CHAPTER TWO THE 12: The Vision Made Plain (Episode 2)

 

The twelve were at Rolex center in the meeting room waiting for Duncan so they could start their meeting. Chris met Duncan in his office and he was not ready for the meeting.

“You are not ready for your meeting?” Chris asked him.

“I’m not having the meeting,” he replied.

“But the twelve are here and waiting,”

“Tell them to leave,”

His attitude disgust Chris and Randy walked in on them in that mood.

“What’s going on Duncan?” he asked. “Why are you still here?”

“I am not having the meeting,” he repeated the answer and this time he sounded like someone annoyed him.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to get too close to the twelve anymore, I will be a successful singer without them. It’s just so improper to sit with them.’

“This has always been your problem Duncan, pride.” Chris finally told him what he had storing in his mind. “You are just so full of yourself and with this attitude you are not going anywhere,”

“Is there something you’re not telling me Duncan,” Randy was suspicious. “What did those kids tell you?”

“Nothing,” Duncan said. “They told me nothing but this whole set up won’t work, not today, not tomorrow or ever,”

“You better take your proud self out there and grab this opportunity,” Randy was frank. “You won’t be the one to shut this open door. Let’s go Chris,”

They both left, Duncan didn’t have a choice, he had been ordered by his manager and had to obey. In few seconds he met the twelve.

“You all are in big trouble,” he said as he walked to his sit.

“I don’t think so,” Zed replied him.

“Oh you should be scared because you have a lot to answer to your manager. They didn’t like the fact that you shifted our meeting.”

The twelve stared at him.

“Oops sorry I told them,”

“We didn’t expect you to be quiet,” Shania told him.

“So tell me, what are the lessons you prepared for me today?” he was enjoying his rights over the twelve, rights given to him by the people who had a say in their lives.

“What are you out for?” Michael asked him.

“I want to know what it takes to be successful in this career,”

“Success comes when you practice what you want,” Michael said and leaned forward. “Now this is what you want, people inviting you to their shows and making you their guest artist, you want to be known all over the world as an influential person. Good dreams but that will not happen if you care less. Your first ever concert was a mark to identify your fans but you did nothing to appreciate their support. Since the success won’t come to you first hand why don’t you go for it?”

“Go for it how?” Duncan asked,

“There are so many TV programs that welcome musicians at all levels around the world I’m sure.” Michael replied.

“So what are you nailing at?” he asked again.

“All he is trying to say is” maul butt in. “Do  research and find out the TV shows coming up which have to do with music, pick anyone and ask for a space in the show, tell them you want to visit and I’m sure it will go viral.”

They were making sense and their idea pleased Duncan. He smiled, “I’ll try that out,”

“Yes,” Jakes barged in on them. “I knew I was going to find you here,”

Jan and Chris walked behind him.

“Where have you all been?” He asked. “The whole yesterday your line was on voice mail, can you explain that?”

“We are sorry for all the absence Mr. Jakes,” Lindsay replied. “We just had to visit some people,”

“Some people,” Jakes shouted. “And these people we don’t know I guess,”

“Jakes calm down,” Jan interrupted. “You don’t have to yell at them, you are being too creepy right now. Just ask them nicely and they will give you the answer.”

“Okay fine,” Jakes took a deep breath. “I employ you Jan, go ahead and ask them nicely for me,”

“You don’t need to employ me,” she got closer to the table and stood beside Jakes then she stole a quick glance at the twelve.

“Go ahead,” Jakes encouraged her.

“Okay,” she managed to face the twelve. “Don’t get upset ok, we were really worried about your whereabouts yesterday and knowing the kind of stars you are you can’t go wondering about………”

“We were not wondering about,” Ben slowly interrupted.

“Oh…… sorry,” Jan didn’t want to spoil the opportunity given to her to win the trust of the twelve kids, she wanted to be perfect and Chris understood her struggle.

“So where did you kids go?” she carefully asked.

“We were investing our time, energy and money in those who need it.” Zed responded.

“Did you hear that?” Jakes asked and shook his head. “Hopeless,”

“That’s nice,” she ignored Jakes. “Who are those who need it?”

“So many people need it,” Zodiac replied. “We don’t know who precisely.”

“I don’t give a hoot about what you kids are talking about,” Jakes became arrogant again.

“Jakes, Jakes,” Jan called out to him and he calmed himself down. “Could you all leave me alone with them, please? Let me handle this.”

“Report back to the studio, we are not done yet.” Jakes told them and walked out.

“Do you need anything from them?” she asked Duncan.

“I guess our meeting is over, your manager will decide our next meeting.”

Duncan stood up and left.

“Good luck,” Chris told her and left.

