It was a sharp noon and Mr. Austin took note of the fact he had two hours before his next meeting and submerged himself into work.
In his search for new faces, he's seen over seven thousand audition videos, in which he selected two ladies he felt could have some prospect in the acting field if brushed up a little.
The job took a major toll on him, and the fact he was yet to see an outstanding audition video sent him to despair. Mr. Austin tiredly scrolled down the mail, he decided to sort them from the latest received, and got ready to bin applications as he had been doing.
Usually, he went five seconds into every audition. Surely, five seconds was enough to get him to feel something. Matter of fact, he deliberated the thought of reducing his torture to a three seconds mark before judgement.
After the sixth video, Mr. Austin was gradually losing his mind. The confidence of people, sending in poorly done videos made him cringe. The sixth video wasn't even an audition video!
Apparently, someone thought it wise to send in a poorly edited porn video with the caption - ' let off some steam.' One second into the video and Mr. Austin nearly lost his balance in shock at the disgusting sounds coming off his system.
With a renewed speed, he shutdown his system, ending the unprofessional sounds that scarred him. Afterwards, he took out time to treat himself to a cool juice, drinking directly from the carton.
He returned to his table, ready once again to take on the torturous job. This time, he got prepared for sneak attacks, and muted the sound of his PC before opening the seventh audition video with no expectation.
A girl, with wavy hair and light skin stared right at him at the brink of tears, as she muttered some words. The young girl shook her head and muttered unheard words, Mr. Austin knew this scene too well!
It was the game-changing scene of the script and the most challenging!
Nobody attempted this particular scene from the three scenes put out for audition. Yet here was this lady sent from heaven to rid him of his misery.
Mr. Austin continued watching, and for the first time, defied his five seconds to rule. He saw the raw talent of the girl who carried out a perfect act, struggling between herself and 'someone'.
She slipped to the floor, having lost the tug and looked straight to the camera. He made out the words, ' I love you' and he felt the naked emotion in her eyes.
Mr. Austin felt stunned. Recovering from the epic performance, he turned on his sound and re-watched the clip; this time around, even more entranced as he heard the words fall out of her lips in the most natural way.
Combined with the best performance he had seen in years of his training minors, he couldn't believe she wasn't a trained actress. He felt like there had to be some background to her performance but something told him he'd discovered a gem in the rocks.
Watching the video for the third time, he could see that it was edited. With keen eyes , he caught on a few rookie mistakes in the continuation, which spoke volumes on how meticulously she worked on putting them together.
One thing was certain, his search was over. He checked the time and found he had one hour before his guest arrived. Suddenly, he felt ecstatic and positive that his client would be pleased with his findings.
He had other videos to go but knew compared to what he found, the difference was akin heaven and earth. Each contrasted in quality so much it glared. Nevertheless, he sat back in his office with a smile, awaiting the arrival of Mr. Daniel.
*******
Dells Island was a top-tier Island in New York City, which hosted some of the richest and most influential people in the world.
It was developed by one of the top construction companies in the world.
Its unique design and structure were exquisite, having different spots created for leisure, ranging from bars, pools, golf courses, gyms, spa treatments, cinema, and beach, and a community club.
The island was inhabited by billionaires of different fields, outstanding personalities and families, public figures, and public post officers. Dells Island formed a community of powerful clans, politicians, and even individuals.
In addition to the allure of the island, it was famed for its peculiar amount of mansions built on the island which was a perfect number of seven. The inhabitants were unknown to the General public and social classes.
In one of the mansions of the island was none other than Daniel Greenwood, the privacy of the island was one of the factors that compelled him to purchase a mansion on the island when a spot opened up.
He was convinced to get one for the family he knew he would raise with 'her' when they reconnected. As mind-boggling as it may have seemed to onlookers, he was convicted of the house the moment he got a look and feel of it.
Daniel stood in his room - very large and spacious with minimal styling. A king-sized bed stood in the middle and a walk-in closet by the right, everything readily situated in the right place.
The mansion's hostess prepared for housekeeping, while Daniel got ready for his appointment inside his room. His athletic strong build and physique stood out in his bare chested body.
With damp hair, he expertly maneuvered himself into a thoroughly ironed dress shirt, picked up his phone and fired a quick text notifying his driver to be ready in fifteen minutes. He made to drop the phone but a call came in - one he'd been expecting.
" Any news for me?" He cut to the point.
" Unfortunately, none. She left the state twenty years ago to an undisclosed location. We are back to square one." A voice narrated from the other end, nervous at his reaction to the news.
Daniel twitched, " Now you have the world in your hands. The next time you call, let it be with the right news. " He said and ended the call.
In no time, he was ready to leave, and determined to have his queen back in his life, even if it was the last thing he did.
******
Royal Arts Academy.
Mr Austin and Daniel headed straight to his office as soon as he arrived. It seemed like they were in a haste, and immediately they got into the office, the conversation took off.
" I have great news for you." Mr. Austin revealed after exchanging pleasantries. He couldn't wait to see the look on Mr. Daniel's face after sharing his discovery with him.
