Harmonica Blues

Chapter 1 It was about three o’clock in the afternoon on a sunny day in September. The weather in New York City was gorgeous. The streets were crazy and crowded as usual, and there was construction on almost every block. The traffic was bumper to bumper; honking cars and taxis and the sounds of sirens were in the background of all the madness. I felt calmer since this time I didn’t have to take a taxi. Instead I was to be securely tucked inside a midnight-black Mercedes Benz stretch limo. My eyes lit up as I made my way through the busy LaGuardia Airport and noticed my driver holding a sign—or should I say some kind of electronic tablet—that read “Welcome, Ms. Alexandra Knight” in a fancy chalkboard cursive font and in my favorite color, pink. Super fabulous, I thought. It was a bit cheesy but exactly how I pictured this moment would be. The driver bowed as I approached him and then introduced himself as Adam. Adam was tall and dressed in tailored navy suit with a crisp white shirt and tie. He was very handsome and clean-shaven with dark hair and bright blue eyes. His smile was pleasant, and I felt like I was in good hands. He immediately grabbed my bags and put them in the back, and then he opened the door for me. I stepped inside the limo and was amazed at how beautiful it was. It even had a large vase of long-stemmed red roses with a card that read “Welcome to New York City, Ms. Knight. We hope you enjoy your stay.” It was signed by the mayor and his wife. There was smooth jazz music playing softly in the background and small bottles of Perrier chilling on ice on the table next to the roses. Everyone knew how much I loved Perrier. It wasn’t my first time in New York City. My first visit was when my best friend turned fifty. She invited me to go with her to celebrate her birthday. We had so much fun. I now visited annually in honor of her. As Adam tried to navigate through the hectic New York City traffic, I took a moment to look away from my cell phone, and my eyes caught a glimpse of an area my friend had raved about on our first adventure together in the big city. I remembered how excited she was and how I was trying to calm her down, because I didn’t want anyone to notice how vulnerable we were as first-time visitors. I guess I had watched too many movies and heard one too many news reports about the crime in New York City. She didn’t care; she was way too excited to listen to my reasoning. I chuckled at the memory of my dear friend. She was always fearless. Her name was Star Louise Hensley. She said her parents named her that because she was lucky to be alive. They said she was their lucky Star. Louise was her grandmother’s name on her dad’s side, and she died just days before Star was born. Funny how that works because they said she had the spark of her grandmother Louise. Apparently Louise was quite the character. Star and I met when my mom and dad had relocated to a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. My dad was an engineer for a company that was downsizing and laying off employees unless they accepted jobs at other locations. Dad was an awesome man and provider. He would do anything it took to provide for our family. We never wanted for anything. My parents are happily married and have been for more than fifty years. I have a large family; I’m one of eight children. I never saw my parents struggle. My mom stayed home and raised us while my dad worked. We were middle class and well respected in our community. My mom and dad knew everyone, and everyone knew us. All my siblings attended private school, including me, except the year I met Star. It was my first time attending a public school. When we were old enough to attend high school, our parents gave us a choice to either continue private school or go to a public school. Of course, I chose public school. Star and I met our freshman year. Star always reminded me how fortunate I was, but I never really understood why she’d say that until now. I see things much differently now than I did back then. Adam pulled up to the Times Center, located in the heart of New York City near Times Square, just a couple blocks from where Star and I stayed during our last visit. I loved this center. It was exactly what Star  would’ve pictured. Adam opened my door, and a woman in a dress-suit that looked like something Michelle Obama would wear greeted me. It was elegant and classy, yet it said, “I’m in charge, so pay attention to me.” She held out her hand and introduced herself as Beth Jacobs. “We’ve spoken many times before. I’m your event coordinator. I will monitor your visit and whereabouts until your departure. Come this way—I have several people waiting for you. We must get started to stay on schedule. I hope you slept on the plane because this is the city that never sleeps, and I doubt if you’ll get any the next few days.” Ms. Jacobs was walking fast in her stylish Vince Camuto shoes, one of my favorite designers. I quickly trailed behind, trying to keep up. As she was walking and talking, she asked how my flight was, and she wanted to know if I got the mayor’s greeting card. I assured her everything was fine, and yes, I did receive the mayor’s welcome. We entered the doors of the Times Center, and I was blown away by how amazing this place looked. It was the perfect venue. We walked down halls and around corners, taking an elevator to another level. We entered a beautiful room where my production crew greeted me. “Ms. Knight, welcome! Let me introduce you to Jessie—he’s your hair and makeup artist—and Scotty—he’s in charge of your fabulous wardrobe for the next few days. Lawrence has your script; he’ll be going over it with you soon. This is Marissa. She’s the reporter here representing one of New York Cities top magazines; to whom you agreed to give an exclusive interview. I believe this is the first time you’ve spoken to one of our journalists. Am I correct?” “Yes, you are.” Marissa extended her hand, and we shook like equal peers. Ms. Jacobs continued to introduce me to everyone. “This is Bobby, our stage manager; he’ll assist you with dress rehearsal, which is scheduled for six o’clock. And that’s Pam—she’ll be your personal assistant. If you need anything, just let her know. She’ll be able to assist you with all your needs. “I hope you had time to eat lunch before you came,” Ms. Jacobs continued, “because it will be late before you have a chance to get a decent meal. After your performance, an honorary reception will follow. There will be plenty to eat there, but I doubt you’ll have time to enjoy the spread. Most likely you’ll be too busy mingling with your fans, sponsors, investors, and the press. No worries though. We  have a slower day planned for you tomorrow. You’re scheduled to meet with some school-age kids from Queens. They’re on a field trip to the 9/11 memorial. You’ll be giving them a short speech outside the south tower fountain. Then you’ll be having brunch with the mayor and his wife, and later that evening they plan to give you the key to the city at a ceremony in Times Square. You’ll have a little me time after the ceremony—a couple hours before the gala that starts at eight o’clock— so enjoy it. Oh, and by the way, we’ve spoken several times via e-mail and phone, but now that I have the honor of meeting you in person, I want to say I’m happy to be of service to you and your mission, Ms. Knight. I am a big fan. It is my pleasure to assist you over the next couple days. Welcome back to New York City! We hope your stay is more than magical. We want this year’s visit to be one you never forget. Let me know if you need anything or have any questions about the next few days. Again, if you need anything, you have my direct number.”