When she was left alone with the twelve, she wiped her forehead and prayed for courage.

“Formal introduction,” she said. “I am Jan Nopkin and I’m not here to ruin your life.”

“How do we know that?” Shania asked.

“I won’t defend you like that if I had bad intensions,”

“Defending us might probably be your own operations bring the twelve down strategy.” Cindy told her. She felt awful knowing that she had lost their trust already.

“Why will I want to bring you down?” she tearfully asked.

“We don’t know same reason as theirs.” Ken replied.

“I don’t have any reason because I love you twelve so much. I will do anything to help you guys out here,”

“You will?” Larry asked and they got interested in whatever she had to say.

“I will,” she sat with them. “Tell me; what are your greatest hopes and fears?”

“We can’t tell you that,” Shelly replied. “Our hope is what we believe and no man was ever trapped by the things he hoped for but by what he feared the most because if your fear is used against you it will destroy you completely. Sorry Jan, we can’t tell you that,”

“Hmm,” the rest agreed whole heartily.

She stroked her hair behind and nodded. “Yeah I understand you don’t trust me yet.”

“We know we are in danger here,” Ben said. “And if you really want to help us tell us why our manager and directors are going contrary to our contract,”

That was the part she couldn’t talk about. They watched her as many thoughts came running through her mind and tears welled down her eyes. “I don’t know,” she stammered those words and the twelve knew she lied.

“Now you see why we can’t trust you but for a few people who will tell us the truth no matter how it hurts,” Maxwell said. “We can’t tell you our hopes and fears because you haven’t proven to us that you worth our trust.”

That hurt Jan, she stood up. “It’s ok if can’t right now but I’ll be here anytime you need me, good luck.” And she walked out cleaning her face.

“Trust,” Michael said. “Who are we going to trust?”

………………………………………………..

“You look excited today,” Randy met Duncan in his dressing room singing to himself and arranging his hair on the mirror.

“I am excited alright,” Duncan replied and continued singing.

“Why, share the good news.”

“I’ve got a brilliant idea on how to make my career successful.” He did the final touch on his hair and dropped the brush.

“What’s that?” Randy asked wishing he wouldn’t draw the topic any further and get straight to the point.

“I will ask to be a guest artist in any TV show I find open any of these days,”

“Excellent,” Randy smiled. “Your meeting with the twelve finally paid off,” Randy tapped his back. “Keep it up,” he left him and Duncan wished he could deny the fact that he didn’t get the idea from the twelve.

Jan strode slowly into her office, she met Chris reading a news paper on her table.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Randy turned to her. She was weak; he could get it from her voice.

“You are weak, too weak for us to talk,”

“That’s what you think or maybe what you see,” she tried to make her voice stronger. “But I’m ready for anything.”

“I know that you really want those kids to trust you. Jan, it will take time. You see they understand things we don’t, see things we can’t see. I guess it’s because of their experience, they accepted the truth about the dead of their parents at very tender ages, and they want the truth no matter how it hurts.” He paused. “Jan if you can go for it, fine! I will support you all the way.”

Tears welled down her cheeks and Chris hugged her and comforted her.

              Two days after Duncan had applied for a show in different TV programs, he got a mail from the brotherhood show in South Africa. It wasn’t what he hoped for but he was happy about it. He was told that they will host him in the next episode of the show which was on Saturday. After he had given the news to Randy preparations were made for his travel. While Duncan was busy with his preparations the twelve took advantage of the free days they had to plan with the forty three kids they had gotten from Mr. Molly’s school. They arranged the children in three groups and together they had fourteen groups of young teenagers ranging from age twenty one to sixteen with same talents which had to travel to different parts of the city to start  work that will create an awareness of the existence of their dream. They were called the children’s world ambassadors and the children loved it. The twelve got Ro and Jo involved after sharing with them the dream and all that their manager was forcing them to do. Ro and Jo wanted to sue Jakes and his men but the twelve asked them not to because it was going to bring about  great distraction for them not to live the life of their dreams. These two men helped them in getting minor summer holiday jobs for the children in fourteen different cities and towns according to what they could handle, some in the field of journalism like Anastasia Molly and Mark Molly, the principal’s kids. Those who loved cooking were appointed to restaurant, the singers were appointed to work in studios, the painters were assigned to an art club and the list follows. This was to enable the kids learn more while letting the world know that they also had what it takes to contribute in the healing of their world and bring global unity and with the influence of the twelve, the kids were accepted by the heads of the different domains in the different places they were to be sent and offered accommodations without asking questions. The twelve in turn asked for permission from all the parents of the children to be sent and they were granted on the basis that, the twelve were trying to make the summer more exciting for the kids and people loved them even more for the efforts they were putting in to reach out to their fellow mates.