Ciscoe's Dance, page 5
Darcie’s was the third and last Level One Nightclub in the Roxie and Penelope District. Darcie Fendlewiesen had always considered Darcie’s the best Level One Nightclub in the district. We always enjoyed dancing at Darcie’s the handful of times we visited. It was the largest of three Level One Nightclubs and had an elegant atmosphere that I liked. The club was three blocks away from the Mango on the corner of Ave Roxie and Ave Naima. Darcie’s took the entire block and was always packed to capacity.
It took me about ten minutes to get into the nightclub. The entrance line went all the way out to Ave Naima but it moved quickly. I entered and walked down the main hallway that led to the dance floor in the east section of the nightclub. People were dancing to Piccanta music played over the sound system. The music had that same deep, drumbeat and people danced like they were having sex. I shook my head as I walked past the dance floor to the special section behind it.
“Mr. Ciscoe Maldonado has decided to make an appearance at my nightclub. To what do I owe your presence, sir?” Darcie said, as I arrived at her table. She was sitting with Raphael Reynolds and both had several drinks of javann liquor at their table.
Darcie had long, blond hair that went halfway down her back. She had small eyes but high cheekbones that gave an interesting facial structure. Darcie was not beautiful in a classic sense but striking. However, she knew how to attract attention with her penchant for wearing colorful tight skirts that showed off her wide hips. Darcie wore a lot of silver jewelry that dangled from her neck, wrist, and ears. The nightclub owner soaked attention from her patrons like a queen being honored by her subjects.
“Why did you pressure Antonio Henderson to get us fired from the Mango and have Percy Braxton give me a letter that wants us removed from The Festival of Josette?” I said, and sat down across from them.
Raphael Reynolds laughed and said, “The upholder of Guanamamma music and dancing has arrived. This is a special occasion indeed.” He raised his glass of javann liquor at me.
“Where did you hear that from? Is your benefactor giving you bad information?” Darcie said, as a waitress handed me a glass of brownberry juice.
“Delia did not have to tell me what you are doing. The actions of your fellow Level One Nightclub owners have shown me what you are up to.”
“You do catch on quickly,” Raphael interjected, and continued with his drink of javann.
I watched my former lover take a sip of her drink. “I don’t want to argue with the man that I first connected with in this city. You are a smart man, Ciscoe Maldonado. You should know why you and your lovely wife were removed from The Festival of Josette.”
“What does Diondray Azur have to do with it?” I replied. “It has been four years since he was here in Walter’s Grove.”
Darcie frowned. “You showed him that book and confirmed for him that people in this city believed in those backwards teachings. Now we have morrims and diakonos in Walter’s Grove. This city was never meant to hold believers or followers in that awful religion of Kammbi.”
“I showed Diondray because he was questioning his belief about becoming the one to fulfill Oscar’s Prophecy. Seeing The Book of Kammbi just confirmed there has always been a connection between both regions of Kammbia. And that belief in Kammbi existed here in our city. Remember you gave me that book.”
Darcie frowned. “The worst decision I have ever made in my life. I should have burned that book!”
“It was a gift from your father.”
“I did not know that, Darcie,” Raphael said. “I still have a lot to learn about you.”
Darcie went pale and looked away from Raphael. “Don’t bring my past into this. You convinced Diondray that he should fulfill Oscar’s Prophecy and now he is nowhere to be found.”
I finished my glass of brownberry juice. “What are you talking about? I got a themily from him last year saying he had returned to Charlesville. He has been there since that letter.”
Darcie turned back towards me and seemed to regain her composure. “No. His Uncle Xavier forced him to leave the city and no one knows where he is. Furthermore, I blame you for showing him that book. Since you took something from me, I must take something from you.”
“You loved him,” I replied. “I did not know you would be interested in a man almost half your age.”
“You loved Diondray Azur?” Raphael said, and sat up straight in his seat. “How can you love a man who thinks he is the one to unite this entire land?”
“I think it is time for you to leave, Ciscoe,” Darcie said.
“I’m going to dance at The Festival of Josette. You may have pressured the other Level One Nightclub owners into stopping Latisha and I from dancing at their nightclubs. But it will not work. And Guanamamma music and dancing is what this city was built on. That will never change.”
Raphael curled his lips. “Guanamamma music was stolen from the original people of this area. It’s time for the truth come out.”
“Your truth, Raphael. Piccanta music is second rate and has nothing but drums. Real music is more than that!”
“Goodbye, Ciscoe. Thank you for coming tonight. But your time is up. You can always dance at those parties in the West Walter’s Grove District. Those people will always appreciate stolen music,” Darcie said curtly.
“Latisha and I are going to dance at The Festival of Josette whether you like it or not.”
