group President. Then Mr Martins went to the fitting room to change his clothes. Joy went to Aunt Rose and Aunt Suzie. She smiled and said, “Aunt Rose, I have something beautiful for you.” Then she took a blue dress from the hanger and gave it to her.

Aunt Rose smiled beautifully and replied, “I am going to the fitting room.” A few minutes later, she walked out. Aunt Rose looked stylish and elegant. Joy smiled brightly and said, “Aunt Rose, you are so beautiful.” Aunt Rose twirled and said, “Thank you young lady, I think when you designed this dress you had me in your mind. It is beautiful.” Then Joy picked more dresses for her.

Then she turned to Mrs Evans and said, “Aunt Suzie, I think this jumpsuit will suit you. Why don’t you try it on?” Mrs Evans smiled brightly and went to the fitting room. A few minutes later, she walked out. She looked young and sexy. It showed her slim figure and curvaceous body.

Joy took her phone and took a picture of Aunt Suzie and sent it to her phone. She smiled and said, “Aunt Suzie, please ask Uncle Paul what he thinks about this jumpsuit.” Aunt Suzie smiled and replied, “I like it a lot. We are going out for dinner tonight; I will wear it for him. Please pack it for me.”

Joy was over the moon; she asked the sales lady to pack Aunt Rose and Aunt Suzie’s clothes. She told them that Mr Martins had already paid for it. Suzie looked at Aunt Rose and said, “My dearest friend, let’s go home and keep me company. I want to hear about your vacation.”

Aunt Roses agreed, and then they went to Suzie’s car and drove to the Evans mansion. Joy returned to her office with a smile on her face. She made an appointment to meet the Restoration Group President. The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday at 10 am.