บท 13: Why is it so hard?
The music industry is very competitive, relevance and hard work are required for an artiste to get to the top. Famous and big artiste in the industry need to keep on dropping cool songs to keep up to their fame. The upcoming artiste must keep on striving hard and dropping dope songs regularly hoping to make it to the top someday. Having a chance to collaborate with a famous artiste in the music industry happens to be a great privilege for an upcoming artiste, it could boost up their music career and hasten up their fame.
Mark had already gotten the opportunity to record a song with a very famous artiste in the music industry. His management had very high expectations for the song, they believed the song would proceed to greater heights and rise Mark to stardom. But is that true? Will Mark attain fame after the song he recorded with Arnold drops?
The song dropped that very Wednesday evening alongside one of his recorded single titled 'That feeling'. The two singles performed reasonably well on the music streaming platforms within some days of its release, but it wasn't still enough to bring Mark to the limelight. None out of the two songs made it to the music billboard chart...not even the one he recorded with Arnold.
Distress and heartache were the right words that could be used to describe what Mark was feeling. He could manage the fact that his single wouldn't blow up, but the fact that the song he recorded with Arnold wouldn't still blow up was just too much bear.
"My life is truly a frustrating one, I and bad luck are certainly close companions". Mark said to himself almost in tears, he was truly in pain.
Within a week of its release, it was obviously clear that none of the two songs were going to make it to the music billboard chart. Mark's music manager and label boss were really disgruntled and unhappy about the low outcome of the two singles.
Ben knew for sure that Mark would be really unhappy wherever he was. He called Mark's mobile number multiple times, but he wasn't picking up. He went over to Mark's apartment but couldn't find him there, he checked the studio, but Mark wasn't there either. Ben was already getting worried, he knew Mark wasn't the type of person that would leave his phone calls unanswered for a long time.
"Could it be that he went on to do something foolish to himself out of sadness"? Ben asked himself in inquisitiveness, he was getting more worried and uneasy.
He called Mark's number a few more times, but he wasn't still picking up. He wanted to raise an alarm instantly, but he decided to check his apartment once more to be sure he wasn't there so it wouldn't be like he was raising an erroneous alarm. He got to Mark's apartment and was surprised and glad at the same time to see Mark there. Mark was sitting on the ground in his parlor using his palms to cover his face.
"Where have you been? I have been looking for you". Ben said entering his apartment to meet him.
Mark looked up to Ben with a sad and tired look written all over his face, his eyes were red, and his face looked like the face of a person that had been crying for a long time.
"Have you been crying"? Ben asked him placing his palms on one of his shoulders. Mark kept mute still sitting on the ground with his palms laid across his face.
"I hope you haven't given up on music, you won't allow this weigh you down right? the fact that the song you recorded with Arnold won't raise you to stardom doesn't mean you ain't gonna attain fame later on. You are gonna keep on striving right"? Ben inquired of him once again, but Mark still maintained silence.
"You won't give up on music, right"? Ben inquired once again but in an audible tone of voice this time.
Mark stood up from the ground directly facing Ben. Sadness and tiredness were clearly evident on his face.
"You know what Ben, looks like I am truly cursed not to ever attain success in my music career. I collaborated with a whole Arnold, a legend in the music industry, and yet, I wouldn't still blow up in the music industry. Can't you see that this is the work of karma"? Mark stated with such a sober tone of voice.
"Don't say that, you ain't cursed, just that, it hasn't gotten to your time yet". Ben uttered patting Mark's shoulder in consolation.
"Bradford and Kendrick blew up in the music industry at age 19 without collaborating with any famous artiste, I am still an upcoming artiste at the age of 26 even after collaborating with a very big and famous artiste in the industry. When would I become famous? Is it when I am in my 40's". Mark said with a grieved heart.
Ben sighed and said "As long as life continues, there is always hope. The club party I told you about is gonna take place tomorrow, we should be there, especially for you to relax and to let go of some things from your mind".
"Yeah, I think that is what I need to placate me down a little". Mark uttered resting his back on the wall.
Booming music filled the whole room with a blue and orange light glistening and sparkling across the room. People could be seen dancing, drinking, rocking, and smoking. The room perceived well of alcohol and cigarette, it was such a wild party. Mark and Ben walked into the room of the club party majestically and elegantly with so much swag. Ben wore a red designer shirt with a pair of black jean trouser with a cool canvas sneakers to match it all, Mark wore a nice branded t-shirt with the drawing of a dollar sign on it, a crazy blue jeans trouser with a nice slip-on sneakers.
They found vacant chairs with a table in front of it on which to occupy. They sat down comfortably as bottles of beers were placed on their table.
"Damn! this party is so wild". Mark uttered.
"Yeah, that's a club party for you, drink up bro and relax your mind". Ben said positioning a bottle of beer in front of him.
Ben managed the way he drank his liquor, but Mark drank uncontrollably and excessively because he had a lot on his mind. Mark drank to the extent that he became so intoxicated and lost sanity of himself and began blurting out nonsense from his mouth.
"You know what Ben, everything about my life is complicated and frustrating, things don't always seem to work out well for me. My music career has been in shambles for a long time now. Ben, do you also know that I got rejected by two girls I truly fell in love with, one of them rejected me in my college years, and I got rejected by one recently. That's to show that bad luck has taken over my life". Mark blurted out, he wasn't in control of himself anymore, the liquor was.
Ben just sat there looking at him as he spilled out those words from his mouth. Ben understood the type of pain he was undergoing in his heart.
"I am going to tell everyone here how frustrating my life is". Mark blurted out once again standing up from his chair.
"Don't do that Mark, just sit down". Ben said trying to grab his hand but was unable to do so.
"Everyone at this party, I want to tell you guys something about my life. My life is so frustrating and tiring, in fact, it is an unpalatable one. I have been an upcoming artiste for four years now without any reasonable success to show for it, no fame or popularity to show for it. I even had the opportunity to collaborate with Arnold, a legend in the music industry, but I couldn't still blow up. Isn't that frustrating and tiring"? Mark blurted out loudly before passing out on the chair.
He grabbed a lot of people's attention with his speech, all eyes were on Ben right now. A guy came over to Ben and threw questions at him,
"Did this guy meant what he was saying? that he is an artiste and he had collaborated with Arnold? Or was it the liquor in him that was making him blab out nonsense from his mouth? Because to be sincere, I don't recognize him as an artiste and I have never watched any of his music videos".
"Well, I don't have answers to your questions". Ben said standing up from his chair. He had no other alternative than to carry Mark on his back.
"Damn! this guy is so heavy". Ben uttered to himself after lifting Mark on his back, he knew he wouldn't last up to five minutes with Mark on his back, so he boarded a taxi heading straight to Mark's apartment.
The taxi arrived at the building of Mark's apartment, Ben paid the cabman carrying Mark on his back out of the taxi as the taxi sped off. He gently carried Mark upstairs to the door of his apartment, took the keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door. He took Mark to his bed and placed him softly on it. He checked the watch on his wrist, the time was 9:02 pm.
"It's already late, gotta head home right now". Ben said moving out of Mark's apartment.
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Jephthah_
Jephthah_ I did my best to update my previous chapters, but I don't know if it is as flawless as ever. So I need you guys reviews on what you think about my novel, I also need your supports.
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