Hidden Dreams

Episode 34

The hall was fully packed and I felt proud seeing how people were chearing on us.
In a moment I recalled all the names I was called for being dull in school, all the shouting and screaming my father had done on me to get me to stop dancing. My mind went on recalling every detail. I was brought back to the moment when the presenter asked me to step forward and lead the dance with the female dancer I was paired with.

My competitor was to dance last and then we would be judged to determine who got the final award.

With every fibre in my bones, I danced gracefully. We were both assigned some female dancers and for that time I had to imagine it was my Angela. I held her and danced around like my life depended on it.
I was lost in the moment with every detail of her face in my mind, her smile, her encouragements, her passion when she made love to me.
” go and make me proud Jay, I love you and I will wait for you to come back for me. You are my hero and I will look forward to the day you will make a mark on the lives of others that are going through what you did and still kept on dreaming” her voice echoed in my mind as I danced.

I threw myself up and down wagging my body from side to side as I heard the crowds go wild shouting and screaming.

By the time the Music stopped, i stopped too, bowing down to the now wild audience of excited faces, I felt so much great it was unbelievable.

” how do you feel Jay! It was like you where far taken by the song and your dancing tonight was exceptional” the presenter asked me as I took deep breaths.
” yeah, I dedicated this dance tonight to my first love, the woman who went an extra mile to see me get to my dream of dancing, she told me if I can dream it, then I can achieve it” I smiled looking up the audience.
” Wow! That’s so great, but where is this woman am sure the world would want to see her.?” He asked a question that I wasn’t ready to answer.
But I had to.. ” she’s back home in Zambia and I plan on going to see her soon enough!” i shouted happily.

” what a lucky woman !, where ever you are I just hope you have got the message! ” he announced facing the camera.

An hour later I was pronounced winner of the competition. I was to take an award of £20 000, a brand new Ford Ranger the newest model on the market and a treat to where ever I would love to go in the World with my partner.

My mother and sister who were called to the stage walked towards me their faces beaming with happiness.

My mother hugged me and cried tears of joy.
” sorry for not believing in you my son. You have made us proud I can’t contain my joy!” She shouted in my ears as we embraced each other.

Back at the dinner celebration when she and my sister Tina joined me, They told me about home. How everyone was doing and that some people in Zambia were following the competition on DSTV.

” in fact, it’s all over the news and social media. People back home are greatly inspired by what you have done here Jay” my mom smiled proudly.

” I have seen the social media and am glad I had to make a difference” I responded.
” mother, I really have to travel back home.” I started , holding her hand as we walked outside the hall where the dinner was held.

” why? Is it about the woman you mentioned earlier? Am surprised you never said anything to us before sonny” she scoffed.
” Yeah remember we weren’t alll that close mom. You people made things so harsh for me I was never free in that house” i told her point blank.

” yeah you are right and am trully sorry about that. We could have done more to support you my son. We werent the best parents to you and I regret that.” She shed some tears.

” it’s all in the past mother, now is not the time to cry.” I held her into a hug as she sobbed softly. “Here ” i handed her my hank.

” her name is Angela mother, dad has met her before, she was my dance teacher at Luangwa secondary.”
” what? Did you say Angela?” She asked surprised.

” yeah, what is it mother, you know her?” I asked stopping instantly.
” I have heard that name before from your father. He was acting wired some time back and I caught him talking to a girl he introduced to me as Angela. He never gave me all the details giving me an excuse that he would tell me everything later on.
I was busy with work and never really got to the bottom of the matter until now that you have mentioned her name.”
” what do you think was going on between my father and her? Were they like in some kind of…..”
“No” she responded firmly.
” your father can be many things my son but he would never have a relationship with a woman especially of her age.. No, I don’t think so dear. It’s something else and now that I think of it, I think it was serious.”