“That is out of your control, Ciscoe. Even Delia will not be able to help you. You took something from me and now it’s time to return the favor.”
I left the nightclub.
Chapter 5
We continued to practice our routine like we were going to perform at The Festival of Josette. There were only twenty-four days before the festival and I should have known that Darcie wanted to keep us from dancing there. We’d had our disagreements over the years about Guanamamma dancing. She believed that it should be danced freely and suggestively like Piccanta dancing. Of course, I did not. Our debate about Guanamamma dancing had lasted nearly twenty years. After our relationship ended, she vowed to get rid of Guanamamma dancing and now it seemed she was finally getting her wish fulfilled.
She knew Diondray was never going to stay in Walter’s Grove. He had to travel to Terrance and back to his birth city of Charlesville to find out if he would fulfill the prophecy from The Book of Kammbi. Diondray felt he was chosen to fulfill that prophecy and the copy of the sacred book in our home confirmed he had to finish his journey. Darcie knew the prophecy better than me because she grew up with that religion when she lived in Santa Teresa. She should not have been surprised that he had to follow his destiny.
Darcie mentioned he had disappeared after returning to Charlesville. Where would he go? He was not coming back here. If she loved him as much as she apparently did, then she should to go Charlesville and find him. Anyway, I had to push those thoughts aside as we practiced.
As dannzas, Latisha and I had developed a morning routine of a small breakfast, stretching, and practice for years. That routine helped in many ways, especially when life was not going our way. My father always told me that discipline and routine strengthen character, not stifle it. When bad things happened in life, having discipline would always come through for you, even when people did not. Latisha and I had a solid practice. We wanted to tighten our steps when we transitioned from the second point to the third point of the dance. I felt that transition was a little off when we performed at The Tajara. It had to be tighter for The Festival of Josette.
I played Natalia Havana’s My Night With You as our practice song. Natalia Havana was known as the first lady of Guanamamma music and took the mantle after Walter Fuente died as the greatest singer in the city. Havana provided a woman’s perspective as a counterbalance to Fuente’s classic songs. She had a deep voice for a woman and her passionate singing style made it great for dancing. Natalia’s voice lent itself to longer strides when we were dancing. Since Latisha was taller than myself, the strides felt in sync with her natural movement as a dancer. We decided after practice this would be the opening song for our dance at The Festival of Josette.
Latisha and I decided to go out to Club Hancock for the evening, since we did not have any nightclub performances. I was grateful that Latisha made sure we stayed on a budget and had savings that could sustain us for awhile. Also, Delia was working on getting house parties for us to dance at in the West Walter’s Grove District. I was not enthused about doing those house parties. But we needed to keep dancing to stay sharp.
Club Hancock was a Level Two Nightclub on Ave Naima in the Roxie and Penelope District. It was a few blocks east of Darcie’s. We had to drive by that nightclub in order to get to Club Hancock. I told Latisha about my meeting with Darcie and how she blamed me for showing Diondray The Book of Kammbi we had at the house. Also how Raphael continued to proclaim that Piccanta music was the city’s true music.
Latisha disagreed with their explanations and wished she had gone with me as support. I did not want my wife with me when I met Darcie because the tension between those two women would have erupted. I wanted to hear from Darcie in her own words and alone.
We parked and entered Club Hancock. The nightclub was owned by Hancock Shorter and opened about a year before. I was trying to get Delia to arrange a meeting with him to see if Latisha and I could do our performance at the nightclub. But Delia said that Hancock felt he had to embrace Piccanta music and dancing to get patrons for the nightclub. However, he did like Guanamamma music and dancing. Hancock would find a way to make space at the club for Guanamamma music on occasion and tonight was one of those nights.
Club Hancock was a small nightclub about half the size of the Level One Clubs and got packed quickly. However, the crowd was light that night and maybe that’s why Hancock wanted to have a Guanamamma music performance for the evening. The dance floor took up the middle section of the nightclub and seating went around it in a circular fashion.
A new singer named Zakiyah was starting to get attention around the city for her rendition of Guanamamma music. Zakiyah’s voice made her in demand at the biggest house parties in the West Walter’s Grove District. Delia told me she had performed for the major liquor owners like Maxwell Martinez of Maxwell Liquors, Casey Piccone of the Casey Company, and Bertha Bottomfelder of Bottomfelder Liquors at their houses. Also, she had just performed in the prior month of Aym, the fifth, at Civita member Katrina St. Clair’s fiftieth birthday party. Zakiyah was in high demand in that district.
She was compared to Natalia Havana, the first lady of Guanamamma music. Zakiyah had sung her own versions of Havana’s best songs like My Night With You, These Tears Are Not For You, You Are So Much Better Than That, and I’m Moving On that sounded just as good as the original versions. Latisha and I were looking forward to hearing her sing. We sat in the front row just to the right of the stage. I made sure we had a good seat for Zakiyah’s performance.
