items in storage and be in France at the end of the week. She hurried to the phone.
“Leslie!” She grinned. Her friend never just said Hello.
“Hey Missy. What’s up?”
“Oooh, I got something for you. Call it your going away present.”
“Ok. What is it?”
“I’m on my way now!” The phone went dead in her hand. Leslie had a moment of nostalgia and she looked over her shoulder in the direction of her Grandmother’s bedroom. She held her breath and listened…then the moment passed and she put the phone back on its cradle.
Fifteen minutes later Missy was ringing the doorbell. “It’s opened. Come in.” Leslie called from the kitchen. Missy came rushing in and stared with interest at the pretty purple cake.
“Who’s birthday cake?”
Leslie almost dropped the armful of can goods that she was going to drop off to the free store. “Oh…an experiment. Just to see how candles look on it. Grab a slice, it’s good. There are paper plates and plastic utensils on the shelf.”
“No, I’ve had way too much to eat today.” Her eyes twinkled as she held up an object in her hand. It looked like a CD.
“What is that?”
“A CD. Remember that Bobby Caldwell song you used to like? And we were at April’s party that time and you got up and started singing and dancing to it. Hell, girl, I think that’s the moment my husband fell in love with your ass.”
Leslie scowled. “Yeah. I remember, what of it?”
“Voila!” She handed her the CD. “It’s an underground by that rapper; Common. He did a remake of Open Your Eyes. You gotta hear it! You will love it!” She slipped the CD from her friend’s hands and moved to the living room where she placed it into the CD player.
A mellow beat came over the system and Missy turned it up and began moving to the music.
Leslie sat on the couch. She hadn’t played that song in years. She blinked at her friend who was going on and on about how dope the song was.
“Don’t you love it?!”
“It’s…I do.” She smiled.
Missy stopped dancing and turned down the music. “Well, why do you look like you’re about to cry then?”
She chuckled and wiped at her wet eyes. “You know how I am; sentimental.” Missy sat down on the couch beside her and hugged her.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about how this is your last few days in your grandmother’s house. I’m a damn fool. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m only going to be gone a couple months.”
“Do you think you’ll be back by the New Year? We gotta bring in the millennium together!”
“Of course!”
~September 11, 2001~
“Leslie, you need to come home!”
“I know I’ve been trying to get a flight out. It’s almost impossible. I have a friend here who will pack my things and ship them for me. And I’m going to drive to London and fly out of Heathrow tomorrow.
Missy sighed in relief. “Good. Let us know when your flight lands and Derrick and I’ll be there to pick you up from the airport.”
“No, don’t do that. I’ll take a cab.”
“Ok, but don’t you dare stay at a hotel, I need you here at the house.”
Leslie could hear the near hysteria in her friend’s voice. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be there before you know it.”
“You know, you’re like my sister and when I heard about how American’s are being targeted all over the world…it scared me to death. I’m just so happy that we don’t have anyone over in New York City.”
Leslie fidgeted with the phone wire. Yeah, perhaps, except that Angel had a New York accent… “I better get packed. Everyone is making a mad dash and I’m not sure I’ll be able to get a rental if I don’t get started.”
“Okay, go, go. Call me!”
“I will, love you.”
“I love you, too!” Leslie hung up the phone and with shaky hands looked around her small home. Where did
“Leslie!” She grinned. Her friend never just said Hello.
“Hey Missy. What’s up?”
“Oooh, I got something for you. Call it your going away present.”
“Ok. What is it?”
“I’m on my way now!” The phone went dead in her hand. Leslie had a moment of nostalgia and she looked over her shoulder in the direction of her Grandmother’s bedroom. She held her breath and listened…then the moment passed and she put the phone back on its cradle.
Fifteen minutes later Missy was ringing the doorbell. “It’s opened. Come in.” Leslie called from the kitchen. Missy came rushing in and stared with interest at the pretty purple cake.
“Who’s birthday cake?”
Leslie almost dropped the armful of can goods that she was going to drop off to the free store. “Oh…an experiment. Just to see how candles look on it. Grab a slice, it’s good. There are paper plates and plastic utensils on the shelf.”
“No, I’ve had way too much to eat today.” Her eyes twinkled as she held up an object in her hand. It looked like a CD.
“What is that?”
“A CD. Remember that Bobby Caldwell song you used to like? And we were at April’s party that time and you got up and started singing and dancing to it. Hell, girl, I think that’s the moment my husband fell in love with your ass.”
Leslie scowled. “Yeah. I remember, what of it?”
“Voila!” She handed her the CD. “It’s an underground by that rapper; Common. He did a remake of Open Your Eyes. You gotta hear it! You will love it!” She slipped the CD from her friend’s hands and moved to the living room where she placed it into the CD player.
A mellow beat came over the system and Missy turned it up and began moving to the music.
Leslie sat on the couch. She hadn’t played that song in years. She blinked at her friend who was going on and on about how dope the song was.
“Don’t you love it?!”
“It’s…I do.” She smiled.
Missy stopped dancing and turned down the music. “Well, why do you look like you’re about to cry then?”
She chuckled and wiped at her wet eyes. “You know how I am; sentimental.” Missy sat down on the couch beside her and hugged her.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about how this is your last few days in your grandmother’s house. I’m a damn fool. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m only going to be gone a couple months.”
“Do you think you’ll be back by the New Year? We gotta bring in the millennium together!”
“Of course!”
~September 11, 2001~
“Leslie, you need to come home!”
“I know I’ve been trying to get a flight out. It’s almost impossible. I have a friend here who will pack my things and ship them for me. And I’m going to drive to London and fly out of Heathrow tomorrow.
Missy sighed in relief. “Good. Let us know when your flight lands and Derrick and I’ll be there to pick you up from the airport.”
“No, don’t do that. I’ll take a cab.”
“Ok, but don’t you dare stay at a hotel, I need you here at the house.”
Leslie could hear the near hysteria in her friend’s voice. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be there before you know it.”
“You know, you’re like my sister and when I heard about how American’s are being targeted all over the world…it scared me to death. I’m just so happy that we don’t have anyone over in New York City.”
Leslie fidgeted with the phone wire. Yeah, perhaps, except that Angel had a New York accent… “I better get packed. Everyone is making a mad dash and I’m not sure I’ll be able to get a rental if I don’t get started.”
“Okay, go, go. Call me!”
“I will, love you.”
“I love you, too!” Leslie hung up the phone and with shaky hands looked around her small home. Where did
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