MEANT FOR ME

MEANT FOR ME

CHAPTER ONE

My heart’s voice

Her voice echoed into the empty skies of the building, the building whose silence swam into the fragile space, leaving all eyes fixed on her and ears standing like an arrow directing a community. She had always wanted to be the centre of attention but now this was more than she thought. She wouldn't want to miss a part; maybe she would try to calm her nerves as the pitch came lower. Oh goodness, a heavy round of applause and several noises burst the heavy silence that captivated the atmosphere, accolades following still. She didn't know she would pull so much crowd, her motivations were strictly ignited by passion. Soon she came down the stage and eyes followed, still like she were a celebrity. Her granny was full of joy.

“I told you you could pull a mighty crowd,” her eyes were almost full of tears. Olivia knew she was doing what she loved, it had already taken her tough and stressful months of strict rehearsals by her teacher she would skip important things she needed to attend to only to meet up at the rehearsal ground, her poor granny knew she loved music right from the onset so she always gave her all the support and prayers she needed.

There was another show coming up in a few day’s time, and she had to prepare ahead. As she walked down to the rehearsal ground, she ran into a moving vehicle which almost had her knocked down.

“are you alright young lady?” Olivia couldn't say a word, shock and fear still ran through her veins.

“Hey brat I am talking to you!” now she managed to look at the pencil figure that yelled at her in her current mental situation. She soon managed to get to her rehearsal ground and started rehearsing for the upcoming show.

Loveth a famous model whose luxury life and achievement so far in the modeling industry became the talk of the people. Her pictures were everywhere and was used to beautify the stage for any artist who would come to perform. The show was the talk of the people and everyone planned on coming, it was no place for the lower class people as she gets irritated by their every move. Her parent had also contributed a lot in hosting the show, it was a show for the promotion of her newly opened lodge.

“I want to have a live session with my fans right now!” she yelled into the hearings of her so-called manager, he had to do as she wanted.

After Maminitah, Olivia’s granny had returned from a nearby store where she went to buy some medicines for her hurting chest, she turned on the radio-like television and the first thing she saw on her TV was Loveth addressing her viewers about how special the upcoming show would be and the classy artist and personnel that would be coming to perform at the show.

“ make sure you are there!” her rude voice ran through the old throat of the TV’s speakers. Maminitah soon put off the TV, she was never a fan of the famous model Loveth, she did not understand why she pulls so much crowd and also had so much fan, well all those shits weren't really her business. She was old and found no joy in what Loveth does. Soon Olivia jumped into the house like a bird that was chased by another.

“Whats chasing you?”

“No granny, it's nothing. I am just excited about the upcoming event!” she said sitting right beside her granny pulling her arms to find its way around her weak shoulders.

“Granny you can come okay. I already spoke to George, my teacher and he said he would pay a ticket for you to be at the event and see your grand daughter sing! Isn't that great?” Maminita was so happy to hear that.

“I’m proud of you my love, I am always!” curious tears had hurried to show off at the edge of an eye lid.

“Don't cry granny. You know I'd do anything for you.” her small voice just couldn't respond, all she wanted was to drop a few more tears at the shoulders of her only grandchild.

Days soon pass and it was time for the show. “Now that you are in the country you would miss anything for my show right?”

“ i’d be there certainly,” his thick voice replied firmly. Loveth plastered a kiss on his cheek.

“ i’ll see you there!” her high-heeled shoes beat the tiles making tiny sounds as she left. Johnson stood up heading for some piece of paper that was trashed in a corner of the room. He found the documents useless and rumpled them into his palms to be trashed in the dustbin outside his room.

The event place was set and more than a hundred pictures of Loveth were plastered all over the place even the projectors displayed her half-naked pictures that were taken from some of her usual postures for the advert of a few brands. Different popular artists came for the show and a bunch of talented people also came. It was no place for the poor, Olivia was already there, she sat outside hoping to see George coming with her Granny; she soon observed a black jeep moving closer to her, she excused the vehicle so it could have enough space to park, still the vehicle kept moving closer and later stopped. She was eager to see the driver who drove badly as such. The driver’s door soon opened and a tall, dark, and fitted man stepped out of the car. His built chest was so obvious even in his dark suit, his oval-shaped cute face captivated her mind with brown eyes stirring directly in her face. Even from a distance the fragrance of his body spray made her day, he would walk up to her and say,

“Hey beautiful!” she counted his every step as he moved closer, gently removing his suit, he would throw it at her and ask her to come with him into the hall, she was about to catch his suit when a light-complexed man behind her caught the suit.

