When Passion Wins

Their excitement and voices grew as they chatted away and made plans.

“What’s all the excitement about?” Lana enquired as she entered Angie’s room where they were gathered.

“We’re planning fundraising activities,” explained Gail.

“Because we getting to go to Guyana with the choir,” Angie chimed in.

“What! You kidding me! You mean the band?” Lana asked incredulously.

“Yep. Fantastic isn’t it?” asked Angie.

“I could hardly wait,” added Kareem. “Can you imagine that we getting the chance to go to another country!”

“But … who is paying? You all don’t have any money,” Lana continued.

“That is why we are planning now – to raise the money that we can go,” Gwen explained.

“What can you do to raise all that money in that short time? I bet you won’t get enough,” Lana discouragingly predicted.

“We’ll manage. You don’t worry about it,” Angie retorted.

“Well, don’t ask me to do anything.” With that Lana walked away.

What’s wrong with her?” Kareem asked.

“If you ask me, I think she is a little jealous because we are planning to go overseas,” Gail said.

“Don’t worry about her. Let’s stop for tonight. Tomorrow I will tell Gregg what we decided and see what he thinks. After that we’ll talk to his father about our plans.”

No sooner than Kareem and Gwen left did Angie go to confront Lana.

“What is your problem?” She confronted Lana who was in her room reading a book.

“Do I have a problem?”

“It seems so to me. Why are you trying to throw cold water on our plans?”

“I was not. I was just being realistic.”

“You don’t even know what we are planning to do so how do you know it won’t work?”

“Look, I don’t care what you and your stupid band are doing.”

“Listen, this band means a lot to me. Music means a lot to me.”

“I can see that. You seem to put more into your music than you do into your school work.” That retort stung Angie.
“That is not true and you know it. I work just as hard at school. If you doubt me ask Rheana or Delores.”

“You realize that you will soon be taking CXC exams? You decide what you want to do in life yet?”

Angie paused. Should she take this opportunity to tell Lana about her proposed career? Would she understand? Angie decided to try her luck. She had to let them know at some time and she may as well begin with Lana.

“I am going to pursue a career in music.”

“Music! A career in music! Music and what else?”

“How you mean ‘what else’? Angie asked. “I want to go to a music college in London to get a degree and further training in music. I can play musical instruments and I can sing. With training I would be able to do more.”

“And when you come back, assuming of course, you get to go to the college, what will you do? Play the organ at the church? Some career!” Lana retorted sarcastically.

“You don’t understand …” Angie began.

“Well make me understand. Why can’t you choose a sensible career like other people?”

“Because I am not like other people. I am my own individual with my own likes and dislikes.”

“Well you better don’t let Mum and Dad hear you with this nonsense. Look at me, when I finish my first degree, I going on to do my Masters in Actuarial Science because I want big bucks when I finish. You think I want to live in this behind-God-back village forever?”

“I can make big bucks, too. I don’t have to be a doctor or lawyer or even an actuary to be successful.”

“Well, I hope you know what you are doing. When are you going to drop this bombshell on Mum and Dad?”

“I will tell them when I’m ready. Don’t you dare go and tell them anything,” Angie cautioned.

“Don’t worry. I would be too embarrassed to tell them that they are spending their hard earned money on someone who wants to sing. I will give you that pleasure.” With that Lana left the room, slamming the door.

Angie sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. Is this what life as a teenager was about – challenge after challenge, hurdle after hurdle? Just that morning she had had a mini battle with her dad and had to remind him that she was now almost sixteen, and old enough to attend a movie which began at eight o’clock at night. Surely he could understand that matinees were for babies. Now tonight Lana was her bug bear. But she was not going to give up. She decided that she would try to talk to her again in the morning. She had to find a way to make her understand the many opportunities there were in music once the talent and determination to excel were there. Lana seemed to think that singing was all there was in a music career.

Angie remembered the information she had secured from the guidance counsellor which she had hidden away at the back of a drawer in her room. Now that the cat was out of the bag, at least where Lana was concerned, she would show her the career possibilities and tell her a bit about her plans. Lana had to be won over somehow. As she pondered this another idea occurred to her. Maybe she could invite her to accompany the band to Guyana. Angelique began to smile. Not a bad idea! She knew Lana and was sure she would jump at that. Angie began to plan her strategy but little did she know that even as she planned for Lana, plans were being made for her which would impact her own future.