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THE GRAPEVINE
“Man, listen. That gurl can turn a place out- I’m tellin you.” Blues Man says as he lights his cigar.
“That gurl don’t sang. I ain’t never heard- so how you know?” Sharie leans over the bar counter as she wipes over the stained surface.
“A friend of mine. T-man-” Blues Man is cut off by the groans of Sharie.
“Ahhhh, ‘a friend of mine,’ ‘a friend of mine,’ ‘a friend of mine.’ If I had a dime for everytime you wanted to go out on a hunch over what ‘a friend of mine’ said, I’d have-”
“Double. You’d just stack it right on top of the money I’ve earned you already- all of which have started from ‘a friend of mine’ cause none of my ideas have turned you wrong or drunk you dry. In fact, ain’t my investments the reason we havin these conversations in Sharie’s to begin with? Watch yo self, woman.” Blues Man inserts.
“Well listen to me, man. I’m not knockin ya game. I’m sayin you always going off what somebody else said. One of these days, ya info train ain’t gone be so reliable. We looking for a singer and you offer me a gurl who ‘possibly can sing.’ Matter of fact, the woman barely speaks and you talkin bout ‘can sing.’” Sharie finishes up wiping the counter and throws the towel at her husband, Blues Man. “Watch yo self, woman,” she mocks.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
“I sing because I’m happy. Hmm hmh because-” I stop humming as people begin to walk to my booth.
“Hey, sista. 3 tickets to Dinosaur Terror.” The man grins and smiles down to his little boy.
“No, Daddy! You shaid we were wathin Puppy Hero! I don’ wanna shee Dionthaur Serror,” the little boy’s face begins to pout.
“Oh, Tray. You stop playing.” The woman hits and grins at the man.
He laughs, “Oh, I’m just playing. 3 tickets to the great evening show of Puppy Hero.” He hands over $3, and I hand him 3 tickets.
“You guys enjoy.” I smile.
After about 4 hours, I get up from the booth. At the end of my shift, I have to clean the theater room of the kid's movie showing. I’m pretty sure it’s someone else’s job but the “someone else” has a special relationship with the manager- meaning some of her work gets passed down to other people. But I don’t mind that bad, I kinda like the theater after everyone’s gone. It’s just me and… God. I guess that’s the way I’d put it.
“I sing because I’m happy. I sing because I’m free! His Eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches- oh He watches- over me.” I sing as I sweep up popcorn and chips from under the seats.
“Hey, stranger.” Travis comes from behind the corner and scares me.
“Oh, my gracious! Travis, I told you ‘bout jumping out of corners.” I huff.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
“And I told you I don’t jump out of corners, you never hear me enter because you always singin’- beautifully I might add.” Travis comes over and leans on the edge of the seating row I’m sweeping on. He thinks he’s so charming.
“If you here with that tired offer to sing at your friend’s club, you can save it, Travis.”
“When you gone call me T-Man like everybody else?” He lifts his head and smiles.
“Travis, I’m not in the mood for you today.” I move on to the next row, and Travis walks up and begins to lean on that row too.
“You’ve got to be the most stubborn sista I know. Come on, Laurane. All you gotta do is-”
“I’m busy.” I cut in.
“Like I said, ‘the most stubborn sista I know.’” With pursed lips, he pauses. “But that’s okay because sooner or later, you’re gonna take me up on the offer…” He gets up and walks over to me. “And my other offer too.” He leans in close to whisper in my ear, so close I can hear his very breath. He starts, “And girl wh-” he chokes and starts coughing uncontrollably. . . because I karate chopped him in the throat.
I’m so sick of him.
“Gurl, I done told you about that.” he says through his coughs. He holds his throat and walks back. “I hate you even saw that movie, ugh.” He quickly gathers himself and clears his throat as he looks around embarrassingly to make sure we’re still the only ones in the theater room.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
By that movie, he is referring to our first (and only) date. He took me to see Warrior Women- one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It was about 3 women- 2 sistas, 1 Latina- who were on a special mission to save the world from some criminal masterminds. It was great- the special effects, the plot, and the leading women were great actors.
