It was now a year since their high school life and the girls were enjoying their lives as though there was no tomorrow. They did their exploits wherever they wished and whenever they were able. They brought on board Belinda. She had been their friend for long but who was a little bit older than both Caroline and Vicky, and used to hang out with other girls more often than them. However, since the time she discovered that Vicky was a talented singer born with a natural voice and also a good songwriter she decided to get closer. Then Vicky and Caroline had looked for her because she seemed more exposed than them.
Belinda took upon herself to encourage Vicky so that she could compose more songs.
"Vicky, I tell you this is pure talent! This will take you to greater heights than you can ever imagine!" she said.
"Oh come on girl! Stop pulling my leg!" Vicky was modest.
"No! It is for real! Or what do you say, Caroline?" Belinda said as she sought Caroline's support on the matter. Caroline was genuinely impressed by Vicky's talent and so she responded in affirmative.
"For sure Vicky you are highly talented. You will soar into the farthest skies. In fact the sky won't be the limit for you! You will go far beyond."
"And we hope that as you will be soaring beyond the skies you won't leave us here on the ground crawling but you will take us with you, at least let's hold on your wings." Belinda went ahead to outline what was in her mind. Yes! She recognized Vicky as a super talent! But she also had to benefit.
"My dear ones, if what you say is really what you see in me and for me then am so glad that God designed such a great destiny for me," she said. She had always known that she could sing but not as good as how her friends were putting it. She had never thought of herself as a celebrity, leave alone a national celebrity. She had never performed a song even in a village gathering, in the name of her own composition. So to be told that one day she would be a renowned singer on the world stage seemed so far-fetched to her.
Laughing, she said to them, "I will carry you with me! I will soar through the clouds with you perked on my wings! We shall fly together like birds of the same nest!" The others rejoiced with her and soon a light atmosphere was created where everybody seemed to having an idea of what they will do when they become famous.
"Then we shall go to Miami Beach, am told that is where all celebs go!" Caroline spoke up.
"No! We shall buy a whole Island for ourselves! No! Everyone shall own her island and have everything that she desires to have. We shall have private jets and limousines and yachts!" Belinda stated her big dreams.
"But if we have each her own Island we will be separated from each other. I don't want that to happen." Vicky spoke up thoughtfully. Belinda was quick to give a rejoinder.
"Oh so sweet of you, darling. You want us to be together forever! But will that be possible. Say, or don't you want to get married?"
"And have many kids al playing with you and your husband, you only in your beautiful sandy beach!" Caroline added.
"Jeez! That would be boring. Me in the first place I don't want to get married!" she said with a certain degree of finality, but her friends seemed not to have noticed.
"Then you can hang there with your boyfriend or lover or anybody you wishes who will be…of course you get me girl!" Belinda went on teasing her friend.
"I don't want even a boyfriend!"
This time the edge in her voice was clearly audible. Caroline was even taken a back at her friend's tough stance on the issue of having a male partner. They went ahead to apologize to her as quickly as they could. It had just occurred to them that even though plenty of time had passed from the time Vicky had had an ugly encounter with Tod, it seemed that she had not recovered fully, at least from a psychological perspective. It was now clear that she had developed a negative perception of anything of masculine nature.
Seeing their apologies almost getting into her nerves Vicky decided to change the topic.
"Let us start today singing the three of us as a trio-band," she said, "if we are to go anywhere the journey starts with the first single step!"
"I have an idea," Belinda said. All the rest suddenly gave all their ears to listen to what she had to offer. Technically, she was proving to be the brains behind the activities of the trio, and Vicky was unopposed the hands of the team, or literally the mouth of the team for she would be the lead singer while the rest just gave her a back-up.
Belinda went on to explain that a friend had informed her about an upcoming event that would be held in the village not very away. She said it was an event organized by one of the artists who had found a breakthrough in his musical carrier and had come back to the village to give back to the society. Belinda wanted the trio to attend the party. A suggestion that they all agreed to all in one voice. But Caroline said;
"I am not as good a singer as you two. So I will come with you to the party, but don't expect me to sing. I will just be there to cheer you on," she added.
"Don't worry bestie, I will teach you and before the due date for the party you will be one hell of singer!" Vicky tried to win her back. They all tried to persuade Caroline but could not win her over. What was making her afraid was that she had a negative self-esteem. "You will come around, just take some times off!" Belinda thought so.
From that day the three started thorough practice of a song that Vicky had composed. It was such a nice, moving, emotional song that all the three liked very much. While they were alone they sang all the three of them but when the idea of presenting on stage came up, Caroline would always withdraw. Vicky wondered what was it that made her not feel secure and had terribly lowered her self-esteem.
Finally the party day arrived and the three girls made their way to the venue. Although nobody seemed to know them, no one came and asked them what they wanted. But that would not have worried because Belinda had already formulated some answers to be given to anybody who would dare question them. Her character was that of a person who wouldn't spare you with words. But nobody asked. As they walked around at the ground where the party was led, they saw a desk written "Artists Registration."
They quickly proceeded to the desk with the intention of registering themselves. The guy at the table simply asked if they were artists and they answered that they were an upcoming trio bad, after filling all forms that they were free to walk around, eat and drink then perform and if they would be lucky enough they would perform for the organizing musician. Hoping that he would consider them for the position of receiving his support.
Many guest artists had graced the occasion. Some who performed were start-ups just like Vicky and her tam. They watched as the start-ups presented their items and they evaluated them. From what they saw, they gained courage that there song was way better than most of those that had been presented.
"And now ladies and gentlemen!" the master of ceremony called over the mic, "on the stage, let us welcome The Belvica Band!" from where they had been seated, Caroline, Belinda and Vicky heaved a sigh as if regarding the mammoth crowd that they were performing for them. Caroline stepped back and said to her friends.
