F
iona and Tom were still hungover from the previous night. They vaguely remembered some of what had happened at the pub. The only thing they knew for certain was that they had been summoned to the lobby for a meeting far too early for their liking. After all, the auditions did not start until two o’clock.
The two MBN executives – Alex Lynch and Peter Nichols – were present, flanked by Agnieszka and Linda. They were all looking sombre. Even Linda had lost her smile. They waited for the latecomers to arrive.
“Last night, some of you breached the agreement that was signed yesterday. Would the people who posted online pictures and information about this competition step forward, please?”
No one uttered a word. Everyone was looking at each other. Some were aware of the mishap, whilst others did not have a clue.
“Okay, since nobody is brave enough to take responsibility for what they have done, we will have to expose you. Will Fiona Gordon and Tom Fraser come forward?”
The two culprits looked at each other in disbelief and moved towards the front of the crowd.
“This is totally unacceptable behaviour,” continued Alex. “This sole act of irresponsibility will have devastating consequences for us. We have no choice but to sanction you and expel you from the competition. You will have to leave with immediate effect. You will also have to delete any photos from your phones. You will hear from us very soon. Go and collect your belongings and don’t forget to leave your badges at the reception. Linda, please escort them to their rooms. For the rest of you, let this be a warning to you that we will not tolerate any nonsense from any of you,” he said angrily.
Fiona burst into tears and ran out of the room. All the participants were left in shock. Some were of the opinion that the senior management decision was far too harsh. Others felt that it could harm the reputation of all church choirs, as there were certain standards expected of the members. But all they could do was to put the incident behind them and focus on the auditions that were to take place later that day.
From then on, they were all careful about giving any details to family members and loved ones until the winners were officially announced by the organisers. The Abundant Life choir then came together for prayer. Zack gave a little pep talk before they started praying.
“It is important to remember that we are Christians and we must act with integrity. You have to mind how you behave at all times and not bring shame to this ministry. We have to make our church proud of us. Remember that we have come here for a purpose, which is to win. Don’t get carried away by other things. Don’t be distracted. Stay focused. We can do this. Let us pray.”
They had a one-hour prayer session and everyone felt a lot better and calmer afterwards.
***
Tanya had been wondering where Pearl had gone. They had not seen her in months, which was very unusual. Any time she tried to find out, her mum would act funny and send her away. She was convinced that something was definitely not right. All that was familiar and dear to her seemed to have gone: her nanny, their home, and some of her friends. There were a lot of strangers around and it could be quite intimidating. She did feel safe with Clive and Cynthia, however. She was also delighted to know that Pastor Ben had arrived in the morning with his parents. His mother was part of the choir.
“Hey, Pastor Ben.”
“Hey, Tanya, how are you?”
“I’m fine, just a bit worried about Mum. She’s acting a bit strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she seems to be stressed. We’re not staying at home but at uncle Zack’s parents’ house. My babysitter has disappeared; I don’t know where she is. Usually, when my mum has to go somewhere, she will ask Pearl to come and mind me. A while ago, we went to the police and they kept my mum for a long time. I was so afraid. I thought she was going to prison. She’s not been going to work either and I just don’t understand what is going on.”
To Tanya, the adult world was a very complicated one. She wished she could go back to when she was too young to understand what was going on around her.
“Anyway, people don’t go to prison just like that. There has to be a reason, a motive. Did you try to ask her?”
“I tried several times but, you know, Mum would tell me to stop asking questions or send me away. I’m so worried.”
“Don’t worry. Always trust in God,” said Pastor Ben. As usual, he sounded a lot older than his age. Tanya felt some comfort talking to him. It gave her some sense of normality as well.
“I find it hard to talk to Mum sometimes. When I ask her about my father, she gets angry. I also asked her why my eyes are blue when I’m black. She just says that it’s how I was born and that I should be grateful to God that I wasn’t born disabled.”
“God created you like that,” said Pastor Ben.
“But why am I so different? Sometimes I feel so awkward. I wish I was like everyone else.”
“You shouldn’t! You’re special. You’re not like all of us. At least you stand out; everyone notices you.”
Tanya struggled so much with her appearance. She was still getting used to people staring at her. Sometimes people would make comments. Other kids would say: “Mum, look at her eyes, they are blue!” It made her feel awkward and self-conscious.
