Amans

19. Be My Guest

"I just have a few more release forms for you to sign and then you are free to head backstage to mingle amongst the other poets. Namaste? Wait I think I've heard of you before, didn't you write the piece, Caged?"

Amans nodded, "Yeah I wrote that a few years ago."

"Man I wish you would have written more that was amazing."

The man turned around and walked behind a black curtain leaving Amans at the desk to ponder over his last words.

Amans was surprised.

He hadn't realized that there were people fond of his work. He put that piece out to test the waters but had gotten so caught up in life. It slipped his mind that others acknowledged him in the poetry world.

The line behind him was starting to grow, and he could feel his stomach begin to churn but he wasn't nervous, in fact, he felt hungry.

He had only managed to eat a sandwich that afternoon and considering he slept in that morning he was basically running on fumes.

"Ah here we are Mr. Namaste," the man said returning from behind the curtain and setting two sheets of paper on the counter. He took out a pen and wrote two small checks on the different sheets of paper, "I just need you to sign here and here."

Amans skimmed over the highlighted portions of the paper before signing them. He could hear the people impatiently sighing behind him, but he wasn't just about to sign any documents that were shoved in front of him, he needed to know what his signature was going down for. He finished signing and slid them back to the man behind the counter.

"Thank you, and you're good to go! The entrance to backstage is behind me and to the left, good luck tonight!"

Amans thanked the man and started to head backstage.

"Amans wait!"

Amans turned around to see Magdalena trying to shove her way through the line.

"Hey watch it, lady!"
"You're excused!" She spat back.

Amans shook her head as she neared him straightening up her shoulders, "geez people have no respect for a lady anymore."

"Yeah I doubt it when she's shoving past them like a football player trying to recover a fumble," he smiled, "hey, Mags."

She laughed, "Hey Amans, I had to see you before you went onstage and it was hectic getting in here, so a girl had to do what she had to do," she paused and rolled her eyes, "ugh and guess who I saw on the way in..."

Amans's eyes widened, "The Jonas Brothers!"

Mags laughed, "Who guesses something like that!"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"No it was Oscar and Beatriz," she scowled.

"You've got to be joking," Amans replied.

"I wish I was..."

Amans groaned and threw his hands over his face, "Ughhh whyyyyy."

Mags nodded agreeing with him, "Well I got you something that might cheer you up."

Amans uncovered his face, "Aww Mags now you know you didn't--"

She held up her hand, "Yeah, yeah I know, but this is a big step for you in your career. I mean if it were up to me, I would just have you go ahead and quit your job today and let the fresh start of your career fully blossom. But I know I'm being unrealistic and asking too much of you, so I'm letting you move at your own pace. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, always have been, always will be," she tossed a set of keys up in the air, and Amans caught them.