Diary of a Broke Kampala Fashionista – Part 11

Kampala born Kirabo has a knack for fashion, and in another life she was born in New York City. She dreams of going there, but is too broke to even live on her own. She lives with her elder sister Mutesi, who treats her like a child because she spends and acts like one. The weekly struggles are all (unintentionally) fashion related. She narrates her story of trying to realize her dreams while sliding in tips of how she gets by looking like a million bucks on a very slim wallet. She interns at a law firm in Kampala.

See part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here , part 4 here, part 5, part 6 here, part 7 here, part 8 here, part 9 here and part 10 here.

……..

It’s funny how much you can learn about someone because of a small legal case. Apparently Kiiza lives alone, has no kids and I already saw an empty ring finger. I can tell that he is a passionate man, who will fight within an inch of his life for the things he is dedicated to. He’s a banker, but he somehow found time to start and run a business. I even wonder how he has managed to get time for this case; he’s been around here most of the week.

Let’s just say my eyes are thankful. Birungi has been my only connection with reality (where she reminds me that the real world isn’t as bad or stressful as a law firm in busy season). I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as a ‘busy season’ in the legal world; but apparently, at the beginning of a new financial year business people invite people like us to organise things. I should have finished my internship by now, but because of that month I took off, I’m still here. But clearly it has worked out for the best, Kiiza winked at me the other day!

Birungi ran to me the other afternoon and said “Boss Lady told me to tell you she wants a mango, go get it now! What did I tell you? Tuli busy naye that chick is carrying someone’s child! Heyyyy!”

I just rolled my eyes, “OMG Birungi, you are so dramatic. Mangos are fruits, it’s hot. Can’t a chick just want to healthy snack? Wouldn’t do you wrong if you did so yourself,” she watched me leave and with a smirk on her face replied, “Kirabo, for me I know. Even you you’re just convincing yourself otherwise. Let’s bet on it”

When I heard ‘bet’ I stopped straight in my tracks and walked back to my desk. “10k – she’s not pregnant,” she smiled at me and silently shook my hand. I was starting to doubt myself but I couldn’t let her see that. “20k,” she replied, turning back to her desk like it was nothing. I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my tummy, because she could actually be right. What do I know about being pregnant?!

As I was on the street looking for the perfect mango for boss lady (plus some fresh air), I got a phone call from some cousin who lives in Kololo and works in a bank. Yeah, she made it in life. She had an emergency, of the fashion sort. She had given her tailor a dress to fix before an event and apparently it was a mess. Her regular tailor was going out of town so she gave it to a “trusted” colleague and here she was stuck. Her plan was to look like “someone who should be the boss” which I couldn’t be mad at, even with my busy schedule.

So I hesitated, and got what I wanted, “I’ll give you 150, just do this for me Kirabo”. If she had asked me I might have told her just 100, but that extra 50 made the deal sound sweeter.

I ran back to the office with a distressed look in my eye and told the Boss Lady, “I have an emergency. My roommate just got an accident. She needs me desperately. I’m her closest contact right now,” Boss Lady didn’t even look up from the files in front of her. She just mumbled, “Be early tomorrow – not on time. Ok go”

So, as I left I called Namara, “want to go shopping?”

Look out for part 12

Cover photo by William Stitt on Unsplash

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