“Get me the new clothes in the car please, let me change in the guest room allocated to me before the start of the show...”

“Okay sir,” replied his personal assistant

“ Have you communicated with dad?”

“Yes I have sir, he told me to let you know that he will not be attending this show because he has a very important appointment with the doctor.”

“That’s alright then. Please no appointments for now. I need some rest after this okay” they communicated as they walked into the hall together.

“Olivia!” her granny's voice called from a distance...

“Oh! Thank goodness you’re here.”

“Thats alright, you have to get into the hall and find your seat number. The same number on the identity card attached to your dress okay,” he said taking them into the hall and pointing at the table set aside for artists.

“ you can find your number over there okay? Hurry go now and have your sit, you will soon be called upon alright?”

Loveth soon climbs the stage to address the audience, welcoming them, she also recognizes the presence of some important personnels who were present at the moment. Other artist came up for their various performances and the crowd was moved by the different talented displays that shook the stage. There were awards for the first, second and third best performers. Olivia was soon called upon for her performance, her granny sat up right to watch her daughter perform,

“you can do it my girl!” she spoke to herself in her tiny voice. Olivia’s voice soon draw down silence followed by a full attention from the audience.

“Wow!” one of the audience exclaimed. Everyone was astonished by her amazing performance, her voice was firm and steady; she sang with so much passion as she looked above the heads of the audience. Her granny was so proud of her. A heavy applaud followed at the end of her performance; Johnson was amazed... He did not believe that sweet voice came out from the figure that stood in front of him. Now Loveth suddenly stood behind him,

“i hope you’re good?” her voice distracted his lost mind.

“ oh, you’re here, yes i am good, thanks” she rushed to paste a kiss on his cheek and immediately left for the stage again. Olivia gently moved out of the hall after her stage performance to ease herself of the pressure and stage anxiety when she ran into Johnson.

“ oh i am so sorry sir!” she apologized immediately for accidentally colliding with him.

“Its okay; that was nothing, you’re good right?” “yes i am sir”

“call me Johnson” he introduced himself stretching a hand towards for the sake of formality.

“Sweetie!” Loveth called from behind as she was about to receive his hand in return. Olivia rushed back into the hall as Loveth came closer, she didn't even get to see the face of the woman Johnson spoke to. Loveth came so close to him like she wanted to rip him off his shirt, her tiny hands moving all ‘round his chest, her eyes did not stop stirring into his brown eyes, she would give him a soft hot kiss and soon take him into the guest room allocated to him and make him feel the warmth of her down there, his masculine figure would pin her down to the bed spreading her laps like the African’s bread about to have butter spread on it for food, she would feel his rod-like d**k hitting hard down there and making her moan like a male goat! she was about plastering another red lips kiss on his lips when he held back her hands, moving them off his face.

“We are in a public place please!”

It was time to allocate awards from the first to the third best upcoming talented artist. The third was announced, the second and then the first was Olivia... Prizes were given to the second and third and suddenly Loveth showed up from no where collecting the microphone from the MC unannounced, promising to specially reward the first winner after the show, the crowd gave a heavy round of applause in appreciation. As Loveth walked down the stage, Johnson followed her behind like they had a serious business at hand.

“What was the meaning of that s**t that just played out?” he said grabbing her hands forcefully.

“How’s that your business?” she replied pulling her hands off with much energy. “I have decided to specially reward her. Is that a problem for you?”

“Look Loveth, things ain’t done this way!...”

“Then how are things done huh?” she interrupted immediately; Johnson was short of words, he felt like breaking her tiny figure with his bare hands. Loveth soon block Olivia while she was heading for the rest room,

“see me in my office tomorrow morning,” she giving her her business card.

“Alright ma, I will.”

George and Maminita were surprised at the drama that played out in the program,

“maybe she really loves your performance and genuinely wants to surprise you, who knows?” said George.

“We hope so,” Maminita said.

“Cheer up my girl, everything will be alright okay?” Olivia nodded in response.

