One Step Closer
1343 Words
The next morning, Tiana arrived at the film set before sunrise.
She watched people push cameras across the floor while makeup artists hurried from one actor to another.
Everything felt bigger than she had imagined.
When the assistant director called her name, she took a deep breath and stepped onto the set.
"Ready?" the director asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Action."
She delivered her first line.
Then the second.
"Cut," the director said.
He looked at her for a second and nodded.
"Good job."
That was all.
No applause. No celebration.
Just two short lines and a quiet "good job."
But as Tiana walked off the set, she smiled to herself.
It wasn't much.
Still, it was more than she'd had yesterday.
Tiana sat on the edge of her bed, counting the money in her purse.
She counted it twice, hoping she'd made a mistake.
She hadn't.
It wasn't enough.
The next audition was in Lagos, and she still needed money for transport.
With a sigh, she placed the money back into her purse and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
A knock came at the door.
"Tiana?" Adrian called. "Are you home?"
She quickly sat up.
"Come in."
The moment Adrian saw her face, he knew something was wrong.
"What happened?"
She forced a smile.
"Nothing."
He folded his arms.
"I know that smile. Tell me."
She looked away.
"I don't have enough money to go for the audition this weekend."
There was a brief silence.
"Is that all?"
She frowned.
"What do you mean, 'Is that all?'"
Adrian reached into his pocket and brought out a folded envelope.
"I've been saving this."
She looked at him, confused.
"What is it?"
"Transport fare."
Her eyes widened.
"No, Adrian."
"Take it."
"I can't."
"You can."
She shook her head.
"You work too hard for your money."
"And I'm spending it on something that matters."
"I'll pay you back."
He smiled.
"I didn't ask for a loan."
She looked down at the envelope in her hands.
"I don't want to become a burden."
Adrian moved closer.
"Listen to me."
She raised her eyes.
"One day, when you're standing on a movie set living the life you've always dreamed of, I don't want you looking back and thinking you gave up because you couldn't afford a bus ticket."
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"You always know what to say."
"No," he said with a laugh. "I just know how stubborn you are."
She laughed too.
Then she hugged him.
"Thank you."
He smiled.
"Just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"When you become a famous actress, don't start charging me before I can talk to you."
She pulled away and playfully hit his arm.
"You're impossible."
"And you're going to Lagos this weekend."
This time, she didn't argue.
She simply nodded.
A few months passed, and the familiar faces at audition venues no longer looked at Tiana with curiosity.
Some of them knew her name.
"You're the nurse from Broken Vows, right?" a young actress asked while they waited outside an audition room.
Tiana smiled.
"I only had two lines."
The actress laughed.
"I still remember you."
It was the first time a stranger had recognized her.
As she walked into another audition, one of the casting assistants looked up from his clipboard.
"Tiana Adebayo?"
"Yes."
"You've worked with Bright Star Productions before."
She nodded.
"We liked your performance. Let's see what you've got today."
Those simple words stayed with her.
For the first time, she wasn't introducing herself to people who had never heard of her.
Little by little, directors began requesting her for small supporting roles. She wasn't the star of the story, but she arrived early, knew her lines, and treated everyone on set with respect from the lead actors to the crew carrying lights.
One afternoon, after filming a short scene, the director called out before she could leave.
"Tiana."
She turned.
"You've improved."
"Thank you, sir."
She nodded, holding back a smile.
That evening, she returned to Meirean Hills tired but happy.
Adrian was waiting outside her parents' house.
"You look different," he said.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Different how?"
He smiled.
"Like someone who's finally starting to believe in herself."
She laughed softly.
"I don't know about that."
"I do."
She sat beside him on the wooden bench.
"I still have a long way to go."
Adrian looked at her.
"Maybe."
He smiled.
"But you're no longer trying to get people to notice you."
"They already have."
Tiana looked up at the evening sky, a quiet smile spreading across her face.
For the first time since she left Meirean Hills to chase her dream, the future didn't feel so far away.
The call came on a Tuesday afternoon.
Tiana had just changed out of her costume after filming a small role when her phone vibrated in her handbag.
She almost ignored it.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon. Is this Tiana Adebayo?"
"Yes."
"My name is Chisom. I'm calling from CrestWave Advertising. We saw your audition last month."
Tiana leaned against the wall.
"Okay..."
"We're casting for a television commercial. The director thinks you'd be a good fit. Can you come in on Thursday?"
She blinked.
"A television commercial?"
"Yes."
"I'll be there."
She ended the call and stared at the phone in her hand.
One of the makeup artists walked past.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
Tiana laughed.
"I think I just got my first commercial."
"Then what are you standing here for?" the woman teased. "Go and celebrate."
That evening, Adrian was waiting for her at the bus stop in Meirean Hills.
The moment she stepped down from the bus, he noticed the smile she was trying to hide.
"What happened?"
She shook her head.
"I want you to guess."
He looked at her for a few seconds.
"You got another movie?"
"No."
"You finally met a famous actor?"
She laughed.
"No."
"Then tell me."
She couldn't hold it in any longer.
"I got a television commercial."
For a second, Adrian simply stared at her.
Then he smiled.
"I knew it."
"You did not."
"I did."
"You say that every time."
"Because every time, I'm right."
She laughed and gently nudged his shoulder.
The commercial was filmed two days later.
It wasn't a long shoot. By evening, everyone had gone home, and Tiana returned to Meirean Hills without thinking much about it.
A week later, she was helping her mother at the shop when someone passing by suddenly stopped.
"Excuse me..."
Tiana looked up.
"Were you on television yesterday?"
She smiled, surprised.
"I was."
"I told my wife that was you."
By evening, almost everyone in the neighbourhood had heard about it.
It wasn't a lead role.
It wasn't a blockbuster film.
But for the first time, people weren't introducing Tiana as a girl who wanted to be an actress.
They were talking about her as one.
Three days after the commercial aired, Tiana was helping her mother at the shop when her phone rang.
She almost let it ring out.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon. Am I speaking with Miss Tiana Adebayo?"
"Yes, this is she."
"My name is Esther. I'm calling from DKO Studios. Mr. Daniel Okoye would like to meet with you."
Tiana frowned.
"Did you say Daniel Okoye?"
"Yes."
She had heard the name before. People in the industry spoke about him with respect.
There was a brief silence.
"Is everything okay?" Esther asked.
"Yes... sorry. I was just surprised."
"We've sent the meeting details to your phone. Monday, ten o'clock."
"I'll be there."
After the call ended, Tiana read the message twice.
Adrian walked into the compound carrying a bag of groceries.
"You've been staring at your phone for five minutes," he said. "Good news?"
She looked up slowly.
"A producer wants to see me."
He smiled.
"Looks like someone noticed your commercial."
Tiana smiled too, though her stomach was already full of nerves.
She folded the phone into her bag and looked toward the road.
Monday suddenly felt very close.
- Writer
