Calabar Adventure - S01 E01

Story 2 years ago

Calabar Adventure - S01 E01

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 1

Fred

Life as a struggling actor can be frustrating

which clearly explains the meaning of

struggle.

Those days you go hungry just so you get

transport fare for auditions, those demeaning

things one had to do to make career ends

meet, no cash was coming in but the joy of

doing what you love maximized the utility I

craved for.

I studied Theater Arts in the prestigious

university of Ibadan, took numerous courses

in the field of film and Cinematography and

also acquired some skill in practical by

joining various drama groups. knowledge

wise, I am rich, and I’ve been told countless

times that I am the future of moving pictures

and it is better in my hands than anyone.

Despite my formidable CV in the theater

world, I still haven’t gotten my big break, the

industry does not know me, I have been in

front of cameras but not with ace directors or

the big cakes in the industry, so many free

jobs I did to just send my name out there to

someone who will love me enough to believe

in me.

This wait of mine is five years and it has

start to mess with my being, I kept on going

but instead of getting what I want, i got the

flip side of the coin, offers were coming but

as a lecturer!

This was good news to people around me

but It wasn’t to me, it made me feel like I

never will live that life I dream of daily, my

mother managed to convince me, saying it

could be a blessing in disguise and I should

see it more as an encouragement and not a

curse.

My mom is a pastor and she knows how to

use to scripture to pass her message across,

I was pinned to the edge of my thoughts until

I start to reconsider being a lecturer in the

theater arts, over time; I started to convince

myself saying it is better than nothing.

I went through my emails on the eve of my

birthday; I went through the mails sent to me

by various institution, i weighed them and I

considered the University of Calabar and the

University of Abuja, both attractive and the

pay was reasonable, first; I called the

University of Abuja and they told me the offer

was closed, the job have been given out. It

didn’t get me sad, instead I was irritated at

myself for thinking a job offered to me nine

months ago could still be available, I got

discouraged and didn’t call my second

option, until I was persuaded again by my

mother.

I called UNICAL and they confirmed to me

that the job was still very much available and

they have been praying I call. Reluctantly, I

told them I will join them as soon as I can. A

month later, after dangerous thoughts and

further persuasions from folks and friends, I

decided to go to Calabar, it seem to be where

God is for me.

Uduak

I am here packing up my bags to journey

back to Nigeria, my country but I am not sure

I can call it home. I have stayed here in the

United kingdom for twenty years, going back

is both exciting and depressing

simultaneously.

I thought of going there to learn in detail

about the culture and norms so as to project

it in moving pictures, it is my way of standing

distinct amidst the very competitive

environment I am in; theater arts is a big deal

here in the UK, so one need a strong and

formidable symbol that will single you out as

Unique. An excellent edge is needed.

After much deliberations, I was able to figure

that I have all I need within me, I just have to

harness the most potent factors to command

the results I seek. Nigeria my country have

over 200 ethnic groups with dynamic

cultures, distinctly different from each other,

the theater have not seen this and they have;

they have not seen it from my perspective.

I made a lot of findings, I picked my nativity

{Efik} as my focal point, It is going to be my

project. I have to show to the British filming

academy why they should love not just my

tribe but the other hundreds in the country.

This entails I will be transferring to the

university of Calabar for the next 18 months

to make my dreams come through.

I am excited about that, but the fact that I am

leaving my friends and folks here in London

to stay with an Aunt I last saw when I was

three was worrisome. I packed anyways and

in company of my folks, I made my way to

the airport. 13hrs flight journey was also

making me loose my cool but Its going to

worth the stress is the sentence I take solace

in.

After bidding farewell and little outside

cuddles, I moved towards the exit terminal to

join the plane, it was then the most

anticipated moment came to life, I wept for

no definitive reason. Board the plane with

feigned courage and strapped the fuvk up so

as to journey to Nigeria and also journey in

my thoughts for the next 13hrs.

Fred

After getting all the necessaries from the

school such as my plane ticket, I packed up

immediately. It is unprofessional to stall the

school and since I am now a staff, there is a

status-quo I must abide by..

I was given 72hrs to reach my place of work

as the Vice Chancellor wanted to see me. I

got the most available flight ticket to Calabar

which was the following day by 7pm. I got all

I thought I will need, and also went through

the contact proposed to me by the school

with my lawyer friend Ndifreke who also is a

native of Calabar. We perused rigorously the

60 pages contract and he affirmed it was

satisfactory and secure. I was gradually

getting comfortable with the lecturing job,

though it is mediocre but it is that half bread

our people say is better than nothing.

Tbc