"It's the third consecutive Valentine's Day and you are still single." A voice tinkled in my mind.
As I strolled, two couples passed beside me. The boyfriends were dressed in black suits and their girlfriends had put on red dresses that appeared the same style. I didn't want to care about them, but my mind withstood. One of the girls was my ex-girlfriend. It had been almost four years since we broke up and I despised laying my eyes on her. She wasn't someone I'd prefer to meet throughout my day.
My thoughts scratched away when she reached the horizon. I was reminded that I had a great event to direct my mind and heart to.
With my heart racing and butterflies glowing in my paunch, I strolled a few meters and entered a hall. I was escorted by two boys whose black hairs had smudged and turned brown. They were my friends and classmates. They took the back seats of the hall, but I didn't. I strode a bit forward then tucked in my shirt that had tried to evade the belt I had used to make my cotton pants fit me. I passed through the hall's aisle with students' gazes on me and headed in front. I was staring at the amazing scenery that was being displayed on the stage. I moved my so-called big head to the rhythm of the Afro-beat music that was being played by a DJ who had bolted himself in a small room that was at the back end of the hall. When I reached in front, I neared two gentlemen who were dressed in classic suits and sitting next to a lady whose strands of hair had rolled over her face. She seemed ruffled or maybe sad in a way I thought that she was about to cry. I greeted the three then opted to sit next to the lady.
"Hi Isaro; are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes of course, but...I am a little nervous." She mumbled, squinting at me.
"Me too. I just thought that I was alone." I mumbled and then chuckled.
She rolled her eyes, stretched out her lips, and grew an "mxioum" annoying sound. How rude! I felt like punching her on the nose even though my hands had adopted a shivering rhythm that resembled the one people get when they are sick of Malaria. This time, it was due to the nervousness. I opted to ignore her and talked to the gentlemen. We were the members of the same club — the Toastmasters Club that helped members to grow public speaking and leadership skills. The club was now going to host a speech contest and the four of us were the contestants.
But then, we were supposed to be six. Two hadn't arrived yet. Among the males, I was the only one who wasn't dressed in a suit. I had put on my kitenge shirt, cotton pants, and brown leather shoes that looked almost blemished. My friends had informed me that I looked nice in them. My spherical-shaped eyeglasses lessened my nervousness — somehow. At least, they obstructed some stares from the audience. I couldn't forget them at home. They had saved me a multitude of times whenever I felt nervous during public speaking; not only in the Toastmasters Club, but also during class presentations.
Besides, I was the only contestant who had the least experience regarding the contest. I had joined the club a few months earlier unlike other contestants. This was a great opportunity to help me put forward and sharpen my public speaking skills hence competing for the prize. I had to try my best as a young dreamer who wanted to become a great public speaker. I had spent almost a week rehearsing for two hours a day so that I'd make a tremendous presentation on the stage. Now that the day had come, I had to demonstrate what I had been working on.
One of the contestants was a great speaker who had also coached me when I first joined the club. He had flourished self-confidence for years and was the founder and CEO of an online-based company that was trending around the country. I couldn't believe that I was going to compete with him. There was also Isaro, the president of the club who was also a promising speaker. Her speeches could move you. They were volatile and members of our club loved them. Another male contestant was thin with handsome beards. He was a sharp guy with philosophical thoughts that would make every club member call him a genius. His words were full of wisdom; he was considered a born Martin Luther King. He had also been the former vice president of the club and had served with the former president who was going to emcee the event. I could sense how hard the contest was going to be.
The hall was full of students. The crowd was high and alarming. It was my first time to see such a big audience of which I was going to stand in front and lift up my voice. The rest two contestants arrived and greeted us with enthusiasm before they took their seats. They sipped water that was given to each contestant. I was about to empty the bottle because I was thirsty. I had walked by foot for around twenty minutes — from the ghetto where my friends lived to the main hall. As a result, my throat had gotten dry.
The crowd turned clamorous when the MC announced that the guest of honor had arrived. A tall dark-skinned man entered the hall, grinning dazzlingly. He was the Principal of our college and was ushered by the head of the English and Communication department who had been helping our club in a bunch of activities. To me and fellow contestants, she wasn't a guest. She was one of us. She sat alongside the Principal and opposite us, on the other side of the hall.
After a few seconds, in his hoarse voice, the MC introduced the event with energy and vibrancy. He revealed that he wasn't going to emcee the rest of the event and that he was going to be among the panel of judges that I hadn't noticed earlier. They were three and seated among the audience. The MC called them on stage and requested a toast from their head — a chubby guy with an American accent. He introduced himself as the president of Tres Toastmasters Club which was one of the leading clubs in the country. He pointed out the criteria they were going to base on while evaluating the speeches, then handed over the mic to the MC. A round of applause filled the place as his team strolled back to their seats.
