Ezekiel's Passion

by Bailey West

  I believe in having a relationship with God and allowing him to be my judge. Not people. I cannot stand a person that will pass judgment on someone else knowing good, and well they have their struggles too. Don’t point out my flaws if you can’t address your own. People will impose impossible rules and guidelines on you and then condemn you to hell when you can’t follow them all. I choose not to follow the crowd. I’m a Christian, but I’m human.

  “Now keep in mind that whatever changes you want to make, we will make them. Not only are you endorsing these kits but we want you to be satisfied with the finished product,” Mister Ellis, the CEO of the drum company stated.

  Roman, Paxton and I were at the factory of the drum company that was producing my signature drum kit. They had been working with them for months trying to get them just right. This was my first time seeing all the completed pieces together.

  “Can I try them out?”

  “Please!” Mister Ellis replied.

  One of the men standing with him handed me a pair of drumsticks. I walked around to the back of the set and sat down on the stool. It was a basic set that consisted of the bass, snare and three toms. I placed my feet on the pedals to the bass and the snare and tried out each piece.

  I have been playing the drums since I was six or seven. My father started me out on the piano, like my older brother Roman. The piano was cool, but it was more Roman’s speed than mine. The drums didn't interest me either until my dad took us to hear live music, and I experienced the legendary Tony Williams. Tony Williams is arguably one of the best drummers of all time. He just happened to be sitting in on the set of a local band. They recognized him in the audience and asked him to come up on stage. He sat down at those drums and changed my life forever. Initially, I thought that I wanted to be just like him and play jazz but as my skill grew so did my genre of music. I play rock, pop, R&B and gospel. I can play any genre, but those are my favorites. Roman would go around the country learning from the best piano teachers while I traveled learning from the best drummers and percussionists.

  I finished testing each piece.

  “I can hear the potential, but they are not there yet. The bass sounds a little muffled, and the snare is tight. When will the cymbals be ready?”

  “Our testers said the same thing about the bass. We are tweaking the painting process so that we can fix that. We will look at the snare again. The cymbals will be ready next month. Each piece will be complete with your signature and logo.”

  “And the tenor drums and cymbals for the marching bands?”

  “We are on target to have those done at the same time as the kit.”

  “Great. The contest that we have for high schools and colleges to determine which one we will donate drums to is doing well, correct?”

  “Yes, we’ve had thousands of entries. We are going through the videos now to narrow them down. We will inform you of the finalist then you can choose.”

  “Cool! I’ve watched some of them on my social media pages. They are very creative.”

  “Yes, and very talented.”

  When the drum company approached me to do a signature drum kit with them, one of my stipulations was that they would have to donate a complete kit to one college and two high schools. We came up with a competition to determine who would get them. Each school had to submit a video explaining why they should receive the set. It’s been a very successful campaign.

  I turned to my brothers.

  “What do you think?”

  “I agree with your assessment of the sound,” Paxton answered.

  Most people know that my brother Roman and I are musicians. What they don’t know is that Paxton is also a skilled musician. He can play almost any instrument, but his instrument of choice is the lead guitar. He also has an incredible singing voice. He just chooses not to do anything with music. It may have something to do with my Uncle Nigel, his father. Paxton is our cousin by birth, but we were raised as brothers. Uncle Nigel was also a talented musician and taught Paxton most of what he knows.

  “Yeah, it’s going to be great once it’s all put together correctly,” Roman added. “Plus, that donation to the schools will be amazing. It will possibly save a music program.”

  This signature drum kit was another project that would get me one step closer to my empire. My goal is to create as many streams of income that I possibly can. I want Golden Drummer drum kits, sticks, music books and music schools. I’m not limiting myself to music. My brothers and I have invested in real estate, we’ve built a state of the art recording studio, and we’ve started an accounting firm. My brothers are the best business partners. We work well together.

  “We leave to meet dad in Saint Louis on Sunday. He’s excited about all of us being there to see him get his award,” Paxton explained.

  “Yeah, I know. I wanted to fly out with you after church, but I have a meeting that I can’t miss so I will meet you there.”

  My family was going to spend the week in Saint Louis at our church organization’s convocation. I haven’t attended a convocation since I was a teenager. My father is receiving an Excellence in Ministry Award, and we will all be there for him. I haven’t seen my Lil Sis Zanetta in several years. She lives in Saint Louis now, so it will be great to see her.

  Zora

  After speaking with Doctor Miller and telling him that I would take him up on his offer, I got excited. It was such an adult decision, but I felt it would be great for my career. I looked forward to BJ having trees to climb and grass to play in. I can’t believe that my time in New York is coming to an end. I sat thinking back to my first day here and how afraid, but determined I was to make it work. I did it! Not without huge bumps and potholes but I did it.