" I'm glad that today someone has good news for me," Daniel muttered, " Let's get right into it."
Mr. Austin gladly opened his PC and went straight to the folder where he saved the videos selected from the auditions. He took a glance at the content of the file, and without a blink, clicked on the very clip he couldn't get enough of.
Daniel saw the girl in the footage, and knew he had met his main character. Nevertheless, he patiently watched the clip till it was over and couldn't put into words how he felt.
His spirit resonated with that of the actress in a way that he had never felt with anyone else before. Her delivery of lines, expressions and body language spoke volumes of how talented she was as a newbie.
A fact that solidified his faith in her ability to deliver a good lead. By the look on his face, Mr. Austin knew his search was over.
" I want her as my main female lead, and I want her as a scholarship student here in Royal Arts." Daniel finally spoke, and Mr. Austin was all smiles.
" Definitely. I will make the necessary preparations for her schooling; and send you a list of possible male leads to know what you think."
" Great." Daniel stood up and they shook hands. He suddenly felt an urgency to get back to his job, with the female lead, everything was coming together. " Thank you, Mr. Austin. Looking forward to working more with you and Royal arts." He said and headed for his car.
Daniel couldn't understand just why he couldn't get the young girl out of his mind. Since he left the academy, her wide eyes popped into his mind. He felt a familiar pull to her and wondered if he'd encountered her previously.
Later on, he pinned it to the fact she was a rare talent. One he couldn't forget after her enchanting performance.
Daniel pushed the thought out of his mind, pinning it on the fact that he was so taken with her because of her rare talents and looks. Her eyes brought back memories of a certain someone, alongside a kick in the guts.
Surely, she didn't forget about him. She couldn't have moved on when he held something that belonged to her alone. He felt determined to seek her and wasn't losing hope regardless of the obstacles.
He wasn't losing hope despite the news, matter of fact he just grew a greater zeal to seek her out. He had to meet her, even if it was a gravesite, but he earnestly hoped it wasn't.
*****
Anna, Deloise, and Esther were seated in the living room. " Good afternoon ma," Anna spoke, finally breaking the long and overdue silence.
" How are you doing dear?" Ma'am Esther asked calmly.
" I'm alright, just preparing for my resumption this week." A wry smile pitched on Esther's face at her words.
" Yeah, Karen won't quite shut up about it, we are both proud of how your life is shaping up."
Esther felt happy that one of the girls she watched grow up had actual plans to do something worthwhile, meanwhile, Anna couldn't help but notice the lack of communication between Deloise and her mother.
She stylishly hit Deloise by the side, and with her eyes, willed her to say something, hinting on their discussion prior to this meeting. Deloise lost the urge to speak to her mother upon setting foot in her house.
The pep talks were useless the moment she saw her mother comfortably seated without care. Did she even mean anything at this point? Did she notice her absence or did it not mean anything to her.
Just like her dreams meant nothing to her.
Nevertheless, she decided to do what she had always done - suck up and bend to her mother's will. During the time spent away from her, she realized her mother was the light of her world.
Everything revolved around her mother, including her best friend who came by extension of her mother's best friend, Karen. How could she possibly survive without her?
She was her only family and despite her dream of acting, she couldn't imagine herself doing it without the consent of her mother. It wasn't possible. Who would be her active support system? There wasn't anyone else.
Deloise felt a headache hit from her thoughts and decided to bite the bone. There was nothing to lose anyways.
" So you've decided to disown me?" The words rolled with an air of arrogance that shuffled Esther's feathers.
" Good afternoon." Esther spoke softly, too soft for comfort; her eyes focused on her daughter, and her face wore a permanent scowl at her tone.
" I don't want to play good girl today, Mom. You should answer, and let's be done with this conversation." Deloise spewed with disregard, having had enough.
Anna saw the exchange leading to w disaster and immediately dragged Deloise out the sitting room. " Why are you being difficult? For goodness sake, we talked about this! Why are you letting your head get in the mix? " She asked in exasperation, attempting to keep her voice low.
" I'm sorry. I-I just wanted to know why she said that. " Deloise stuttered, " Why would she use our relationship against me like it meant nothing to her? " She asked rhetorically, visibly hurt.
" Your being rude wouldn't get you the answers you need. We need to go back in there and solve the equation. Okay? " Anna got an affirmative nod from Deloise.
Meanwhile, Esther felt scared. She had never seen Deloise in such character and it freaked her to imagine she pushed her off the cliff.
While Anna spoke animatedly by the corner, her mind fell back to the last person she put up with those conditions and the results that followed. Her heart ached as her psych relived the traumatic experience, poking a barely healed wound.
Esther sensed the girls coming around and immediately placed her guard up. Every emotion formerly reflected disappeared, and She resumed a stoic position, ready for the final tug.
She was ready to accept whatever happened. Maybe her life was made to be that way, maybe no one could ever love her enough to choose her - Not her daughter, and definitely not him.
Anna and Deloise sauntered into the living room and cautiously sat on the couch with Anna beside her. This time, she wasn't cajoled to speak.
