Hood Lemonade 2

The Dilemma - Chapters 1 & 2

Prologue

I could feel my heartbeat getting weaker, it seemed as if every breath was a chore.

There was a time in my life that I'd felt like an early death was inevitable for me. I wasn't afraid of it, I welcomed it. It was the perfect escape from my life.

After my mom died and I landed in Federal prison, a strength I never knew surfaced. I'd overcome and turned my lemons into the proverbial lemonade.

I was living out my childhood dream of becoming a famous singer and had married the love of my life.

The scars and buried secrets of my past had shown themselves in my present.

First only showing themselves inconspicuously, like ghosts. Those ghosts, combined with my own bad decisions, had thrown me into a downward spiral of despair.

Now, I lie here dying no one knowing where to find me. I felt like a fish out of water, as the heaviness in my chest caused my body to jerk involuntarily.

I tried to calm myself, hoping that maybe if I took shorter breaths my oxygen would last longer.

Then, random thoughts and images flashed through my head. I thought about the day that my troubles resumed, a little over a year ago.

1. Dilemma

I looked out into the massive crowd, as I crooned the notes to my newest single.

I'd transformed into my alter-ego and stage name, Mink.

People were on their feet singing along.

I soulfully gestured for the DJ to mute the music in certain spots, where I'd point the microphone out at the audience, so I could hear the echo of the massive crowd simultaneously singing my lyrics.

It was like lightning fuel to a flame in my soul to hear my fans singing along.

The stage lights danced across my dark skin as I worked the gigantic stage.

When I performed, nothing mattered but the satisfying emotions that jilted me.

My voice was sultry, moving like smooth silk blowing in the wind.

As I reached the most intricate part of the song, the room grew quiet, mesmerized, as my voice reached every note seamlessly.

I was happy that my latest tour had landed in my hometown for a few days. I would get to see my family and spend some well needed time with my husband, Mark.

Mark was very ambitious and had chosen to work full-time at his private investigation firm to both grow it and stay close to the youth that he mentored.

He couldn't accompany me on this tour as he had on my first.

There was something about home that was like nowhere else.

The familiarity of the slang, the fashion, the humidity.

The Loddy-Doddy, Ft. Liquor-dale, Da Dale, whatever name us locals preferred to call our city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for me, it felt great to be home.

My local following was the best. Everyone wanted to support someone from their own hood.

Whenever I came home, I performed at the largest venues because my hometown following was large and they came out in droves to support their 'home girl.'

I always sold out at home.

"Put yo' L's in the air!" I yelled into the microphone out into the crowd.