Tanya went to meet up with Michelle and Caroline, who had both come along with one of their parents. The girls decided to go round the hotel. They went for a walk in the little park between the hotel and the river Thames. They found gospel singer Divine, sitting on a bench. They were shocked to see that she was smoking! They looked at each other, not knowing what to think. They elbowed each other.
“Look, isn’t that Divine, sitting on the bench?”
“I’m not sure. Is she not a Christian? How come she’s smoking?”
“Well, I’m sure that’s Divine. I would recognise her anywhere.”
They walked over and stood in front of her.
“Hi, are you Divine?”
“Yeah, I am.” She threw her cigarette into the nearby bin.
“We are big fans of yours.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, we love the way you sing.”
“What are you doing here?”
“We came with our parents. They are taking part in the competition.”
“Which choir is that? No, no don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. I need to remain neutral and not have any sort of connection with members of the choirs and their entourage. So best you don’t tell me.”
“You have very strict rules.”
“Yes, you can say that again. I don’t want to be ruled out of the competition as one of the panellists. But I could do with some company. Would you girls like something to eat?”
They were not sure at first, but thought there was nothing wrong with going with Divine. It was not every day that they would come across a star.
“Oh yes, we would love to,” said Caroline on behalf of all three girls.
This stay was turning out to be exciting, as they had not expected this at all. What a nice surprise! They would have a story to tell their family, friends, and the people in church.
“We could go for a bite to eat. What’s a typical English meal?” Divine enquired.
“Fish and chips!” Michelle and Caroline said in unison.
“You have to have salt and vinegar on the chips and a bit of tartar sauce on the side.”
“Chips with vinegar? That’s sounds—”
“It’s yummy,” interrupted Tanya enthusiastically. “Just give it a try and you will agree.”
“Okay, let’s go for it!”
Divine did enjoy the fish and chips with salt and vinegar. “It’s a little unusual but surprisingly tasty,” she said.
“We have it every Friday night. It’s a tradition.”
“We tend to have fish and chips on Saturday nights,” said Caroline.
“We eat it whenever we feel like it,” commented Tanya.
“Tell us, Divine, when did you start singing?” Caroline was the extrovert and the most outspoken and inquisitive of the bunch.
“I started singing as a child in my church choir. I was also the choir leader as a teen. They were the good times. Life was less complicated.”
“Why?” asked Caroline.
“Oh well, I have a lot of responsibilities as an adult, as a Christian. People expect so much of me.”
Divine was talking to herself. She was happy to be in London, as she was free to be herself. She did not have to be Miss Perfect. No pretence. No mask. She knew she should not smoke, but she could not help it. The last tour was so stressful she found herself chain-smoking. She had asked God to take it away many times, but time and again, she would fall flat out. She still believed that one day God would answer her prayer.
***
Tanya got the fright of her life. She had been feeling funny for a few hours. Her tummy was sore and was making some movements, so she went to the toilet. She almost fainted when she saw blood dripping down the toilet seat and even down her legs. She could not believe it. What should she do?
“Tanya, what are you doing in there?” Caroline was shouting at the top of her voice, and banging on the door.
There was no answer.
“Are you coming out?” continued Caroline
“Wait, there’s something wrong.” Michelle knew that this was very unlike Tanya.
“Are you alright, Tanya?”
“What’s going on? Open the door.”
“I can’t, there’s something wrong.”
Caroline looked at Michelle and suddenly understood.
“Tanya, do you have your periods?”
“Yes, yes,” she answered hesitantly.
“Okay, that’s alright, it’s nothing to worry about. Open the door.”
There was silence.
“Yes, open the door,” she repeated
Tanya opened the door, hesitantly, after a few minutes. Michelle held her.
Just before she could answer, Divine walked into the toilets.
“What is going on in here, girls, you’ve been in here forever!”
“Tanya just had her first period.”
“Really? You poor thing,” she said as if it was a disease, which made things worse for Tanya. But she quickly tried to comfort her.
“Don’t worry, it just shows that you’ve just become a woman, that’s all.”
“I, I’m a bit embarrassed,” said Tanya with a sigh of relief.
