Mma Makutsi desires a husband

(with apologies again to Alexander McCall Smith)

With big glasses, and an awkward type of skin,
she felt it quite impossible to win
a decent man, she very keenly felt
her poverty of birth, the humble life she’d left;
(though once married briefly, bereaved)
touchy, sharp of speech,
and blunt, not gentle, deft;

she chose to join a class,
to practise and improve her dancing feet,
and, maybe there she’d someone meet …

The partner she was given,
was shy, and lacking glamour,
with poor ability in dancing,
and a problematic stutter;
the long-known Violet,
the well-known flirt,
glanced across and smirked
dancing with a partner gliding by;

but soon Grace came to see
how gentle, kind, this man could be,
and sympathy and friendship grew,
affection, solid love took hold.

Now neither she nor Violet knew
his wealthy status then.
When Violet-the-bold
so learned, she tried to prise
this profitable prize,
and flaunted virtues fictional, lies told.
Her craftiness, immoral ways were soon exposed:
the moral man was shocked,
her devious devices clearly disclosed.

But while they waited to be wed,
he had an accident; his aunty said
he will not want to marry now
he’s sadly lost his foot, – he
will want me only to give care;
but Grace, and Phuti Radiphuti
were faithful to each other,
appreciated and supported one another,
did not discard responsibility
toward his aunt,
but showed her she must keep her place,
– that of an aunt, not trying to usurp
affianced Grace,
and as he made a brave recovery,
from this traumatic, painful injury,
and learnt to use an artificial foot and leg-end,
they celebrated soon the happy marriage
they’d long planned.