When the cheering dies down

Thousands of people are chanting his name, and their candles’ lights wave in the darkness of the stadium. The joy and excitement that lived in his dance and voice disappeared when he left the stage and hid behind the curtains. Sweat drips all over his body and he starts shivering from the cold. It takes twenty or so minutes before the voices die down. When he turns to see it again, the stadium looks empty. Someone covers his neck with a towel:

-"You did well. Your car is waiting for you.”

The driver, whom he called Tiger for his raspy voice, looks at his boss from the front mirror and chuckles. The night city is bright, and the cool air coming from the half-rolled window pats his face. When the traffic light stops them at one of the intersections, they see a group of young people sitting and laughing at the outside table in the restaurant. Their relaxed posture, smiles on their faces, they seem happy, but something in his heart squeezes in pain, as he witnesses this. Somehow, it feels like he is missing a lot. However, his head was too foggy to register what was missing. When they stop at the entrance of the hotel, the mob is visible. Some put tents and sat on grass. They did not see the car, and the experienced driver stopped several meters away, took the bags, and entered the hotel through the backdoor. The entire third floor was rented. He took a shower, ordered some food but did not touch it, walked around the room aimlessly, and then stuck his head out the door-no one was in the hallway. He wondered if he should knock at one of the doors where his team stayed but decided against it. It was one of the nights when sleep did not come easily despite tiredness. There were no magazines or newspapers in the room. His team must have taken them away, knowing that he would get upset if he saw what tabloids were writing. However, they did not take his phone, and he knew the world thought he was an egoistic arrogant superstar who did not care about his family. This is what his cousin said on Emmy’s show last night. He called his cousin and confronted him.

-"What did you expect? This was the only way to make money, since you betrayed us. Remember that we are unemployed. Did you want us to die from hunger? We have families to feed."

-"If you want money, earn money with dignity.”

After several hours, the silence became unbearable, and he opened the window to listen to his fans’ voices. None of them saw him.

–"I would do anything to be in his place–a young girl was saying passionately–he must feel like the happiest person in the world, I mean, look at him, he’s got everything, right"?

Little did they know that the object of their admiration was hearing them at that moment. He would do anything to switch his place with them and would be able to walk unrecognizable in a park. or to talk to someone.

The next day, Diana, his manager, brought him a moustache and a hat so that he could spend some time with his mother, whom Tiger picked up from the airport. The moustache itched his skin, and Diana whispered to his ears.

-"Stop touching it or it will fall out.”

The small park right in front of the Kempinski hotel had a ferris wheel, benches, and playground. His mother’s face had more wrinkles now, and when they climbed inside the cabin, they did not know what to say, and the cab went up halfway before they spoke.

The closest person’s aura now felt strange, and he could almost smell the eerie feeling. It felt too familiar, like that feeling, two years ago, when he parted ways with his childhood friends.

He left home earlier because she loved her new husband more and he wanted to win her back. He would not take a bus to save money on food, and he did not see the sun for many days and was locked in the studio. He made it and sent his first paycheck back home and then received a letter which said “that was it? Send more, son, he wants a new car.” He kept on going, working, and performing and thought it would change everything.

So many people knew about him, yet no one knew him. What he heard from his mother in the ferris wheel cab changed everything. He jumped off the cab and walked off the place quickly. When he walked down the alley alone, he felt that he was at the point Nemo-so far from everyone. He worked for his success but was forced to disguise and hide like a runaway. After several more steps, it became unbearable, and he ripped off the moustache and the sharp pain stabbed the skin. The child who was going his way stared at him. He then began pointing at him and screaming him.

His mother hissed at her son and looked at him for sorry. Her eyes widened in disbelief and the words were cut halfway, as his hat was now also off, revealing familiar curls. People recognized him and ran towards him. The hands reached him, tearing his shirt, and the buttons fell on the ground. His arms burned from the scratches, and someone snatched his necklace. He gave autographs, signing on the bodies of those who did not have paper on them, and then kneeled down to get away. Among the feet, he saw Tiger rushing towards them. Then, his strong arms lifted him up, and Tiger dragged his boss, like a father does a naughty kid to stop the tantrum. They drove quickly until the people running behind disappeared from view.

-“What were you thinking?!

This was the first time he had yelled at his boss. The boss, though, did not reply anything and something in his hunched shoulders or his eyes fixed on the grey gymnasium’s building that they pulled off by must have looked off as Tiger’s face softened. Some time had passed before the singer spoke.

-“I put my blood, sweat, and tears into becoming the star I am today,” -Tiger turned his head to look at his boss carefully-he looked completely heartbroken, -and for what?

Lately, he questioned it more and more. He thought that success would solve his problems, but they did not go away, and he was not even closer to happiness. Surrounded by awards, fans, and money, he still felt like an abandoned child. They talked less and less with his childhood friends; their lifestyles were too different, they grew up, and it was harder to connect now, and he also sensed they felt inferior next to him until they stopped talking at all. His mother said they were just jealous, but he thought it was his fault-he chased success so desperately and did not spend time with them.

Tiger had a kind and sensitive soul, but he could not sympathize with his boss. Tiger wasn’t there to dry his tears and never walked in his shoes. He did not know his relatives, and his family saw him as means to get cash. It was not a problem, and he would send thousands of dollars every time they asked. But they made it a bad habit, his brothers and uncles left their jobs. They would divorce their wives and demand that they pay for lawsuits and child support. Every time he talked to his mother on the phone, she did not ask him how he was, but she wanted to know why he forgot where he came from and became greedy. When they met six months since his tour had started, he realized that she had not come to see him. She would try to convince him to provide for his relatives. Her husband and brothers had to have brainwashed her. He was happy when performing, but off stage he could not silence the thoughts that he was being used. All of this Tiger did not know.

He understood it and it only hurt him more. Each person he was surrounded by was there because they were paid to do so. To do make-up, drive, manage, translate, and work in the production team. And none of them knew him. Even to his managers, he was only a star to whom they felt they needed to cater. He understood this well. He also learned not to share his thoughts with anyone to prevent him from selling stories about him. For this reason, he did not say anything more. With great effort, he put on a fake smile and tried to shrug it off as a joke.

-"Did you really fall for it? –he said smiling, –that must mean I am a great actor, I was just practicing, I thought to test out some things for my next video shoot. Now please drive me back to the hotel".

Tiger sighed with relief as he started the engine. This was the boss he knew. In his world, the fussy superstar who had everything he wanted would never understand the struggles that normal people go through. To him, his boss was another eccentric celebrity.