Saying “YES” opened the door to much madness…
I am not good at keeping secrets and this was the ultimate secret. Poor Christopher thought he knew me but there was this whole new side to Yvette that he had to learn to contend with. I was simply bursting to tell everybody but we felt the parents had to be told first and that could only be done when we were on ‘days off’ again.
In the interim we counted our savings and planned the purchase of the RING. Listen here, that’s not as easy as it sounds. I had some very specific ideas what said ring should look like and I wasn’t ready to compromise. This pushed our official engagement date even further back. I found out via my Gran that I had a distant relative in the diamond business. As these things happen my Gran then made contact with a relation that made contact with another and then the poor diamond merchant was roped in to assist. A date was made for us to travel to Johannesburg and meet with the uncle of an uncle. We tipped our life savings out in front of him and said: “We want a yellow diamond, solitaire with no imperfections can you help us?’ I remember him walking up to a big safe and taking little envelope pockets out. These envelopes were opened one by one and the stones were presented on a deep blue velvet bed. My word. Diamonds surely are a girls best friend…
Uncle of and uncle managed to give us a beautiful stone on our budget but we didn’t have money to pay for the setting. Every last cent we had had gone into the stone. Despite this we were sent to a jeweller close by that must have owed Uncle of uncle a favour because he agreed to setting the Wilde-tone diamond on “tic” as they put it in those days. We agreed on a very simple solitaire setting for the engagement ring and our pickup date was set for end November 1988. We went back to Sun City without a cent in our pockets but ever so high on life. What was there to worry about? We had a pay-day looming and would be able to cover the costs of the ring and expenses. I must have driven that poor jeweller crazy because he called on the 21 November and with a huge sigh in his voice he said:” THE RING is ready for collection”. This posed the problem of were will we find the funds to collect said ring as we only got paid on month end.
Well, I couldn’t wait. I simply had to have my ring and all my nattering worked because Christopher broke out his SSSS – special, special, special savings. Work loaned us a car that had a full tank ( we were driving a red Beetle at the time and couldn’t even afford the petrol to fetch the ring) and together we set off for JHB on the 22 November 1988.
The manufacturers offices were set in the middle of JHB and there was no way we were going to park in the street so we parked in the underground parking at the JHB Sun. I remember skipping all the way to the jewellers with people stopping and smiling at the sight. My ring was everything I wanted and more. The setting was simple and elegant but Christopher held on to that box with every inch of resolution that I would not be slipping it on there. He wanted to do it the “right’ way. Whatever that entailed I cannot say but knowing him and how slowly he can move I might still be unengaged if I didn’t make a move. We made it to the lift at the JHB Sun and whilst the lift was going down he caved and put the ring on my finger. JUST like that I was engaged! Magic.
Do I regret not waiting for the candlelight dinner and all the trimmings? Not one second. My JHB Sun lift engagement signalled the start of our formal arrangement which was not so formal at all and today I look back on 34 years of being unconventional in many aspects and loving the way we handled the curveballs, highs and lows. Life, for me, cannot be rigidly set in straight lines. I love the curves and wandering off the beaten path to see the imperfectness of our perfect union.
With this rock on my finger I felt invincible. My hand also felt very heavy, like all the time. I became ambidextrous as I was using my left hand so much my right hand went on a short vacation. I never took my ring off , not for anything as I knew how quickly it could get lost.
I was still working at the Welcome Center at that time but I really wanted to be a Casino Public Relations Officer. There was only a handful of them but were they SMART. Whilst we worked with the slots and bus passengers they only dealt with the creme de la creme of punters. The Casino had three divisions. The normal casino, the Salon Prive and the Regency Club. The Roulette, Blackjack and Punto Banco players. There were 4 girls working on that desk and they seemed to swoosh when they walked whilst we plodded. I wanted some swoosh. Badly.
The general casino floor was for those that wanted to try their luck, no high table limits and a jovial air of casual enjoyment. The Salon Prive was situated to the left, and had a separate entrance of black marble walkway. Here the more serious player would wager his bets. The access was semi controlled by the PR desk and the managers office. The area was generally quiet and subdued music played in the background. Most of the drinks were complimentary. Tables were usually open on a Friday and Saturday night but if a special punter requested a table to be opened in the week it would be done depending on staff availability. It was the Casino PRO’s duty to manage all the guest requests, room bookings, travel arrangements, restaurant reservations, entertainment and the to check with the Casino manager if the accounts will be comped by the casino or not. Small words for quite a demanding job. You had to be on your game when you got to work. Keep an eye out for a Salon Prive player playing in the main area, keep tabs on what going on and alert the Manager to potential big players staying over. Looking after the guests could be fun and rewarding but also very very tense. Especially if a big player had slipped under the radar and was presented with a bill. All hell would break loose. The PR girls worked on their own per shift. Three girls each covered 8 hours with a small overlapping time to hand over. The fourth girl was there to cover days off and if somebody was sick. Then there was the third division to the Casino. The Regency Club.
The Regency Club was established by Sol Kerzner. He was club member no 1. Membership was limited to 60 card holders and the top 10 had solid gold access cards. You could not apply, you were invited. The Regency Club was situated up stairs and had a huge red, ornate door. This was guarded by security. Access was strictly controlled.