The MC introduced the Contest Chair who hadn't entered the hall yet. He called the audience to welcome her even though they couldn't see her. Their gazes were shifted at the entrance of the hall. I too was curious as if I was waiting for Jesus to arrive. I sipped on the water and when I turned around, I lay my eyes on an angel. The sound of her heels crammed in the hall. Her gait with confident strides and the black strands of her hair that swayed when she reached the stage, made my eyes resist winking even for a bit. She was dressed in a black suit and had unbuttoned the topmost button of her perfectly-ironed milky shirt. She looked like an autonomous lady and yet a leader. I was fascinated by everything about her.
When the MC handed her the mic, she introduced herself as Akeza Gaella. I had already nicknamed her an angel and I couldn't stop staring at her as she spoke. How could someone be gorgeous and smart at the same time? I wondered. She testified how creative God is. Her voice didn't disappoint me. It was angelic. Its tone comprised the spices that resembled her beauty. She was irresistible.
"And, I am going to be the Contest Chair of this Table-topics Evaluation and speech contest. I assure you that we are going to have a lot of fun together." She announced then called upon the first contestant on the stage.
His name was Max. He walked to the stage with a mic in his hands. He was confident at the time in a way I hadn't expected. His speech was engaging, unlike the ones I had seen him do. It revolved around his life and achievements and was motivational. He captured the audience's attention to the extent some clapped for him in the middle of the speech. I guess they were his fans or maybe his friends, but whatever the heck they were, he deserved it. When he concluded his speech, he handed over the mic to Akeza — the one my eyes had already missed.
"Wow! Did you see that? I told you that this contest is going to be a hell of a lit." Akeza spoke up before introducing Isaro as the next contestant.
Isaro demanded a wireless mic since she wanted her hands to be flexible. She had told me that she wouldn't use a mic that would require her to hold it. Fortunately, it was there and the DJ connected it with the sound detector that was in his room where he handled the sound system from. After that, Isaro took over the stage. She commenced her speech with a short song. She had a lovely voice that captured the audience's attention. The song had a sad tone and matched the contents of her speech.
She talked about the need for gender equality among the community, highlighting and tackling the effects of women's abuse and rape. Her sad and advocating tones settled the audience in the mood she desired. Her gestures, acting and the way she paused to transition her emotional state, grabbed the audience's attention. At the time, nobody was clapping. They were all displaying either sad or delighted faces. Isaro concluded her speech calling for action to fight against rape and gender discrimination. She was sobbing. I couldn't believe how emotional she had turned. She made me realize that I had to take action in fighting against rape and gender discrimination.
The audience accompanied her with a round of applause as she strolled back to her seat. Most of them were murmuring about her, amazed by a tremendous speech she had delivered. I too couldn't help but commend her. She had astonished me and I couldn't hide it. Whenever I acknowledged something interesting in someone, I wouldn't hesitate to let them know. It was a personality I had obtained from my mama. She had always complimented me whenever I achieved something, no matter how small it could be.
Akeza took the mic back. She praised Isaro and warmed up the audience as well. I wasn't getting everything clearly because I was nervous. I knew that I was next on the stage. I applied a technique that had helped me most times; breathing in and out twice in a row, then asking God to be with me. This time, my anxiety made me do it thrice.
"Now, put your hands together, and welcome to the stage, Mr. Jordan Shema!" Akeza introduced me on the stage.
I was still attaching the mic to the collar of my shirt. In a few seconds, I was done and I turned my gait confident. I wanted to show that I wasn't nervous since it wasn't my first time on stage. Besides, I wanted to convince Akeza and my friends that I was a great speaker. I couldn't picture myself spoiling this chance.
I commenced my speech with research from the UN department of drugs saying that every minute, around four people die due to illegal use of drugs. My speech tackled the side effects of drug use and consisted of a story of a friend who had gotten addicted to drugs, but later stopped it after being sent out from rehab. The judges and audience's excitement escalated my confidence. I imported gestures and tried to transition the tone of my voice from sad to serious even though I hadn't practiced it during rehearsal.
In pursuit to conclude, I forgot the words I was supposed to say. I paused and wandered the stage for seconds with a serious countenance. The audience thought that it was part of the speech. As I strolled, I recalled a spoken word poem I had written about drugs and realized that its last two lines would make a splendid conclusion. I immediately recited them as part of my speech.
"Let us fight against illegal drugs to build a better world.
It starts with me and you."I reinforced the conclusion.