  I was conferenced into a video call with the other dental partners.

  “Doctor Chambers,” Doctor Miller smiled from the other end of my computer screen. He introduced the other doctors seated around the table. I spoke to everyone by name as he introduced them. “We are all ecstatic that you have taken us up on our invitation to join our practice here in Houston.”

  “I am too. Thank you so much.”

  We sat for the next hour discussing how the practice would run. Everyone had useful input. When I spoke or gave my opinion, they all listened. I felt like I was a real part of the group. One of my concerns was not only being the youngest in the group but also being the only African-American and the only woman in the group. None of that seemed to matter to any of the other doctors. That eased my mind tremendously.

  “Doctor Chambers, have you found a place to live yet?” Doctor Gaer, the endodontist, asked me.

  “I have been looking on some websites, but I haven’t locked anything down yet.”

  “I own several properties here in the area. You and your son are more than welcome to live in one of them. I can send you pictures. I will also give you the name of a great realtor.”

  “That would be terrific, thank you.”

  “Have you researched a school for your son?” Doctor Nerison, the Pediatric dentist, inquired. “My wife has some suggestions for you. I will have her email them to you.”

  By the conclusion of the meeting, I had a potential place to live, school suggestions for BJ, a car dealer’s number and a realtor’s information. I was even more excited about my move. As a part of my relocation package, the doctors paid for my entire move. All I had to do was find the moving company, and they would handle the rest.

  A few of the dental students that I’d been tutoring helped me pack up my apartment. It only took the movers a few hours to get everything loaded onto the truck. I got a little teary eyed as I loaded BJ into the Uber that was taking us to the airport. Leaving New York was bittersweet. I had a lot of great memories and some not so great ones. I came here to get away from my life and created a whole new one. I created a person here! I will always have love in my heart for this city, but I am ready for bigger and better.

  BJ and I flew out of LaGuardia airport to Bush International i
n Houston. It was BJ’s first time on an airplane. I hadn’t been on a plane since I was a little girl. The captain let BJ see the cockpit and gave him some plastic wings. The flight attendants treated him like he was a superstar. He loved the attention.

  Doctor Miller and Hannah met us at the airport. We went straight to the car dealership to pick up my car. I had purchased a 2001 BMW 325i. It’s old, but it’s in great condition, and I don’t have to worry about a car note. After picking up my car, I went to meet with the realtor. My initial plan was to stay in the house that one of the doctors offered me, but after doing some research, I realized that I could afford my own home. I went through the process and was approved for a home loan. I was surprised by the property values in Houston. I could afford ten times the space I had in New York and would be paying less per month for something that I own. I wasn’t making a ton of money yet, but I had money saved up that helped with this transition. My realtor sent me a lot of listings to look at while I was still in New York. We narrowed them down to five that we would walk through in hopes that one of them would be my home.

  The first three were a no-go. One looked like it should have been in the desert. The realtor called it Pueblo Revival style. It looked like it was made of clay…by hand. The other two were those gingerbread looking houses. The correct term is cottage, according to the realtor. They were not my style plus they were too far from the office. I knew the fourth one was my house as soon as I pulled into the driveway. It was a two-story brick house with a two-car garage attached to the side. It was on a cul-de-sac that was very quiet.

  We walked into the house, and I knew, I knew this was the one. I didn’t even need to look around.

  “Hester, please tell me this is in my price range,” I turned to my realtor.

  “Actually, it was just reduced by seven thousand, so the price is below your budget,” she smiled.

  We walked through the formal dining room, living room and updated kitchen. There were three bedrooms upstairs and the master bedroom.

  “I love it. Let’s make an offer.”

  “You don’t want to look at the other house?”

  “No, this is the one!”

  It was large, but I couldn’t pass it up, I wanted it. I'm hoping Zanetta will stay in one of the extra rooms.

  I offered the full asking price. The sellers were motivated because they’d purchased another home and had already moved into that one. They accepted my offer and let me move in as soon as I wanted. Closing on the house was a breeze since the loan was already approved.

  I found BJ an excellent school that he could attend from pre-school through eighth grade. It came highly recommended by one of the doctor’s wives. BJ and I qualified for one of the scholarships the school offers. Things were really coming together for me.

  The night before my first day at the practice, I could not sleep. I was nervous and excited at the same time.

  I dreamt of her again. She didn’t sing this time. She let me rest my head on her shoulder while she rubbed my back. She didn’t say anything. She hummed a song and let me rest next to her. I woke with such a feeling of peace.

  I had a text from Nette:

  I didn’t call you because I know that you are preparing for your destiny. I am so proud of you. I prayed for you this morning. This is the scripture that I was given: Habbakuk 3:19 The Lord God is my strength, my source of courage, my invincible army; He has made my feet steady and sure like hinds’ feet And makes me walk forward with spiritual confidence on my high places of challenge and responsibility.