But the Warrior Women weren’t the only ones battling that night. Every 5 minutes, Mr. Octopus and his tentacles kept trying to get touchy. I was swatting him throughout the whole movie. It was the most annoying experience I’ve ever endured- underwire ain’t got nothin on him.
Yeah, but that was when I didn’t know any better. I was holding Travis to an old standard of who I thought he was, but people change. Travis definitely is not who he used to be when we were growing up.
In high school, he always did his own thing to earn cash on the side. His hustles back then were harmless like yardwork on the weekends or small favors for the other local business owners, but now things have changed entirely.
“And I done told you about walking up on me. I’m surprised you didn’t learn after the last time.” Last time in which he walked up behind me and tried to hold me. He got the swiftest hit in the most delicate place I could think of. I got a high pitched ‘won’t happen again.’ I guess the ‘never’ clause of the contract expired.
“Laurane, you feisty and stubborn.” He shakes his head as if he is egging himself up after all these turn downs. “But I like you. And you can sing, gurl. You deserve more than singing in an empty theater. You are amazing, and you’re not doing anything but working at the grocery store and sweeping here at night.
Like you could be making real money, Laurane. You have the talent. And…”
Maybe he’s carried away with his words because he begins to take a step toward me again with his intent to get close. But The Good Lord must have finally gave him some sense because he stops in his tracks and puts his hands up.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
In a way, I feel bad for him because we all know that Ray (his uncle who raised him) passing away that year after graduation changed him- I just didn’t know it was to this extent. Travis went from the back pew at church to hanging out with the big hustlers.
Now he has gotten himself involved in the underbelly of Club Sharie’s. That place is bad news. It’s where the big time players of the underground go for meetings after dark which is why the women go there to scout their next Sugar Pa. It’s either gold diggers or gold wearers, and I’m neither so I stay away from that side of town.
“Well. I just think you deserve more. Honestly, we don’t even see why you don’t at least try.” He leaves as if defeated, but before he turns the corner to exit, he looks back at me all dramatically with sad eyes. Then, he leaves.
“We” as in him and his friends at Club Sharie’s. It’s obvious he’s been discussing me. From Sharie randomly popping by the grocery store to rap with me about “my options,” Travis getting to the point of hounding me about singing every time I see him, and even Blues Man stopped me yesterday to offer me an opportunity to get ahead and “grow my father’s legacy.”
ROOTS
My dad taught me all I needed to know for surviving including to watch out for gold wearers and flashy smiles. When he was my age, he actually left his hometown to pursue his music career but got into some trouble along the way. He hustled his way to “the wrong path” as he called it. He got so caught up in trying to get to the gold river, he left his dream behind.
So, when I told him I wanted to make music, he gave me his blessing and some advice. He said, “Eh, you'll try to follow the road to the gold river that looks like glitter and shine from afar until you arrive there and realize it ain’t nothing but a puddle of pee. And by the time the smell hits you, it’s on you, and it’s hard to get off.
So baby, when you in the city, be careful what you let lead you. There will be people who try to flash their way into your life with promises, money, and whateva else. But remember you have a gift. You keep buying you some studio time to record your songs. We will keep sendin ya copies out. You’re going to get that deal. God didn’t give you this gift to not let you share it with the world.”
THE SPARK
“Jesus is my portion. A constant friend is He. His Eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches- oh He watches- over me.-” Eugene stops playing the tape of the young woman’s singing.
“So, what do you think? Her father has been hounding me for over a year to get you to hear her?” Eugene, the owner of Hob Radio Station, says to Deatra.
“Yeah, we can possibly work with this. Let’s- let’s set something up.” Deatra, the new executive of Peak Records, looks at her assistant who’s standing in the doorway. “Diane, set up a meeting with…” she raises her eyebrows as she looks to Eugene to tell her a name.
“La-Laurane.”
“Laurane.” Deatra nods.
