Chidera: Part 1

Epilogue

On the stage of life, each person has their own moment to perform. The most meaningful performances are not the ones which garner the loudest applause, but the ones that are birthed from within, from a place of originality as the performer executes what they have been originally intended to do.

Chapter 1

After months of endless practice sessions and ever growing anticipation, Chidera could hardly believe that the Prima Mega Fest was two weeks away.  The Prima Mega Fest was a yearly talent show that auditioned all types of musicians to form a band. Apart from the lump some prize money, the newly formed band would go on a six month international tour before they are released from their contractual obligations and equipped  to venture into their solo careers. “What a perfect way to start my career,” Chidera thought to herself as she daily practiced her song lines and mastered her dance moves. For months on end, she was dedicated to practicing rigorously to produce a stellar performance. Drawing inspiration from the African literature she spent her afternoons reading, Chidera had harnessed her husky voice into a distinct melody, and was working to increase her range of motion in her dance moves.  For her audition Chidera had composed a ballad and with the aid of her friend Max, they had crafted an enchanting choreography which she would perform to earn a place in the band.

From the moment Chidera had confirmed her participation in the competition, Chidera had traded her early mornings in bed for a daily morning jog, vocal training and was including aerobics into her routine. She ditched her favourite comfort food- ice cream- and was in the best shape of her life. ‘Even the celebrities don’t overdo it, take it easy’, her family often expressed when they were worried about the strain the preparations were placing on Chidera. However, all these efforts were paying off. Over time, Chidera’s performance quality had reached stellar levels. Her voice was mellow, and when she danced- she executed her choreography in a hypnotizing manner- leaving her audience gaping for more. Watching Chidera try on her custom-made leotard which she had designed from scratch was delightful. The rhinestones, the tassels which flicked as she danced and the reflective material were in harmony and truly, she looked like a star.

With all these elements, Chidera exuded all the qualities needed to make a star and the missing link was just the chance to get her big break and put herself out there. All things being equal, Chidera was set to nail her performance and earn herself a spot on the Prima band and her solo career had bright prospects.

The day to finally leave for the Prima Mega Fest arrived. Chidera packed her clothes and shoes for the trip in her Nike dufflebag. She carefully folded her midi dresses and a tracksuit while she packed a pair of sneakers and stilettos into another smaller bag. She placed her costume into its custom bag which the tailor had provided. Chidera also placed her exercise mat and resistance bands in her bag so she would stretch and exercise every morning and evening till the day of the competition.

The plan was for Chidera to take the overnight train to Blitz, the city where the auditions would be held. She would then take a taxi to the contestant’s residence, attend the bootcamp for 5 days and the sixth day would be the day of the auditions. The results would be announced on the seventh day, and all contestants would return to their hometowns.

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‘I will be gone for a week only,” she reassured her bestie Thatho as he saw her off at the train station. She felt a lump in her throat as she settled into her window seat on the train. ‘This could be the start of something great,’ Chidera mumbled under her breath. She posted a snapshot of her ticket and wallet on her Instagram story, without any caption. Within a few seconds, Dan, her ‘Instagram boo’ reacted with his usual heart emojis and cheekily asked, ‘coming to see me?’ With a smirk on her face, Chidera responded ‘Bet!’ as she immediately switched her phone to airplane mode and curled in her seat to sleep. Chidera fell into a light sleep and the journey to Blitz began…

Chapter 2….