  That means you are built to be on top. You were designed by God for this moment. I love you. Now go and shine! - Sissy

  Love you!

  She always knows what to say.

  I arrived early and was met by my two dental assistants; Susan and Liz. Susan, a bubbly blonde, had been a Dental Assistant for ten years. Liz, a caramel colored sister with a short natural cut, had just graduated from dental assisting school and was brand new. She’s very laid back but eager to learn. They are total opposites.

  The office has a modern design. They used a lot of muted greens and yellows in the décor. They were going for a peaceful ambiance. It works. All the equipment is new and state of the art. My office was bare, but I’m sure Zanetta will be decorating it since she will be in Houston. She called me with the wonderful news that she is moving to Houston for a job. I am so excited about her being here. I was able to put someone else on my son’s emergency contact list at school other than me. She has no idea how happy I am to have her around for me and BJ.

  Ezekiel

  The Saint Louis trip was a success. Blue and I got to rock out with the church band one night. That was fun. We celebrated my dad receiving an Excellence in Ministry Award. I admire my Dad. He always calls my brothers and me his heroes, but he is mine. It had been a long time since my whole family had spent a week together. My mother was happy to be surrounded by all her boys.

  It was good to see Zanetta again. She has become such a beautiful woman. Blue couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He didn’t even try to keep his eyes off her. It’s cool to see him interested in someone. If I had known that he would fall all over himself for Nette, I would have introduced them sooner. I like them together. She already had him doing fun things like riding a motorcycle again. I hadn’t seen him on a bike since before Kay passed. He needs someone in his life to bring some fun back into it. He is so into her that he offered her a position at the church in Houston and she accepted. He smiled the whole plane ride back to Houston.

  I have watched my brother fall in love once, and I think I’m about to watch him fall again. He finds a woman, makes up his mind she is the one then that’s it for him. Me on the other hand, I’ve never been in love. After my try with Jameria when I was a freshman in high school, I haven’t tried again. I don’t know if love is something that I want. Something Zanetta said jokingly has been on repeat in my head: “The day is coming where you are going to meet a woman that is going to match your wit and temperament and give you a run for your money.”

  I don’t know why it’s on repeat, but it is. Maybe it’s because for the last few sexual encounters that I’ve had, there has been an empty feeling. Like something is missing, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. When I first experienced it, I blamed it on my partner. She was a little closed off. She was cool but not the best I’d ever had. Then while I was in Saint Louis, it happened again. I hooked up with an old acquaintance while I was there. She was a freak, just like I like it but I still didn’t feel accomplished. I felt…underwhelmed. I came back to Houston and hooked up with a standby. Again, I was underwhelmed, almost bored. I mean I did what I was supposed to do. I made sure she was satisfied. Afterwards, I felt like I could have spent my time in the studio or hanging out with my brothers. Maybe I’m getting older. I don’t know. I’m trying hard to push Zanetta’s words to the back of my mind; to the dark recesses of my memory. I am an eternal bachelor, always have been and always will be.

  “What’s up Percy?”

  “Morning, Zeke.”

  Percy is my assistant. I hired him after my brothers and I formed our companies. I needed help keeping up with everything and Percy was the man for the job. I had a few females come to interview for the position, but I didn’t have time for a sexual harassment lawsuit, so I hired a male…a heterosexual male.

  “What do we have going on today?” I asked while I checked my social media sites. I’d lost a bet to Zanetta while I was in Saint Louis. I bet her that her football team, the Cowboys, would lose. They didn’t. I had to post about how much I like the Cowboys for an entire week on my social media sites. Some of my followers were honestly upset. They called me a bandwagon fan and said that I was only cheering for them because they were winning. It killed me to endure that for an entire week, but a deal is a deal. I couldn’t tell anyone why I was posting about the Cowboys until the end of the week. I was finally able to tell them I lost a bet. Things are back to normal now.

&nb
sp; “Mr. Isaiah Noble wants to schedule a meeting with you about a collaboration with Noble Naturals. They are looking for someone with a strong social media presence to represent their new re-vamped brand,” Percy said.

  “Isaiah and I go way back. He’s a talented musician and producer.”

  “Well, now he is the head of the Noble Naturals company.”

  “That’s what’s up! It will be good catching up with him.”

  “After that, we have to look at some of the videos for the drum donation campaign. Then we have to meet with Lyrica about the concert. You also need to get back into the studio to finish the drum tracks that you started.”

  “Did you look into getting my bike shipped here from New York yet?”

  After my ride in Saint Louis with Nette and her friends, I realized I was missing out not having my bike here with me.