The Regency only opened its door over a weekend and on special occasions. The room was opulently furnished with dark red velvet and dark wood. The logo was quietly displayed on all the hand cut crystal glasses , cutlery and crockery. These punters paid for nothing. They would call the desk and inform us that they were coming through for the weekend and then the staff sprang into action. Luckily we had quite a few presidential suits between the two hotels, the Main Hotel and the Cascades. Rooms were allocated according to their card status. The Casino PRO’s had huge files on what the punters liked, disliked, what their wives liked and disliked, children’s names and birthdays the lists went on and on. They travelled in by private plane, helicopter, limousines and some just drove themselves.The PRO was the first person they met and the last person they waved goodbye to. I wanted that job, like really, really wanted.
One night, whilst being weighed down by my heavy left hand, working in the bus centre I had a phone call from the casino. The secretary asked me to hold for the Casino Manager. I immediately stood at attention as Roger S was a very distinguished, formidable presence in the small city of the sun. He didn’t exchange any pleasantries merely said:” If you are interested in the Casino PRO position can you come down this evening for an interview?’ I went and never heard from him for 6 months. I had given up hope that the position would be mine when I received another call out of the blue, also at night.
Roger S:” The job is yours, do you want it?”
Well, that only took 6 months but I said yes.
I loved, loved, loved my new position. I was sad to leave all my colleagues behind and in particular my boss, Fran, but Sun City is a small place when you live there so I saw them everyday. The new desk was daunting and the other 3 girls didn’t make it easy. Our senior was a beautiful lady aptly named Rose. She came from SAA being an air hostess and I was in awe. Very elegant and graceful to which I felt like a clumsy elephant by comparison.
I also met Frans, the policeman that worked in Rustenburg but would travel to Sun City on a weekend to assist with the VIP protection. He was a big man, very quiet and very very dignified. He wore black tie on each shift and would move around the area watching the punters making sure there were no problems looming. I saw him unceremoniously pick up a man that was drunk and disorderly and carry him to his room. I watched him diffuse many a volatile moment with a quiet word. I would have entrusted my life to him should the need arose. Together we made a great team.
Hours were long, especially over weekends. People were difficult when they lost money and very appreciative when they won. People showed us their best and worst side, we seemed to carry on regardless.
I worked for casino and Christopher worked for the slots department. Whilst we were in the same industry we didn’t overlap and work never became dull or boring. I loved walking to work, seeing all the visitors, the beautiful gardens and the overhanging, majestic bougainvillea. The colours at times were simply overwhelming. It was a far cry from working in-between mine dumps where alcohol ruled every household and people were constantly angry and unhappy. I appreciated my days, loved my fiancé, enjoyed my work and to top it all I received a handsome salary. I indulged in fashion, got another horse (lol) and planned our wedding to the last inch.The Regency Club taught me a lot about event planning as we would host the most outrageously expensive, smart, elegant, no budget too high affairs to bring the high rollers in. I still have champagne taste with a beer pocket now wearing Crocs… I can thank those days for that.
I cannot begin to describe the enormity of each function, how meticulously it was planned and what returns it brought to the casino. One such evening was an African themed evening. We took bulldozers to an area in the Pilansberg and cleared it. Then we installed bathrooms and put up lapa screens that were locally sourced. Flew in a chef and his team with all their equipment. We bought everybody pith helmets and brought in game drive vehicles to shuttle them to the area. We had a Michelin star type menu served in the bush where a week previously there was only bush. Invitations were hard delivered to all invitees. Rooms were booked and readied for the guests. If your wife like yellow roses the entire presidential would be yellow roses. If you were bringing your mistress and she wanted red carnations it would be red carnations. We were all on duty welcoming our guests as they arrived. Friday night reservations we’re made, the children were entertained and the punters hit the tables hard. I saw somebody bet the maximum of R90 000 on each spin of the roulette table… some played right through the night. Saturday morning dawned and without even hosting our event we were up by millions. Punters are relentless in the pursuit of the WIN. They won big but the odds are and will always be in the Casino’s favour. I got to meet some very famous people and catered to some very special and sometimes odd requests but I loved my job. I can tell many stories but what happens in the Casino stays in the Casino…
This wasn’t work it was playing and the playing was just setting the stage for my best day ever. The day I was marrying my best friend and soul mate. The venue for our big day was going to be Sun City and I was using every inch of every facility at my finger points. The big day was set for the 15 September 1990.
I just love September. It is such a special month and that year September didn’t let me down. After many meetings with banqueting, the florist and Studio Jano the photographer things were looking on the up and up. We decided to use a part of the Pilansberg conference room in the Entertainment Centre as the church. People would attend the service, go out to the foyer and enjoy a drink and then they would be whisked into the reception area which was actually part of the chapel area but with curtaining you would never tell. All organized.
Then the bomb dropped. The pastor informed us that all our details were fine except for the fact that he couldn’t perform a legal wedding in Bophuthatswana. Jirrr….
So we rolled with the punches and on the night of the 14 September 1990 we walked into the pastors office in Rustenburg at 18:00. He said: “Do you….” to which we both replied :” I do” and that’s how we were married twice. We walked out of his office at 18:05 and I looked at Christopher and said:’ This never happened. Don’t ever bring this date up again when you talk about our vows. Tomorrow is our day.”
So much for that. Now I am the one that celebrates the 14th and the 15th with such exuberance that he has said to me: “We are going to tie the knot one more time. In Las Vegas on the 16 September. Can’t tell you what year but it’s gonna happen. Are you in?” Unconventional but just what I love.
Next chapter… the story of Jack.