Most of the audience nodded. I had convinced them. I waited for Akeza to shake hands with me even though my heart longed for a warm hug. As we shook hands, I noticed a familiar scar on her neck, but I didn't care. I was caught up with her lively smile that elicited my perceptions and made me feel proud of what I had showcased on the stage.
I strolled back to my seat before she called Steve, the name of the next contestant. He was waited on by a lot of people, mainly because he was popular for his motivational speeches. Most of the audience had heard about him and he had mentored a number of them. He was a hell of a wise and optimistic person.
His speech didn't go far from motivation. He talked about how he quit college to get time to take care of his business. He listed his achievements as the CEO of a company that worth more than ten million Rwandan francs while he had started with two thousand. His voice and appearance suited his speech. His moves and gestures denoted him as a born leader. I could see the Principal nodding randomly as he spoke and so were the judges and most of the audience. His conclusion called the audience to use the brain and think big in everything they do.
He shook hands with Akeza after handing over the mic. Akeza was fascinated. She declared that the panel of judges was going to face hard times while choosing the winner.
The next contestants didn't capture the audience's attention like Steve or Max or Isaro or Me. Maybe because they took the stage after a great speech, or maybe the audience was tired since most of them had spent more than two hours sitting in the hall without taking some water. The water was for the contestants, Contest Chair, guests, and judges. While the last contestant delivered his speech, some audience booed him from the back of the hall. I guess my friends were among them. It sounded rude, disrespectful, and irrational at the same time, but I had nothing to do about it. The audience's hearts wanted what they wanted.
When all the contestants delivered their speeches, the panel of judges took eight minutes to come up with the final results. The DJ grabbed the moment and entertained us with a mix of electronic and dance-hall music. His mix sounded a bit awkward when he played "congratulations" in the middle. I clapped, thinking that the judges had already announced the winner. I was out of my mind and when it retrieved, the judges were strolling back to their seats and Akeza was telling the DJ to pause the music.
She then invited the chief judge to announce the results as the butterflies inside my stomach boosted. My heart raced spontaneously, but this was normal. It usually happened whenever I was to be informed about my results.
"On the third place, we have…" The Chief Judge called out loudly as the DJ played a startling instrumental in the background. I heard him yelling my first name, Jordan, then my second name, Shema, and I sighed. The audience clapped and yelled my name too. Their crowd set the hall's roof on fire as I walked to the stage. My smile took away the anxiety that had sat heavily in my senses. I shook hands with the Chief Judge before he called the Principal to award me with the second runner-up medal and certificate of participation. I smiled and bowed twice in front of the audience, appreciating their love and support.
The chief judge announced Steve in second place and he was given the first runner-up medal and a certificate too. Some audience members couldn't understand that. They had already set in their minds that Steve would be the winner. They were disappointed when the Chief Judge announced Isaro as the winner of the contest. Some booed, others including me nodded, and yelled awesomely. I wanted Isaro to win the contest. She had made a unique speech that moved my mind. She was awarded a first-place medal, a certificate, and a cheque of two-hundred-thousand Rwandan francs. She hugged me and Steve then thanked her fans.
The contest was over and I was satisfied with the results. We took a group photo with the contest crew — the contestants, Contest Chair, guests, and judges. We were all smiling regardless of the inner feelings we had.
While we took the photo, the idea of talking to Akeza had sat at the top of my mind. My eyes longed to tumble and stare at her. They were missing her fascinating body. After the photo, I walked past her.
"Hi Akeza," I greeted."I just want to commend you for the splendid work you did today. You are a very good public speaker." I mumbled.
"Oh, that is so sweet. Thank you so much, Jordan. You did an amazing job too. Congratulations!" She declared.
She seemed almost the same height as me due to the heels she had put on. Nevertheless, I was taller. I grinned as I stared into her glorious eyes.
"Thank you so much, beautiful angel! Anyway, would you please remind me of your angelic names?" I mumbled, licking my bottom lips.
"That's pretty fine. In case you forget easily, I am Akeza Gaella. Write the name somewhere."
"Come on, Akeza! I guess that I've heard your names before. Did you study at Rubaya Primary School?"
"Yeah, I did. Did you?"
"Yes, of course. I guess we went to the same school."
"Ooh, I see! That is why Jordan Shema sounded familiar. Oh my God, it's you. It is so nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Akeza. Do you mind giving me your number?"
"That's totally fine, Jordan."
I took out my Tecno from my jeans' pocket. I found out that it had run out of power. Oops! I exclaimed, but I had plan B. I took out my pocket diary and the pen I had used to write my speech, and then wrote her ten digits that were going to bless my day. She told me to text her so that we would connect. She said bye and left the hall.
I was delighted; not only for the third place I had won, but also for seeing Akeza again. She had been my crush since I was eight.