"Guys! This now is your time! Go and shine!" and she gave them a little push forward, "I will cheer you the loudest."
Vicky and Belinda's performance on stage was great, the song was great too. It could be noted by how much the crowd took it. There were ululations, whistling and all those hands raised in the air and shouts of joy as people shouted their band's name. "Belvica! Belvica! Belvica!"
From where she sat watching Caroline could not believe her eyes! "This is incredible!" she acknowledged in great reverence. She affirmed Vicky's talent that night and that Belinda complemented her well. On the stage, Vicky was also awed by the response she was receiving g from the crowd. She now believed what her friends were telling her some days ago that she had pure talent! She now believed that actually she might be destined for greater heights.
"I wonder if the star who organized this event has taken note of us." She began thinking like Belinda and concluded in her mind that she would ask Caroline who was on the ground following everything keenly.
Caroline, on the other hand, had just followed the singing all the way to the climax, then her eyes had been drawn to something else. To be precise, not something, but someone. He was this handsome young man who walked towards her. She had stared at him and this was like an invitation to him. This was how Caroline had gotten to know Nick.
The party came and was gone. That night before they left, the Belvica Band had been summoned to a tent which they supposed to be the one serving as the office for the organizer. They had burst with anticipation knowing that finally they were going to see this internationally renowned artist! What an honor this will be and especially for them who had just performed their first song on stage! But when they had entered the tent they met several men around six of them. One of them attended to them.
"Please write here your names, addresses and the name of the band." He had said. After filling the forms, they asked for the next step. To their utter amazement, they were told to go home and that they would contacted if necessary. At first it sounded like a discouragement.
"But, come to think of it! We have achieved something!" Belinda said, "At least we have performed our first song ever on the stage, in the public eye. For the first time we have been celebrated by a live audience. And then we have been called to give our details, so let's celebrate them."
"It is a good sign!" Vicky said, "I think the person must have recognized us!" she said optimistically.
Then they had gone home. Belinda went to where she stayed while Vicky and Caroline also remained in their house. They met after a day and did a post-mortem of that night's events. While they discussed Caroline seemed unusually happy. She was grinning from tooth to tooth and soon her friends noticed,
"Girl! You are melting! Who is this bringing all the blushing and smiling to you?" Belinda asked and Vicky also made numerous jokes about Caroline's seemingly changed character.
Caroline tried severally to hide but even she herself was dying to share with them. She finally decided to speak out.
"Guys you can't believe it!" Caroline said, almost jumping up in joy.
"Come on tell us!" they urged her.
"I have met a man who loves me! You can't imagine it," she said, "He is so handsome, and very smart!"
"Oh! Oh my God! Did you meet him last night?" Belinda could not believe her ears.
"Why didn't you tell us while we were still there so that we could know him." They complained.
"Don't worry! You will meet her sooner than you expect. I gave him my address!"
"Jesus! How shrewd!" Vicky said, "Anyway it is you who fell in love not me!" she detested relationships and couldn't want to imagine how two strangers would just hook up and start calling one another love.
True to her word, three days later, a day when they had agreed to visit, Nick showed up at Caroline's home. He didn't enter the house but took Caroline away. They went down the road to a secluded place where they sat and talked for a while. Vicky had gone down-streams to fetch water. So she was not lucky enough to see Nick on this day one too. When Caroline returned she was always in better moods and she showed great adoration for him.
In one of his visits, Nick came with a very large box. Caroline wondered what it was. Then Nick had politely told her that he had noticed what a difficult life she had in her home. And since it was not yet time to take her with him, he had decided to support her from just where she was.
From clothing to shoes, from drinks to fruits and all other kinds of foodstuff and the clothing, Nick was really commissioned.
Vicky was so surprised that she said she has to meet this guy. She did not believe that there were men who were still good. A man such as Nick, who had accepted to support and care for a family you barely knew, was actually a good man. Vicky saw this difficult because Caroline also had a number of challenges especially with her parents. Her mother was paralyzed then the father was an alcoholic who didn't do any work. Hilkah was a young brother to Caroline whom they lived together with Vicky.
Caroline had started going out with Nick and their love-bonds seems to grow a great deal. She then said it was safe if her friends met him. So one day she planned and she went to meet him with Vicky. Vicky got to know him and really liked his mannerisms. Later that evening she told Caroline how lucky she was to have a guy like Nick. On her part, Caroline vowed to remain faithful and protective of her boyfriend.
On the other hand, that night as they slept, Vicky was not asleep. She was tossing from one side to the other. She remembered how Caroline had ran to Nick and hugged him so tightly.
"Nick is so romantic!" she thought.
Vicky started imagining things that night. She had never been with a man except for what Tod did to her against her will. Since then she had never associated herself with any man whether friendly or hostile. Ever since, she had felt totally unsafe around men. Although the incident had happened long ago but the effects took long before wearing out.
But then all over a sudden, she started feeling this great desire for a man! She remembered how Caroline and Nick had kissed. At first, to her as an onlooker, it looked disgusting, but then she saw how Caroline was enjoying it. Unconsciously, she found herself opening her mouth, biting her lips as if she was in the act itself. And that is how she started desiring to have a man for herself.
"When will I also have someone to love this much. Someone to kiss my lips till I get lost in his hands? Where are you my Mr. Right? She asked, and she felt her breasts heaving. They were sharp pointed and full. She found herself caressing the front of herself as she lay on the bed. The feelings were so overwhelming. But she refused to think of Nick.
"Nick is Caroline's!" and she drifted into sleep with those thoughts.