He was a tailor who ran his business on the veranda outside the Gachogu shop. He was my family “designer”. My parents believed in his workmanship, we did not have our clothes made anywhere else, nor did we purchase the fashionable ready made clothes sold inside the Gachogu shop.
Being a middle aged man, Ng’atho carried out our parents instructions to a Tee, and we also respected him as a father figure. My parents and Ng’atho discussed our clothes design as though we were not present.
Mother went into Gachogu’s shop and selected a material commonly known as Ngoora. It was measured out for her and cut in the amount recommended by Ng’atho. My dresses usually took 2 meters. Mother gave the fabric to master designer Ng’atho. We stood at attention like soldiers as he took our measurements.
