THE VOICE

 I won't say I'm one of the best singers you'll come across or even among my clique, but I can say I try.

Singing was and is still my thing. 

I can't also say I learnt to sing, because I was told that growing up, even at the tender age of two, I would climb my parents' kingsize bed, which represented my stage and take up my mum's hair comb as my mic and continue to sing till I eventually get tired and fall asleep. Infact, I literally preferred singing to eating. 

I grew up getting used to my mum's chants of accolades. She would smile and say it to anyone who cared to hear;

"My singer, My choir master". 

You can imagine the way I would feel so fly, open up my buccal cavity and sing out those lovely songs, with my mom dancing and joining me to sing in her very wonderful voice. Pun intended. 

She would even say that she didn't need to have any voice, at least she had me by her side always. Right? 

But with all these, I never really had that courage to climb up that real stage and sing those songs. My home still remained my only display point. 

My siblings continued to jest me almost everyday, that I had a voice only at home. 

"Nobody in church even knows you can sing." They said.

I didn't exactly feel bad because that was one of rawest truths. 

Then I took the stubborn bull by it's horn and one day climbed up that stage to lead one of our many teenage ministrations. It was good, I tell you. I could feel my little fame from the stage already. The claps and shouts. 

"Finally" I whispered, breathing a sigh of relief as I came down the stage. 

You know what follows next.

"Wow! So you can sing?"

"How come you've never sang before?"

"You're so good..."

This was what I just needed. That day, I began wondering what I had been doing all my life. This was my calling. This is one of God's purpose for my life. Why not?

A few months after that ministration, our teenage choir was invited somewhere to minister in songs. This was God calling me again.

"I'll be taking the lead!!" I announced before any formal announcements were even made about who'll be taking the lead.

My fellow teenagers were very excited. Finally, this was me leading them to that height they wanted to attain without much argument. And to crown it all, I was a very good singer of course. Infact the best.

The big day had come. It was an all night experience. I looked at this crowd. I began estimating the number of persons who would now know me as that one young singer that will shake the congregation. 

It was already almost past midnight when we were called upon to minister. Then the rest of my crew began developing cold feet. Well, excluding me. They claimed we weren't as much in number as the other groups who had ministered before us. But then I told them that it didn't matter about quantity but about the quality of what we were about to give them. After all, I was the leader. I led the match into the stage with a few chants from the crowd. My newest fans, I guess.

I grabbed that mic, ready to give them what I had. 

Then my eyes saw the crowd. I don't know what happened again, but I knew that those hands grasping the mic, began to vibrate seriously. What was happening?

But I was determined already, so I began singing. I mean, I began croaking. 

Where was that lovely voice?

It was inside but I couldn't let it out. My back-up singers showed to be the best set of people as they continued singing gloriously, trying not to mind what was happening to me. 

My eyes teared up, but I tried not to show it, closing my eyes so tightly. No one noticed my tears anyways. And no one also noticed my singing, as I left that hall that day with not even a single letter of accolade. 

But you know what stuck with me till today?

You see that term PRIDE, it will always go before a fall.

Don't let any human being deceive you.

Written by,

Uche Uwazurike.

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