Her frowned gaze obviously proved how she hated Angie and everything about Angie. For the reason; her husband Madrat was having an affair, secretly with Angie.
Now, coming across Angie on internet was a joy interrupter.
Into one of Angie's social media platforms, on which she was tagged in a post, Shee Bah opened with a distaste gaze. Keenly, she watched Angie vibing to one of her songs on the album, like it was a highly addictive drug.
Shee Bah murmured in an enmity rage:
"This bitch!"
As she was about to click distastefully out of her rival's social media page, the numbers which were attracted by the post caught her eyes.
She exclaimed in delight:
"Over a million views!"
Slowly a smile began to grow again, back on her face. It was okay to gasp delightedly from extreme grudge she held against Angie, only for now. This time round, Shee Bah was face to face with the fruits of her labor.
After all, the long nights of studio recording, the practice, the sacrifices, and the relentless dedication; with such a huge and pleasing internet response achieved in only one week, there was no doubt it had started paying off.
As Shee Bah's phone continued to buzz with messages from fans and industry insiders, all congratulating her on this groundbreaking moment, a call from Madrat came through. For a reason yet to be known, she kept her eyes on the phone screen without answering, until the call ended. Seldom occurring, at this moment Shee Bah seemed not concerned that it was her husband reaching out, in need of talking to her.
After the call ended, shewore back her wide smile and clicked out of the internet.
Opening her direct phone inbox, she began to scroll through. Overwhelming messages from a small circle of colleagues who had her contact flooded her inbox.
Quickly, stuck with a wide smile on her face, Shee Bah read through the messages. Some talked about how she was so lost and some asked if they can link up for a cup of coffee _ bombing her shamelessly with good cheers; telling her about how they can't wait to hang the page of the newspapers on their walls in their rooms not to miss out on her beautifully smiling face in the picture.
On the list of text messages:
"Girl! Is it true you're married to every lady's crush? Please confirm with me before I start a ban campaign for this newspaper!"
"Hey Shee Bah, you need to listen to the count downs. It's your voice on these sweet songs toping this week's chats! When you said you were going to be an icon someday, it sounded like a joke!"
"Stop playing with us Shee Bah, I know to be a superstar you need bigger stunts! Tell us: How much did you pay Madrat to allow you to use his image? More over on the front page! As a couple that has been married for so long?!!"
"Hey Shee Bah, when I set my eyes on that newspaper, goosebumps rain all over me. I couldn't believe it was you I was looking at! I knew that you were uniquely built by the heavens to be an icon! Congratulations my dearest friend!"
bla bla bla...
But among the many, a message from mother required her immediate and special attention.
It read:
"After the church service tomorrow, me and your father are travelling to your city to visit you. Do not hide!"
"Hide?"
Shee Bah thought:
"And how did they get my phone number?"
The message captured her thoughts, driving her way back in sad memories.
From a humble family she grew up. One day, six years ago, late beyond midnight, on the streets of a small town, she walked in tears under rainy weather, trying to find a shelter to lay her head after being forced to leave home by her parents themselves.
A memory lingered strongly on her mind.
It being the fourth time she was sneaking out of the house through the window, to go to a local bar to join an open microphone, to do what she was passionate about, her parents angrily waited by the backyard _ this time to catch her red-handed. As they calculated, it wasn't long when she opened the window to flex her skinny body out.
She fell beneath their angry eyes.
And as strict and annoyed as they were, her mother goes an extra mile to give her a very angry slap as she barked:
"I never raised you to be a prostitute in my house!"
Mercilessly, she was accused of seeing a boy behind their back.
How could she have opened up to their rude faces and bitter tongues when every member of her family looked at her as an odd man out; talking behind her back as though she wasn't part of family.
For all the times, Shee Bah tried to share her challenges with either mom or dad, none of them cared to understand her. At home, she became a loner who chose to keep her own challenges to herself. Not even her three siblings cared to interact with her. She was always the misunderstood, the accused one of being wrong and the punished even when she held all deserving cards as the right one.
Amidst pleading and begging for forgiveness from parents, her young sister was watching through the bedroom window, smiling.
Angrily mother told father:
"Am tired. She needs to leave now!"
As the provider and sustainer of the family, mother had the upper hand in the matter. Father did not have a job.
Mother started pushing Shee Bah wrathfully off the house perimeters like she was holding a grudge on her. The situation got so intense. Father's hands seemed tied at the moment for him to make any decisions. Though he was not in support of her daughter sneaking out at night, but the decision his wife made to chase Shee Bah away from home was cruel. He wasn't in support of it.
Mother angrily added:
"Your elder brothers left home last year _ both gone to face the tides of this chaotic world in different cities. Leave! Go and join them! I don't have money to feed you anymore. Let the boy that you're sneaking out to meet start his responsibility _ he should start taking care of you before he gets you pregnant!"
*****
After his wife giving birth to a bouncing baby boy, Shee Bah's father desperately needed a girl child on the second pregnancy. Unlucky enough, news landed in his ears that his wife had given birth to a boy child as their second born. He wasn't happy.
Impatiently, after failing to calm his thoughts down, anxious that his wife was going to give birth to only boys, he went ahead to date another woman secretly, with hopes that she was going to give him a girl child. Luckily, the woman gave birth to a baby girl.
Sadly, Shee Bah's mother lost her life as she was giving birth to her, hence the beginning of her suffering in another woman's hands.
*****