A Rozanda By Any Other Name

My friend, Kevin Morris, the private investigator told me that sometimes you learn a lot simply by listening to people talk randomly in a crowded place..

On this morning...I was in a crowded coffee shop jockeying for my tumbler of coffee along with several other people...I happened to notice a well dressed, brown skinned gentleman that just didn't talk or sound like he was from Philadelphia....

He had on the same cologne that I wear, but somehow, he had a more pronounced smell and got way more attention from the ladies than I did...

"That there is Bo Killens." said the producer, Meek Rollins who had slid in behind me with trumpet player, Downtown Rob Brown...

"Heyy guys what's up?" I said.

"What's Happening B.?" said Downtown Rob Brown... "I caught your set with Brooke Taylor... I got this tune I would like you to set in on, on my upcoming album." he continued...

"Oh yeah?  Organ or Fender Rhodes?" I said.

"Organ...It's perfect for you." said Meek Rollins..

"Okay...what time you guys giggin?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night..10:30 pm... Your ex knows where the studio is." laughed Rob.

Honey Brown, my ex-wife had been "visiting" me for various reasons...something like every other night...and each time...leaving me in a state of damn near exhaustion....Not that I minded one bit...

On some occassions...I'd call her...She so far  she hadn't turned me down...not once...As much as I knew she hated booty calls...She didn't seem to mind them now. When I needed to be somewhere...She came by and drove me...Even let me hold the car a couple of times... I always returned it when I said I would... I guess people noticed that we were very chummy!

Brooke Taylor called  me a few times... We even had phone sex... But she still said for me not to let that go to my head...She could promise me nothing..She was involved with a man in San-Francisco who kind of had her in limbo right now...The last time she called she seemed disapointed that she had played her hometown of San-Francisco and Oakland as well as Berkeley and hadn't hooked up with her friend...He was out of town she was told!

"Hey man...not that I want to be all up in your business like that...but you and Honey gettin back together?" asked Meek Rollins..

"I'm workin on it man...but she's been holdin out...  but like I said...It's not from the lack of me tryin." I said.

"Yeah, well that dude you was eyin...The one who doesn't look like he fits in...Bo Killens...That's your competition babe!" said Meek.

"Oh yeah?" I said...My eyebrows raised...

"Yeah...He's a gambler...Big time gambler...He's from Cali man...Bay Area... First time I saw him...He came to Josies to see Brooke Taylor perform...In fact...I thought he was her man...He was all up on her...He became friends with Chris and Chess and began playin in their high stakes card game...He plays in Stephen Bristol's game too..." said Meek.

''A man don't come across country just to play cards." I said.

"Damn right B.  He comes to Philly because he's sweet on Honey.....He met her in Josies...but he was with Brooke Taylor..., but after Brooke went on tour...He came back to Philly, Took Honey to A.C., then down to Baltimore and then he went back out West... He's been slippin in and out for close to three years...Guess she aint tell you huh? That she's kind of half way serious about dude." said Meek.

"Meek, Meek man...you soundin like a woman....man, quit gossipin...Maybe she aint tell B. Cause there is nothin to tell....It aint like he's around all the time...He just rolls in like...Ever so often." said Downtown Rob Brown...

"Hmmmmmmm.." I mused...

''Don't sweat it man...Dude is corny anyway...You can beat that time B." said Rob.

"I know B. can beat his time...I was just pullin his coat to the deal, that's all." said Meek Rollins.

II-

Rozanda "Honey" Collins is my ex-wife's given name...She hates her given name...Except for a few people who went to school with her...Nobody calls her "Rozanda"...She has always gone by her nickname..."Honey" ,which was given to her as a child because of her smooth honey brown skin..which was practically flawless...
Even Gus, who's given name is Colorado for God's sake never calls Honey Rozanda.

When she married me and became "Honey" Brown...she really loved that....Which was why she'd kept it after we'd divorced.. She told me she loved it...It's on her driver's licensce and checks.

She hadn't been a nun after our divorce and my incarceration...She had taken up with a semi-pro basketball player, a decade younger named Carlton....That hadn't lasted long...She had briefly dated Samuel Rasulala...The lothario who taught at the college , who had tried to push up on everybody...and then nothing...My hearing about this out of town guy didn't phase me in the least bit..
She wasn't my wife....and she was a good looking woman....of course she would catch the attention of another man...

I'm not mad that she didn't tell me...I didn't tell her about me and Brooke...She had to ask me...All this meant was that I would have to work harder.

III-

That night, I met Reed Nelson, his new wife, Debbie, her sister Delores and Downtown Rob Brown for drinks at the Aqua Bar...a new spot that hadn't been open when I was last in Philly...It was on the third floor of an old building....It was beautiful inside...It had a bar the length of the floor and underneath the marble surface was an aquarium...a huge aquarium with every type of sea life.... and beautiful busty bar maids who looked like they might have started out being strippers...

 The bar stools were shaped like starfish and clams....The Club D.J. spun a mixture of Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul and Acid Jazz music....When he wasn't spinning...Good music came through the ultra modern bose speakers from a satelite feed....Meek Rollins told me that you could get a really good Burger here.

The drinks were higher than at Josies and even , Mulberry Street...but it was a cool enviroment...I loved it...

Meek poked me on the arm and pointed.....I looked and sitting across the room from us was Bo Killens and my ex-wife, Honey... They were having a glass of white wine...

I got up and walked towards the bar....I knew she'd see me...She did!  I acted as if I didn't see her, but Honey grabbed my arm...

"B. What are you doing here?" she asked...Boyy she was playin it cool..My wife could be a great poker player...Her face never betrayed any emotions..

"Having some drinks with Reed, Rob and their ladies..." I said.

"B.  I have someone I'd like you to meet...This is my friend from San-Francisco, Bo Killens..Bo..this is my ex-husband, Bernard Brown." she said. She never called me Bernard...

I put my hand out to shake....He looked at me like I was dirt, but didn't extend his hand...

''So...You're the one that let Honey get away huh?" he sneered.. I said nothing..

"A costly mistake...One that I won't make." he said.

"Really? How nice for you." I said sarcastically.

"Yes... Honey is my future fiance'" he said.  I could tell by the look on her face that she was both embarrassed and angry...

"Heyyy, where do you get off?" she said.

"Awww come on baby..it's a fore gone conclusion..." he said.

"Don't I have a say.?" she said.

"Of course you do baby..." he said.

"Well then...nothing is a fore gone anything!"she said sternly and looked at me almost pleadingly, longingly..

I laughed ....

"Nice seeing you again.Ro...ugh,I mean Honey.." I said ....Even I wasn't that stupid...I wasn't going to call her Rozanda...

She paid my near slip up no mind...She motioned to me with her hands that she would call me later.

I don't know if old boy saw that or not...But one thing I knew for sure...He wasn't being invited up for coffee afterwords or anything else for that matter...

I smiled and kept walking towards the bar.


(TO BE CONTINUED....)