I was never a timid person when it came to effortlessly showing off what I knew how to do best. I wasn't the best in them, but I knew I couldn't stop trying. The days I'd go to the garden to sing, and just how well I'd scream so melodiously in the bathroom as the liquid symphony of splashing water echoed around me, forming a rhythmic soundtrack to my song.
"It's siesta's time and you're still singing. I guess you love to be punished," Victoria, my bunkie would always tell me.
Living in the dormitory I would say was a bitter-sweet experience. There were times I enjoyed the fun of it and other times I had to face lots of punishments for one thing or the other. And yeah, when I sing so loud, I get punished for disturbing the peace of others.
I never stopped singing regardless, but I stuck to doing that at the right time without interfering with anyone's tranquility and also incurring the wrath of my seniors, not after being warned.
In class, I'd encountered students below, within, and above my range who could sing so beautifully and harmoniously. I connected with two persons from my class, and we formed an amazing trio.
Ofure, Juliet and I became deeply attached to the world of singing, and that forged a strong connection between us. During our social nights, we were always given opportunities to sing, how exhilarating I often felt.
Bad remark I would say can shred one's heart apart, leaving an indelible scar.
On a Saturday evening, just like every other run-of-the-mill Saturday where we had social nights, I and my friends had rehearsed on one of Barbie's songs titled "I Wish to Know This Answer" and was just about to round off, then Rhoda, one of my classmates showed up. "Wow! This is so good."
Her polite remark made me feel so great. I knew Rhoda to be blunt and bold, and one that could say a lot to you without minding how you felt about her words.
So we'd rehearsed the song again for the last time, and I could feel how somewhat perfect it was. Then Rhoda remarked again, this time, louder than ever.
"Vera, try to sing in a normal way. You're singing through your nose, and it isn't coming out well. It's more like you're faking it," she snapped.
"Leave it that way. Besides, that isn't how it seems to me 'cause she sings so beautifully," Ofure snapped back.
I was drowned in a sea of perplexity, cause no one had ever judged the way I sing in that manner.
My mood had swiftly changed. Reflecting on my performance, a thought crossed my mind, and I questioned if Juliet and Ofure's singing prowess masked my abilities all this while. Was it my own inadequacy in singing?
Rhoda and Juliet were best friends, so I didn't expect her to say anything awful about the way she sang. I knew I wasn't supposed to be bothered, but then those words deeply pierced my heart and I felt it.
"Don't let her words change your mood. Her opinion in your life doesn't count, and you should know that. Look, you're light, and don't let anyone dim it 'cause you're meant to always shine," Ofure encouraged. That was so soothing, yet couldn't change much about the way I felt.
"Please, I need you to be very honest with me. Do I sing through my nose, or does my singing voice sound unreal?" I curiously asked, hoping to get a genuine response.
"You truly have a melodious voice, one that can lull a child to sleep, and I want you to know this about yourself. So this is my sincere reply," Ofure answered.
So I'd lived up with that for years and I almost gave up on music. I stopped singing, I withdrew myself from the school choir and then I became a total stranger to my own self. Just how swiftly those words deeply changed things within me.
I was going to develop my strength without fixating on comparisons, but no matter how hard I tried, nothing ever changed. Then I got so enmeshed in other things, forgetting the moments I used to sing.
Somehow, I started singing again, but only in the confines of my space.
"You know you've got a sweet voice, and I'm wondering why I'm just realizing this," said Prudent, one of my friends who had stood for a few minutes at my door listening to me.
"I just don't think I'm that good. So next time, just knock and come in," I replied.
"So you sing?" He asked.
"I used to. Right now, I'm focused on other things," I answered.
"Oh heavens! You don't know the light you carry, and I don't know why you're allowing your spotlight to fade away. Don't give up on your talent, it just might take you to your stardom," he advised.
And yeah, I picked up from where I dropped, but this time, bigger. Nothing ever held me back. And just a few days ago, I was contacted to do a video cover of the song "Forever" by Gyakie feat. Omah Lay.
Thanks for reading!馃
The image is mine!
