Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"You back again?" Rico sat beside me on the city bus for the ride to Disney Land.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
" I saw you get hooked up by Nipsey the other day"
I frowned not recognizing the name, I shrugged sitting back in the seat.
"Who?"
"The dude that helped you out with the racist white guy"
"Oh Ermias, what would him helping me out have to do with me not coming back?"
Rico sat forward with his eyes bucked out at me, I mugged him scooting over to put space between us.
"Oh shit you on a first name basis with this nigga, I'm proud of you"
"Not like that, he just gave me his business card with his name on it"
I was still holding on to the business card inside my fanny pack just waiting on the moment I could build up my courage and make the call to Ermias and possibly change my life.
"Again my question to you is why are you still on this bus? If you made that business connect why aren't you taking a chance to use it?"
"I have bills to catch up on and a child to take care of I can't take a chance trying to chase my dreams and possibly risk losing the little bit I still have"
For the first time I could see the seriousness on Rico's face, he wasn't joking around anymore.
"We have been riding this bus for years and I watch you time and time again undersell your art, you don't belong here"
"Then where do I belong? And why hasn't it happened for me after almost ten years working at it?" I folded my arms and raised my eyebrow at him.
"You belong at the top, your art shouldn't be advertised on some snooty ass white kids face when it should be hanging in some fancy ass museum overseas with the Picasso's"
This was the most nicest thing anyone had said about my work and oddly enough it had come from Rico. I blushed looking down at my raggedy sneakers with holes all through them.
"If you never take a chance with becoming great you'll never see the life you really want you and your son to live"
"I'm afraid that I'll fail and end up on the streets and lose my son trying to reach such a high goal"
"I won't let that that happen, you fall I'll catch you before you do" He bumped my shoulder with his " you my friend, I want better for you"
My eyesight blurred from the tears, his words touched me and at the same time I was hurting because my own mother couldn't give me those encouraging words.
"Thank you Rico" I sniffed holding back the tears " You aren't as bad as I thought you were"
