by Carlos King
“Figures,” Greg answered, turning back toward the river.
Staring aimlessly at the water, Alexis continues. “Here’s a woman that I haven’t talked to in years. She pimped me out to her boyfriend for drugs. She didn’t even look for me when I ran away. Now here she is, calling me up for money. I didn’t know what to say to that. I really didn’t.”
“What did you do?”
“I told her to give me her address and her landlord’s phone number. I told her I would pay up her rent for year. And then I told her don’t ever contact me again. I told her that the part of me that was her daughter died a long time ago. I wished her the best in life and then I hung up. I haven’t spoken to her since. To be honest with you, I don’t wanna ever speak to her again.”
“If that’s how you feel, why you pay her rent?” he asked.
“Because once upon a time, she use to be my mama.”
Greg grins. “That’s why I like you, Alexis. You got so much damn class.”
“Is that right?” she asked with a smile. After a second’s hesitation, Alexis asks, “How do you feel about taking a vacation with me? I was thinking about Paris, but then again, Jamaica crossed my mind, too.”
Greg hesitantly replies, “I don’t know…I got a lot of work waiting for me at the precinct.”
“It’s my treat.”
“Shit, you treating? I’m there,” Greg quickly accepted.
The two laugh and continue talking and joking as they sun begins to set.
The following month, the two enjoy a fun filled, two-week vacation in Paris, France. When Alexis returns from her vacation she immediately gets back into the studio and begins working on her sophomore album. It’s an album that many believed wouldn’t come close to the success of her first. But to the surprise of many, her sophomore album not only met these expectations, it surpassed them. Her second album outsold her debut record by an incredible 1.2 million copies, and landed her five top ten singles. It was also nominated for six Grammy awards, which is two nominations more than her first album received.
Alex’s success just goes to show that some of the most talented minds and gifted souls are hidden in many unsuspecting places all throughout the world. Like diamonds in the rough, they’re all anxiously waiting for their chance to be discovered.
THE END
