Lerato awoke slowly the next morning. She lay still for a moment, aware that something had happened, but she could not remember what. As the memories of the previous evening filtered into her sleepy brain Lerato turned over, and groaned into her pillow.

“Lerato!”

It was Busi, knocking gently on her door, and then walking quietly into the room with a steaming cup of coffee. Lerato accepted the coffee gratefully. She blinked her eyes against the glare of the sun, already streaming into her bedroom.

‘How am I ever going to face Philane again?’ she thought to herself as she got dressed.

Looking at the clock, she was aware that she was probably going to be terribly late for work. Somehow, this morning, she didn’t seem to care. She wished she could just stay in bed and hide her head under the duvet all day.

‘Why did Philane have to take on the rape case?’ she thought to herself as she drove to work.

Actually, she reasoned to herself, she should be grateful that he had. If he hadn’t she might not have known that he had that side to his character. That side which took any case, just for the money, without caring about the ethics involved.

‘I might have made a terrible mistake,’ she said to herself, as she pulled into her parking place. ‘I might even have allowed myself to fall in love with him …’

Lerato walked into the office, carrying all the parcels containing her outfit from the previous night. She walked straight into Gugu’s office, and dumped them, rather heavily on the floor. Gugu looked up at Lerato, and then down at her watch.

“You’re really late, Lerato,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye. “Did you have a really late night? Hmmm?” She smiled and raised her eyebrows.

“Thanks again for the loan of the outfit,” said Lerato softly, turning to leave.

“Hold on a minute, girl,” said Gugu, quickly standing up and moving to her door, which she shut. She turned on Lerato with a soft giggle, “You’re not getting away that easily! You’re not leaving till you tell me all about it.”

“There’s not much to tell,” said Lerato, looking down, and gently shrugging.

“Come on now, Lerato. Don’t be shy. I want to know all the details. After all this Andile trouble I really need some good news to cheer me up. I know it must have been quite a celebration, what with Philane winning his case and all …”

“What case?” interrupted Lerato, her eyes flying open and meeting Gugu’s.

“Didn’t he tell you?” asked Gugu, surprised. “His high profile rape case, of course.”

“He won?” said Lerato, and then she shook her head, adding angrily, “Of course he did. They always do.”

Lerato reached for the door. To think he had taken her out to celebrate that!

Lerato felt so angry that she pulled away from Gugu, as Gugu tried to place herself between Lerato and the door.

“Hold on, Lerato,” said Gugu, “the man really is innocent.”

“Let me go,” said Lerato, trying to reach the door behind Gugu.

“You’ve got to listen to me, Lerato,” said Gugu insistently. “Sit down!”

Lerato frowned at Gugu.

“Be quick,” she said sullenly, as she reluctantly sat down, “I’m already late.”

Gugu spoke quickly. She was almost breathless.

“Philane always believed the man was innocent. That’s why he took the case. His client is a very wealthy man, Lerato, and the woman stood to make a lot of money if he was found guilty. She had been making a play for him for months. She cried rape when he rejected her. He’s happily married. The woman wanted to ruin him. She nearly succeeded. It happens, Lerato. Philane saved him, his marriage and his reputation.”

Lerato sat in silence. She bowed her head. She didn’t want to believe what she was hearing.

“I think he tried to tell me, Gugu. I think that’s why he took me out last night. Alone.” She said softly, “But I didn’t want to hear.”

Gugu lightly touched her shoulder.

“Did you blow it girl?” Gugu asked hesitantly.

Lerato nodded. Tears were beginning to squeeze out from between her shut eyelids again. She breathed deeply and sniffed.

“Hey, don’t cry now,” said Gugu, picking up one of the parcels from the floor.

“You probably noticed that this dress had never even been worn. It looks much better on you than it ever would on me. You can have it.”

Lerato looked up at Gugu,

“Thanks, Gugu,” she said, her voice miserable, “I don’t know why you are so kind to me. I don’t deserve it. And you’ve got so many problems of your own.”

Gugu sighed and shook her long extensions.

“I don’t believe in spending too much time in regret, darling. Live in the moment. Seize the day. That’s how I try to live,” she smiled momentarily. “You know the saying: ‘This, too, will pass!’”

Lerato could hardly believe the strength that she saw in Gugu, although she had always known her to be a very determined woman.

“Now,” said Gugu, all matter of factly, “you know what you must do, girl. You are a writer, not so?”

Lerato shrugged, and then nodded slowly, “I suppose so,” she said.

“Of course you are,” said Gugu. “Now stand up.”

Hesitantly Lerato stood up.

“You must go out there now,” said Gugu, taking Lerato by the shoulders, and gently turning her towards the door. “You must go out there, and find a way to rewrite the script you’ve been busy writing. The script concerning you and Philane.”

Gugu opened her office door. Lerato looked out across the deep pile carpet.

“I suggest,” whispered Gugu softly, “that three of those words should probably be, ‘I am sorry.’”

Clutching the bag containing the beautiful cream dress, Lerato crossed the office floor towards her office. She had just opened her office door, and stepped inside, when she heard a voice she recognised.

Philane.

He was just coming out of David’s office, and they were standing in the doorway. Lerato moved further into her office, but paused before she shut her door, just long enough to hear David say, “Oh, and by the way, Philane, congratulations on winning your case. We’ll have to celebrate sometime soon.”

“Thanks,” replied Philane, walking away, “I look forward to that.”

Lerato stood behind her door and peered through the crack so that she could glimpse Philane as he walked past. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her palms were clammy. She found herself hoping against hope that he might turn towards her office. He never did. He just walked right on by, without so much as a glance in her direction.

Tell us what you think: Is Philane ignoring Lerato, and if so, why?