She wouldn’t sleep, she just couldn’t sleep. She felt like tearing apart the night for the day. Even with the fact that she was not happy about what happened in the event, she still couldn't get the image of Johnson out of her mind, he was cute, tall, built, rich, and smart; but he would never stoop so low to her classless level let alone falling in love with a nobody like her. She is in no way fit for him. But she still wished he were hers. She would place his round ball-like head on her thick thighs and sing one of the songs she had always loved to sing with her granny when she was 6years old; she would take him around her best bushes to see her favorite tress and her free time places where she always comes to sing when she needed to think about her life and how herself and her parents played at home before they died. He would in turn tell her love stories and place kisses on her forehead!

“Olivia, ain’t you supposed to be getting ready for your appointment with Loveth?” her granny said hitting her hard like she was waking a fat cow. Olivia soon jumped up after seeing the sun was already rising.

“ oh s**t! I am late granny.” she flings her duvet and heads for the bathroom immediately, her granny never gets tired of her childish behavior at times. Olivia soon arrived at the front of a mansion, looking at the address in the card given to her, she knew she wasn’t mistaking; she soon sighted Loveth being ushered out by one of her body guard from one of the several black jeeps that parked in front of the mansion, she raised her head and saw Olivia standing a few distances away,

“sorry, do i know you?” she asked squeezing her face like she was trying to remember something. “Why are you standing there like a piece of trash?”

“Good morning ma, I am the lady whom you asked to see you in your office today,” she said showing her the business card she gave to her. Loveth looked disgusted,

“I can't remember asking a thing like you to come down to my office. Well, I’ll send my secretary through to you. Just stay right there!” she ordered. Olivia rushed to pick up her mobile phone and sent a call to her teacher,

“she asked me to wait outside and that she would send her secretary through to me,” she said already feeling sad as she hung the call as soon as she saw a young lady approaching her, dressing fully corporate she was holding a large brown envelope and stretching it towards her. Her face brightened after receiving the envelope; hoping to buy her granny some drugs for her chest pain once she gets home; suddenly, there was a vibration from her cell phone. It was her teacher George.

“See me, we need to talk!” his voice sounded thick and formal. Olivia knew there was something serious he wanted to discuss with her. Though his voice only sounded formal when she needed to get more serious with rehearsals or when there was a serious error that needed to be resolved during the rehearsals. On her way to her teacher’s house, she decided to open the envelope, out of curiosity she did and found out that there was a letter in it and it had no money in it; Olivia's sadness skyrocketed. What was the content of the letter? Maybe it's another ridiculous task from Loveth? Why wouldn't she just give her some money? Why the stress and long processes? The content of the letter matters, a cool and quiet place would be best to read the letter; sitting under one of the tall trees in her favorite bushes would be a nice place to read the letter. She found her way to her favorite bush just to read a letter from one of the most popular models in the country, if not the only.

“Wealth is in no way unfair to you, hope has got nothing to offer your kind of people! Go find better things to do with your life and stop looking around for a one minute change of life. Remember, time has no time to wait for sluggish people like you... Meet my secretary tomorrow for a token if you wish!” Now her heart started beating louder than expected, it felt like it had added some more weight; who would console her, only her granny and her teacher? She needed to go cry on the shoulders of one of them, a slim tear had already hung at the edge of her eyes.

“Olivia,” a strange voice called from behind. It was the almighty Johnson standing right behind her, without his car or personal assistant; she hurried to wipe off her tears.

“good morning sir,” she managed to sound alright. Johnson wouldn’t stop stirring at her.

“How did you get here and how did you know I am here sir?”

“Too many questions and I do not know which to reply. But firstly, why are you crying? because I have been watching you from a distance for some minutes now.” Olivia quickly folded the letter behind her,

“what is that you’re hiding?”

“It’s nothing, sir please I need to leave right now; excuse me,”

“It's s alright, I only want to help; here’s my card, call me at your leisure time.” Olivia reluctantly collected the card and walked away. She did not want to believe that her heart was succumbing to his voice. He is rich and powerful, her heart can not be falling for him. He would in no way give in to her; maybe it's infatuation, maybe she’s just out of her mind. Now she needed to explain the pain in her heart to her teacher. Johnson watched her leave, feeling sorry for her. There was a soft knock on his door, it was Olivia in full tears.

“Why are you crying?” asked George with so much concern as he grabbed her in with his left hand. Her tears rushed the more.

“I am just a nobody, she told me to stop looking for who would change my life in a minute and go fix my life like my life is in shambles,” the tears were uncontrollable.

“I can’t take this no more teacher.” George was speechless, he could not say a word, all he did was console her.