******
" I didn't want to come here." Deloise started, " Matter of fact, I was ready to never speak to you again."
Esther observed her daughter speak very calmly and shook inside of her. Unconsciously, she readied her heart for an unknown impact she felt was coming.
" But I couldn't.." Deloise's words triggered a wave of relief, " these past few days I've spent hating you, but last night, I couldn't bear the fact that I left you home alone despite my anger."
Esther's stoic stance cracked at her daughter's words.
" Mummy I don't know why you do not want to support me, I don't know why you are so against the idea of me being an actress, I don't know what your reason forced you to even contemplate disowning me in regards to this issue." Deloise sniffed, " I've been so consumed with thinking these past few days. I thought of a time when you weren't there for me and I came up empty. A time when you didn't love, care and cater to me while being a single parent and- "
Anna couldn't hold back her tears.
" The thought of you contemplating cutting ties with me hurts so much. It made me question everything. I felt thrown away, unneeded, lost and full of anger." Deloise shook with unshed tears as she continued.
Esther sobbed, and for some reason had her hands interlaced and fighting the urge to hold her daughter. Deloise was a mess of emotions but she tried keeping herself together while Anna held her shoulder in support.
" I know that you love me though. I'm convinced deep inside my soul that you love me." She admitted softly, bearing it all. " And if leaving the idea of being an actress behind is the only way to keep you in my life," She paused, and tears rolled down her eyes, " I will do just that. I will stop pursuing a career in acting." She said, Desperately trying to convince herself. " B-because, " she stuttered, and her mother's heartbeat quickened. " Because I love you so much, mum. " Immediately, Deloise was enveloped in a hug, " I choose you ma, I choose you."
That night, the mother and child pair cried themselves to sleep. They converged into Esther's room, and slept in each other's arms, silently and contentedly. None knew what the future had in store, but the pleasure of being in each other's lives was enough for them both.
At least for the while.
****
Deloise and her mother arrived at the mall to shop for her resumption to school; following their reconciliation two days ago, she couldn't reject shopping with her mother in order not to dampen their easy going relationship.
Truth be told, she wasn't excited to shop the things she needed for law school for obvious reasons. But, in her usual fashion, she had to suck it up, and do what made her mother happy.
Even if it meant faking some excitement along the way.
Deloise was dragged around by her mom through the busy mall, getting and ticking things off the list. A seemingly endless list. By the time they were through, the stroller could barely move an inch without tumbling the items piled up.
Esther was glowing, and her happiness, contagious. She hopped around with a smile, buying things written and things she felt like getting. Recently, she felt her life on track: her business was flowing, and her daughter would be off to school in a few days.
Never had she felt a joy so complete, it screamed in her countenance, all of which brought a bittersweet smile to her daughter who had to give things up.
Deloise sometimes wondered if it was worth it, but shunned the thought as soon as it raised its ugly head. The day she reconciled with her mother, she packed up her content creation set, and shut it in a box - never to see the break of light again.
Deloise walked ahead to her mum who engaged in some chit-chat with someone at the counter. Without wasting time, she conveyed the items to the car, and waited comfortably for her mother's appearance.
On the second trip back to the car with the last of the items, Deloise took a while to catch a breather and observed the busy area and the beauty of people in motion. Vigorously pursuing one thing or the other while minding their business.
Content, she relaxed by the car, enjoying a few minutes of solitude. Suddenly, the need to get in touch with herself arose. It was a hard few days and somehow she felt swooped by the string of recent events.
It was only a matter of days before she left for school too! Deloise looked around, studying people around, and feeling the clean air of a not-so-distant river caressing her skin. There, she decided on a walk.
She heard the voice of her mother and some man, watched him get dismissed before her mother came up.
" Have you been waiting a long time, darling."
" Not really," Deloise said, " I was thinking of taking a walk."
The situation felt tricky as they were joined to the hip since their reconciliation.
" Okay. " Esther opened the door and placed her bag in the front seat. " Why are you still there? it's open."
" I asked if I could go on a walk, I'll be back before you know it. I just want to look around a little." She placed the items in the car, threw in a thank you, and took off without waiting for a response.
Esther saw the jogging figure of her daughter and couldn't withhold her smile. The sight of her daughter running left a raw sensation and brought sweet memories of her childhood.
The fact her daughter listened to her brought an inflow of joy she couldn't explain. She finally won, despite her recent troubles and anxiety, everything fell into place, she felt much lighter.
It was clear her daughter was still trying to adjust her idea of a perfect world, and probably even struggling with the decision, but she knew her daughter will scale through. She raised a strong and independent woman after all.
Meanwhile, Deloise was having the time of her life. She carelessly strolled by the roadside and found her way towards a bridge, overlooking a big river. She took in a whiff of fresh water and couldn't be happier.
Being a sucker for natural air and earth, Deloise enjoyed being close to such a beautiful natural setting. Cars drove past and she caught sight of a mega screen display.
Deloise' breath caught at the sight of a stunning lady on the screen. She couldn't help but notice it was a movie premiere and with more attention, she realized it aired in an hour and proceeded to the theaters.