Nelson On Tour: A Growing Up Nelson Short

After The Show Comes The Tour Bus

Once my dad had completed his four and a half hour show he met with me and Joey backstage. He was a hot sweaty and glittery mess but it was nice to see him getting a workout in. My dad was always one to take care of his body. Which is why the no meat diet was always in place at home. He was more lax about it on the road because alot of his tour folks were meat eaters and he wouldn't mind taking the whole crew out to dinner. Daddy had invited Armand and his uncle backstage and for the first time in a long time I was able to help a kid like me find a home.

  "I trust that we will see you again Mr. Prince. Thank you for getting my nephew back to me. When we lost his mama during the storm and had to relocate we had ended up all over the place. My daughters and I were split up and put on buses at The Dome but none of us had a way to contact each other. When I was able to find my girls we tried to find Armand but we didnt have much to go off of when we were looking. Now.....were back together again. His mama would be so proud. I hope they find that joker of a man she married too."

  "Dont you worry about that. I took care of that as well. He's actually being detained and held at the station as we speak."

Me and Joey looked up at daddy with complete shock. How in the world did he manage to pull that off while he was on stage burning calories???

  "WOW! Thanks sir!" Armand said in excitement.

Armand ran into Prince's arms and hugged him tightly. He was never so happy to know that he can finally go home. HIS home and could be safe and sound with his family. My dad hugged him the same way he would hug me and my brother when he knew we needed it. Armand definitely needed a tight and loving hug.

  "You're welcome. Anything for a friend of Carlyn, Now you go on with your uncle and take care of yourself."

  "I will sir!" Armand said excited as he let my dad go.

Armands' uncle took him by the shoulder and led him towards the exit door where Joey and I were standing. They soon stop in front of us and smile. I lowered my head shyly and smiled back.

  "You are one sweet little girl. Your old man over there must be very proud." The man said.

  "I guess he his. I'm not perfect though. I kinda know how it feels to not have a family so.....I felt like I had to help." I said.

  "Carly you are a really good friend. Thank you for being so nice to me when you didn't have to. I'll never forget it." Armand replied as he gave me a hug.

I hugged him back and I was in near tears of joy. I had helped someone who was looking for a family and they found it. And it was all because of me!

  "I hope to see you again soon?" I asked him.

  "Yeah! Prince invited us to come back for a dance party in August! I can't wait!"

  "Awesome! So then we can hang out and eat junk food!"

  "I look forward to that! Thanks again......there should be more kids like you in the world."

Armand gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then went on his way with his uncle out the door to start his life with his family and I stood in the middle of the backstage area blushing my head off. Joey giggle and began to taut me.

  "OOOOHHHH I'M TELLING TRE!" he cooed at me as he placed his hands on his face.

  "Shut up shrimp! You tell him anything and i'll cream you." I snickered at my little brother.

"Looks like someone has another little crush! Carlyn I think my old ways have begun to rub off on you." Daddy joked.

"Ew....dad I'm definitely not going to hit on everything that moves that's just.....ugh!" I replied disgusted.

"Yeah you will. It's the Nelson way of doing things. Last I checked you are my daughter and you are carrying my name so that could only mean that-"

"Oh god! Stop! I get it! Ugh!" I groaned.

I could hear my dad laughing as he went back to his dressing room to change and get ready to head to the next stop on the tour. Joey and I decided to go back to the tour bus and wait to leave and get on the road. Uncle Dre was already passed out on the purple built in couch and as a joke we left gummy worms on his face then raced back into the makeshift sleep area.

  "Carly?" Joey asked as he changed into his spider man pajamas.

  "What squirt?" I replied.

  "Do you think we'll go to London on this tour? I wanna ride a double decker bus like in the movies!"

  "I don't know about that kiddo. I think we're just gonna stay in the country for now. Daddy didn't say anything about being that far away."

  "Well I hope one day we do go to London. It would be nice to leave the country."

I shook my head and smiled as I went to tuck him in.

  "I'm sure it would buddy. Maybe one day we'll get out of the US and travel the world."

  "You think dad would want us to?"

  "Why wouldn't he? I mean he's always said that one day he was going to take us to Africa and experience our culture."

  "But Carly there's no white peoples in Africa and I'm white!"

  "What's that got to do with anything?"

Joey seemed a little intimidated at first but o can see in his little eyes that something was troubling him.

  "Some of the kids at school pick on me being adopted into a black family." He said softly.

  "And what do you tell them when they pick on you?" I snapped almost instantly.

  "I just tell them to stop. They know that dad is famous but Timmy said I was only adopted because he felt sorry for me. That's not true....is it?"

Before I could give my answer daddy strolled in and gave his answer.

  "If that were true I wouldn't have you with me right now."

We both looked over at the door and saw my dad dressed in a black sweater and slim fitting pants to match.

  "Then....why are they saying mean things like that? I don't see color dad. Why do they?"

Daddy came and sat down on the bed where Joey was laying and I sat on the floor in front of them.

  "Some people were raised right. It's nothing you did. I adopted you because I had enough love to give for two kids and.....I knew that if I took you in I would take Carlyn too! It wouldn't have been a real family if I adopted one and not the other now would it?"

  "I guess so. But what about me not allowed to go to Africa because I'm white?"

  "You can go anywhere you want son. Dot let anybody tell you otherwise."

  "Yeah or they'll have to deal with me!" I chimed in.

Joey giggled and let out a yawn. Daddy stood up from the bed and extended his hand out to me helping me up from the floor.

  "Alright my little scrapers. Time to get some sleep. We got a long trip ahead of us."

I climbed into my bed and yawned as daddy kissed my forehead.

  "You truly are something amazing kid." He said.

  "I try!" I giggled.

Daddy turned out the light and made his way to the door.

  "Good night my little doves." I heard him say before closing the door behind him.

Once the door was closed my eyes fell shut and I was out like a light.