“Don’t be silly, it’s nothing to be ashamed of
***
Divine was fascinated by Tanya’s blue eyes and black skin. It was so unusual. She realised she had a soft spot for her as she felt a connection with Tanya. She also knew that this was not a chance meeting. This meeting was divine; she pondered, laughing in her heart at the play on words.
“It’s a good thing I have some pads in my bag; let me get a couple for you. You will have to use one and get changed once you get back to the hotel.”
***
Keisha was in her hotel room, lying on the bed. She was thinking about Zack. The more she tried to suppress her feelings, the stronger they became. She missed him when he was absent. She did not know what to do with herself when he was there. The more she tried to forget about him, the more she thought about him. It was frustrating at times. But it was also exciting. She could feel her adrenaline going through the roof when he looked, spoke to, or smiled at her. She needed to be careful; she did not want to be hurt again. Oh, Lord, what shall I do?
Just then, her mobile phone rang. It was Pam calling, an old friend who she had kept in touch with from her Imperial College days. They were roommates in the Marie Curie Hall. She had been working overseas and had dedicated her time to working for international organisations, focusing on her career.
“How have you guys been? How is Tanya doing?”
“Hello, stranger!” she answered. “So good to hear from you. We’re both fine. Where are you?”
“You won’t believe it. I’m in Australia.”
“What are you doing there?”
“Well, love brought me here.”
“What? Pam, the career woman, in love?!?”
“That’s right. It’s happened! He is an Aussie. That’s why I’m down under.”
“I can’t believe it, I’m so shocked.”
“You’d better believe it. We’re getting married next year.”
“This is serious then.”
“I’ve never been this serious in my life. That’s the reason I’m calling you.”
“I’m so happy for you!”
She felt a pinch in her heart. What was happening to her? She was happy for her friend, but she couldn’t help feeling envious and she couldn’t explain why. Maybe she envied Pam’s courage. Or maybe she felt a bit jealous that her friend was tying the knot after a series of failed relationships, while she had not had a single relationship since she got divorced.
“Have you left your job in Dubai?” she asked.
“No, I’m on annual leave.”
“So, tell me about him.”
“He is in the same field as me. He works as a Petroleum Engineer project manager. That’s how we met.”
“Office romance, hey?”
“This is not just a fling. We’re both in love. I know he is the one.”
Keisha was truly amazed and intrigued. This was a facet of her friend’s personality that she had never seen before. It was actually refreshing to see her like this.
“I’m hoping that you guys will be able to make it.”
She remembered how Pam had been there in her darkest hours as if it was yesterday. She had put up with her depression. Had helped with minding Tee. She was there for them.
“Yes, we will try to be there.”
“I would love you guys to attend my wedding. It would mean so much to me, to us. I told Gary about you guys. He can’t wait to meet you two.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to be there, my dear. We would not miss it for anything in the world.”
“I’m glad to hear that!”
“Who else do I know that will be going?”
“Of course, my parents and siblings, Mary Nichols, Hans Christensen who is coming from Germany where I moved to after graduating, Nathan O’Carroll, and Noriko is coming over from Japan. That’s all I can think of right now.”
“I haven’t seen them in years. Over a decade, I’d say. It’s an opportunity for a reunion.”
“Of course, the wedding taking place so far from the shores of Britain might mean that some friends will not be able to come. But that’s why I’m giving people lots of notice.”
“What date is the wedding?”
“The 18th of August. We figured that it’s the summer holidays, so most people should be free to attend.”
“Are you going to relocate to Australia?”
“Not for the time being. We will keep on working in Dubai till the end of our contracts. Then, we will decide whether we want to settle in Australia or the United Kingdom.”
After she hung up, it made Keisha think. This was food for thought. Even Pam had made the jump. But then, she was a risk-taker. That’s just the way she was. They always used to joke that she had itchy feet, as she could never stay in one place for long. She would say that she was a free spirit, a nomad at heart. She could never commit to a relationship because all she cared about was work, travelling, and meeting new people, without any strings attached. Her sudden turnaround was amazing. It made her reflect on her own situation. She was a coward. She had to face her fears once for all, but did not know how. She had to move on. How do you erase a painful past just like that? She could not let the past, no matter how horrible, rob her of her present and her future.