"I know we dreamt of these things, but now it seems like your standards are too high."
Adira Archibong wants to be a supermodel, but as she steps into a world of money, fame, and sex, she learns that the only people she can trust are her friends.
...
"I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect, they are much more interesting." - Marc Jacobs.
Adira had always wanted to be a fashion designer. Her glorious hands worked wonders whenever she held a pair of scissors within them.
It was amazing how both her parents encouraged her dream without the slightest idea of how it would come true. They let her do whatever she wanted and hoped for the best. And she did her best. She would always cut her favourite clothes and tear up rags at home to sew pretty, princess dresses for her dolls.
Elizabeth, her mother, even started buying Ankara materials from the market for her to make more dresses when she saw how serious she became.
At age ten, she learnt how to paddle a sewing machine. On her twelfth birthday, her mother bought her her first Vogue magazine, the one with Naomi on its front cover. That was the first day Adira met Naomi and it was one of the best days of her life. She worshipped that issue to date.
When she turned fourteen, she learnt how to sew on a machine.
The day she had taken it too far by cutting her mother's most expensive lace wrapper to sew a party dress for her doll's birthday was the day her dream died. Everything was taken away from her; her pins, her needles, her dolls, and her pair of scissors.
A few years later, another dream was born and she swore to herself that she would never let it go.
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"Oh God, not that damn strip club!"
Adira slammed her copy of The Purple Hibiscus to the floor. It landed at its back with a loud thud. Normally she would regret her action but she didn't just care today.
She slumped back to her bed and fell to worrying.
She hated where she worked.
She was just called for a photoshoot and she hoped it wasn't going to make her lose her job earlier than she planned. She didn't like surprise assignments, they always had a lot in store for her. She didn't like surprises generally. Something always went off somehow.
There was a new face joining the local designers and Adira was lucky enough to get elected. Well, she and her friend Brenda. It was usually both of them since they got what it took, although Adira didn't fancy giving her best because she didn't get their best in return. The agency called at the wrong time, but she was slowly getting used to it. Slowly.
There were times when people needed music to cool their confusedly tepid life, and Adira's life so wanted to be. It made her purchase a Smokie album and a bottle of red wine.
There had always been this tiresome hatred she had for albums that had The Best Of, followed by the artist or band's name, because frankly speaking, it contained the worst of them.
Her table held The Best Of Smokie album at the centre of its redwood chest, and surprisingly it spoke the truth. Old and still good but the present and money mattered the most.
She had to get to work.
The fashion show was going to be colossal of course. Fancy, fashion worthy, and everything the rich adored. It was going to be a day to remember for the designers and some models as well.
It was no news that some of the models in the industry were a little bit too clingy at fashion shows.
They weren't clingy in a friendly sense. They were clingy because they wanted more and they didn't want more because of the fun of it. They wanted fame, power, and money. They yearned for it. Not like Adira was any better, she switched between agencies virtually every two weeks because of how frustrating it got. She was a brand whore; jumping from one brand to another.
She let her crazy thoughts fly as she dialled Brenda's number. She knew all her friends and family members' numbers, which was incredibly a big deal.
Adira chuckled. "We'll put that on hold till we meet another day. Did you get the message about the photoshoot?"
"Yes, I'm heading out now. I was about to phone you."
"Alright, just wanted to check. I'll see you there."
"Are you excited?"
"Of course. I just hope they don't get to strip us. I'm not in the mood to fight with them."
"You know that's not a problem for me," Brenda tittered. "I live for modern art."
Adira chuckled again. "Alright, see you later," she whispered and hung up.
She got out of her brown comfortable chair and picked up the novel from the floor. When she got back up, she felt a bit shaken, almost dizzy. She closed her eyes until the feeling eased, then she glided into her bedroom passing small closed doors.
Strolling to her wardrobe, she opened the wide doors taking out a white tropical dress, a citrus scarf, and a brown, flat espadrille. She rode them off their hangers and surveyed them, her hard jaw contoured pensively.
Simple but yet style-worthy. She was good to go.
Not that Adira was insecure about her body or anything in that sense, but as she made her way to the door, she had one wish after that call.
She wished she was like Brenda.
Not afraid to bare it all. Or at least "show some skin" as those hot-headed photographers would say. Maybe she didn't want her dreams as bad as she thought she did. Maybe she wasn't chasing properly, maybe she wasn't serious with the things of life. Maybe, maybe.
She sighed and locked the door of her house leaving both her phone and her silly wish behind.
Adira walked slowly out of the long street toward the road. The air was dry and the wind hot as it blew against her. Even in the evening, the sun still burnt.
She stood patiently, waiting for a taxi.
In a distance, behind her, she saw a group of naked children running towards her with a brown, dog running wildly behind them. They seemed to be saying something and after minutes of trying to understand, she stopped, believing she couldn't hear them from such a distance. She turned her head back to the road.
She finally saw a taxi. She entered and watched the children from the window. They had finally reached her, their smooth faces and naked bodies wet with sweat. They smiled meekly as the taxi drove away. Adira smiled back and waved at them. She didn't even notice the barking dog.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I would say don't vote because the chapter is too short and not worthy of your reads, but you know how this goes...