“Your life ain’t in shambles, okay. you are perfect, you are perfect just the way you are. Do not let a fellow woman like yourself talk you down okay? You’ve got something special that no one else has got and that makes you unique my love,” George understood her present predicament and wanted her to feel alright. He soon sighted something that looked like a card.

“What’s that in your hands?” he collected it, taking a look. “Johnson?”

“Yes,” she replied still in tears

“why do you have his card and how did you get it?”

“He gave it to me.”

“I won't let this happen, you will have nothing to do with that man!” he was already tearing off the card. He tore it into tiny pieces, and Olivia became so mad.

“Why did you George?” now she called him by his name.

“I will in no way stand you having anything to do with that man, he’s worse than you can ever imagine, he’s a killer!”

“What do you mean he’s a killer?”

“Look, Olivia, you’re a beautiful lady. Do not give in to him. Besides he has his family overseas.” She couldn't believe her ears.

“Just let me be! How could you tear off the card? Do you know how long I have waited to just be seen by him? I hate you, George!”she slapped the door behind her immediately.

Sitting all alone beside the pool in her father's compound, she was pondering a lot. She began to text Johnson telling him to meet her at their usual restaurant for lunch at noon time. He texted back in adherence. She soon stood up and started getting herself prepared because it was almost noon time.

It was the first time Olivia yelled and cried so badly, that he knew she was hurting, and instead of calming her down, he added salt to her injury. But he just can not watch her go the wrong way. Not his student. He would do anything to protect her feelings from being hurt by another man.

Since Olivia returned home from her teacher’s house, she’s been behaving strangely. Her granny did not understand what was bothering her. She’s refused to confide in her granny leaving her worried.

“ Will you talk to your granny now?”

“I already told you I am fine.” She sounded angry, reaching out for a shirt, she left the house. As she boarded a ride to anywhere it took her, she stepped down from the vehicle and paid the taxi driver, a thick voice called her name from behind. Who could that be? She knows no one here and no body knows her here. She just needed some time away from her worries. Her granny would not understand what she went through her teacher was in no way helpful. Maybe an old friend, thoughts ran through her mind.

“I expected your call all through the day but I got none” Her heart skipped a beat. It was no other voice than Johnson’s. Her heart felt like it was soaked in a pool of cold water, let the feelings be real. She prayed hard, recognizing the smell of his body spray, a tiny soft smile rushed to hide behind her cheek as she confirmed her thought.

“Are you alright?” that revived her lost mind. “Oh yes I am sir,” she replied almost nervous.

“what... Why... Sorry, are you here to see someone?”

“Oh yes, I am actually here for lunch. You can come in and have lunch with me if you do not mind.” she quickly inhaled some breath and exhaled heavily. They soon walked into the restaurant together. It's a nice place, the floor was all glass, and it felt like she would fall into it if she walked recklessly. Johnson noticed her discomfort and told her to be calm and that it was a solid ground. In a short time, his phone began to ring. Olivia ran her eyes quickly through the screen of his phone to see who was calling, she couldn't see through the screen clearly but she saw a red love emoji behind the caller's name, her heart shattered immediately like a broken plate; the look on her face changed, she did not just want to come into conclusion in her heart. He must definitely be in love, yes it's true that she's poor and must stop finding a one-minute change of life. It's true what her teacher said about Johnson. But maybe she’s just too forward in judging. She had thought so deeply that she did not hear his conversation with his caller, in a very short time after the call a slim figure walked in. Her eyes popped out of its sockets, it was the popular model, Loveth. She walked straight to their table.

“Hi Loveth, meet Olivia; Olivia meet Loveth,” they both looked disgusted at each other but Loveth was more disgusted than she could ever imagine!

“What this thing?”

“I am sorry okay, I saw her outside and decided to have a plate with her. We only just came in before you arrived.”

Olivia felt the ground should open and swallow her up.

“Ain’t you the beggar girl who stood in front of my office the other day?” Olivia stood up wanting to leave, she just couldn't stand the too many demeans. Hot tears had already pilled up in her eyes and were ready to drop down... Her heartbeat became audible now and her ears counted along. She’ll leave, she needs no more hurt, she’s already had enough!

Suddenly she felt his warm hands as she wanted to leave. Only their eyeballs communicated, the felt those chills again running through her veins; but no, they were only temptations. “please stay” his voice sounded sympathetic and gentle.