Mia is a talented, young, struggling musician who had always felt like she didn’t fit in. She worked really hard to make ends meet and lived in a small, run-down apartment managing her life according to her small income. Her life felt like a constant battle, and she often wondered if she would ever find happiness but she held her music dear to her soul and sang every track with every passion in her body.
Mia spends her week days and weekdays singing in different bars and lounges in town, sometimes she even performs for free hoping that someday someone would hear her sweet voice and come to her rescue, she held onto that hope and that became her daily motivation.
The owner of the Beach bar had recently put her on retainer. That means she would perform there every Thursdays and she never missed any appointments. Besides overlooking the waters while she sang, Mia felt seen in the bar as she has more audience there than any other places she performed at and then there is this one lady who never misses her shows, always sits at same table drinking same brand and never takes her eyes off the stage while she performed, her special audience she calls her.
She has wanted to say hello to this lady many times but she is always too drunk to hold a comprehensible conversation by the time she gets off the stage. It bugged her a bit but Mia didn’t see much she can do for a stranger whose life she assumes is better than hers.
Apart from the few relationship she has had in the past Mia has mostly been on her own. The only child of an addict single mom who has no idea who Mia’s father is, Mia grew up shuttling from one relatives house to another and enduring different dehumanizing treatments, she then decided to fend for herself after her secondary education. At first she did different menial jobs, even as a house and shop-keeper just to stay afloat and then when she realized she can sing she worked even harder to buy equipments. She once joined a band where she was the star of every show but when the manager kept insisting on having uncommitted sexual relationships with her Mia got up and left then used all her savings to buy her guitar and acoustic box and began to do independent gigs. They don’t put much money in her pocket but she makes enough to pay basic bills and she isn’t answerable to anyone but herself.
A few days later she was running late for a bar performance at a bar in town and sighted the lady from the Beach bar alighting from her car. She wanted to go say hello but it was almost her time and she can’t afford to be a minute late else her slot might be cut as the manager had threatened her a few times but she resolved to approach her after stage time no matter how drunk she might be then. She had a great show and made enough change for transport and even cocktail if she feels like it even though the hosts usually give her a bottle or two or what she drinks, sometimes she even gets send drinks by fans, which is one of the specks of her job.
After her show she found the lady sitting by herself with a glass of what must have been her 4th glass since she went on stage. Leaning over a chair she said a faint “Hi” to her and attempted to introduce herself but the lady looked at her in glee and Mia realized there was actually no need for self introduction.
“I am Sarah” she says as she stretched her hand for a shake. She invited Mia to join her which she obliged. They stayed at the bar till almost midnight gisting like they have known for long. Mia checked the time and was sure there won’t be any means to get her home and decided she was going to sleep at the bar, this won’t be the first time as she feels safer sleeping in the venues than be on the road late with her equipments to avoid getting robbed. Sarah tried to convince her to follow her home which she turned down.
During their talk Sarah opened up about her struggle with alcohol which started as a numbing means from her messy divorce then got worse after her ex husband bribed his way to the custody of their kids. She admitted that alcohol was her only escape considering she has no friends; her closest was her husband’s mistress behind her back and has now moved in with him and their children. For someone who has been sad about not having real friends Mia was glad that’s not her story
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Mia identified with Sarah’s pain and promised to be her friends, good friend. From then on Sarah was always at her performances around town, no matter how far and the weather. Mia is not used to anyone being there for her that much but despite Sarah’s personal struggles she shows up for her and she makes sure to give the best show even if just for her.
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Before long they both realized what they had in common – loneliness, knowing that they are both all they had they found the most unique kind of love with each other. Theirs is not a perfect relationship, far from it, they struggled. Sarah started to get help for her problems and it was very rocky for them. There were days they fought, some days badly and others days they are just two hurt women navigating unfamiliar life’s turns.
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Their first struggle was Mia refusing all financial assistance from Sarah, not that she has a lot of money to give but she was willing to share whatever she has to make Mia’s life a bit easier but Mia is used to taking care of herself and was afraid that taking help from Sarah will deviate her focus. She has never had anyone to help her and it took her a while to get used to having someone help with the loads of life.Top of Form
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Mia never lost sight of her goals, to stay afloat and do the best she could with every opportunity she gets, watching hold up her ends everyday motivated Sarah to be more committed to her own goals. They made a good life for themselves and built a great family with two kids they had adopted from a small village in Lagos. Now they are focused on giving their children the best lives possible while exploring the world together.
They are both proof that good packages don’t come shiny; some might just need a little polishing work to get them to shine.