It was a time of dirty wars and even dirtier deals at the tip of a vast continent on which the first amongst us once walked. A time so steeped in filth of every shape and form that the people of the land were plagued by a deep longing to feel clean. And it was during this time that two identical girls were born in the small republic of Hout Bay. Well, seeing as this is the unauthorised biography of the Soap Girls, I have to admit that this not completely true….it is said that they were carried on the waves of the cold Atlantic Ocean and their Mother found them washed up on the shore. Now the strange thing was that the two baby girls with golden hair were imbued with the scent of soap and even stranger still was that their Mother was a soap-maker. As you can imagine, news of this auspicious event travelled across the land and the curious of the curious from far and wide flocked to the small republic to see (and smell!) the Soap Girls for themselves.
As the years passed by the Soap Girls grew up to be generous and kind-hearted just like their Mother who always had a moment to spare to help someone in need. They could not help but feel that there was something that they could do with their soapiness and love in this time of dirt and cholera. Many a day they would discuss this dilemma with their friend Patrice, who came from a far-off place known only to them as “the Congo”.
Patrice knew better than anyone else the terrible consequences of soiled handshakes that sealed the politricks of war. He believed that it was the hand of Fate, rather than its cousin Chance, that brought the Soap Girls to the Cape of Good Hope.
And so it came to pass that the Soap Girls found a way to trap their fragrant, soapy scent and fashion it into bars of soap which they would peddle on the streets of their little republic. It did not take long for their customers (and the Patenting Police) to notice that these were not your standard-issue suds. The Soap Girls were bombarded with demands from fellow outraged soap makers to stop selling their wares for they could not compete with the magical soap that seemed to clean from the inside out. Even the Chief of the land, Zooma, requested a sample of the soap for he was particularly fond of showers.
However, the Soap Girls paid no heed to the greed for they were not interested in accumulating riches for themselves. Many moons ago, when they were just little girls, the heart that they shared had whispered to them that their destiny was to use their soapy scent to help others – especially children. By the time the Soap Girls were all grown up, that had become so popular (especially after they launched their CD and the inevitable merchandising that followed) that Patrice was enlisted as a bodyguard. Patrice himself also gained somewhat of a cult following amongst white, middle-classed urban youth because of a particular fashion sensibility that rivalled Mr T. You don’t believe me, do you? Well, like I said, this is the unauthorised biography… for the (virtually) real version, visit www.thesoapgirls.co.za.