“Welcome to Club Hancock!” the announcer said. He was a slim man wearing a black jumpsuit and a thin sliver necklace that dangled off his chest. “Hancock has a special treat for you all tonight. He has been trying to get this beautiful woman to perform here at Club Hancock since we opened our doors last year. Finally, she has agreed to sing for us tonight. I would like everyone to give a big and warm Club Hancock welcome to Zakiyah!”
The patrons applauded loudly as the spotlight appeared on the singer. Zakiyah was a heavy-set woman with a caramel-colored complexion. She wore a gold sequin maxi-length dress. Zakiyah looked great and her smile filled the room. She had a band behind her as they began the song.
My love is loaded
Like bullets in a gun
Waiting for the trigger
To be pulled
By the right man in my life
The guitarist began a solo after that first verse. However, I kept my eyes on Zakiyah. She continued to smile and swayed to the music.
Make sure you aim correctly
Because if you don’t
It can cause damage
And end up hurting someone you did not love
The altophone horn player took his turn for a solo. Zakiyah faced him and he smiled at her before he played. He had a deep, wailing sound that fit the song.
“Give it up for Travis Navarro, the best altophone horn player in the city,” Zakiyah announced. Travis was a tall, rail-thin man with a long black ponytail down his back. Everyone clapped for Travis and he played harder to the applause.
Hurts so deep
Making me feel like
I don’t want to go on
You pulled the trigger
For my love
But I saw your affections
For another
Why did you pull the trigger?
If you did not want me?
Did she love you better than I could?
What did I do
To receive this kind of hurt
The timbau player created a soft, low sound as he held the drum between his legs. It reminded me of Natalia Havana’s These Tears Are Not For You. That song was about a breakup in Havana’s real life and she had laid it bare in the music. Zakiyah’s song had a similar rhythm and I could tell she was influenced by Havana’s song. I heard the pandretta player slap her hand against the percussion instrument. She was in sync with the timbau drum player and it had that Guanamamma feel. I was already thinking how Latisha and I would dance to Zakiyah’s song. Despite the sadness of the song, I rocked back and forth in my seat. I looked at Latisha and she was doing the same. Zakiyah’s voice was not as deep as Natalia’s. But Zakiyah’s passion was similar to that of her predecessor.
“We can dance to this song,” Latisha said softly.
“I was thinking the same thing,” I replied, and reached for her hand under the table.
My love is loaded
Like bullets in a gun
Waiting for the trigger
To be pulled
By the right man in my life
But don’t come near
If you don’t know
How to handle me
Because my love is loaded.
The band finished the song and we all gave them a standing ovation. Zakiyah smiled and blew kisses to the audience. Latisha and I looked at each other and knew we wanted to dance to Zakiyah’s music. We gave a note to our server to pass along to Zakiyah. I hoped we could get a chance to meet her.
“Thank you Club Hancock for having us tonight,” Zakiyah said after the standing ovation. “We have another song to do for you later. Let me introduce the rest of the band. Please give it up for Cheeky Gonzalez, the best timbau drummer in the city.”
The crowd applauded as Cheeky smiled. His name suited him perfectly. He was a fair complexioned man with prominent cheeks.
“Give it up for the baddest pandretta player in the city. And a sister in spirit, Gwendolyn Ruiz!” The crowd continued their applause for Gwendolyn as she blew kisses to them. My wife stood up for Gwendolyn and I noticed how similar they looked. Ruiz was more slender than Latisha, but their hairstyle, skin tone, and facial features reminded me of each other.
“Last but not least. The best guitar player in the city and one of the greatest songwriters I have ever come across in my career. Give it up for Franklin Fields. We always call him F Square.”
The crowd applauded for F Square as he played several guitar licks to show his appreciation. He was a compact-built man with a coffee-colored complexion. F Square looked like he was meant to play guitar.
“Thank you, Zakiyah and the band,” the announcer said, after returning to the stage. “We will see you later for another song. Now it’s time to dance the evening away.”
The sound system player came on and I heard Don’t Be Afraid To Shake What You Got by Coltrain Hayes. I sighed. Coltrain Hayes had begun his long career singing Guanamamma music. He wrote songs about women he had relationships with like Tameka, Anna, & Wanda. They were declarations of love for him. But he decided to change to Piccanta music a couple years ago to stay relevant. I thought his newer songs were formulaic and a quick way to make some money.
“Are you Ciscoe Maldonado?”
A tan complexioned man wearing an orange jumpsuit and matching headdress approached our table.
“I am,” I replied. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
The man extended his hand in greeting. He had a firm handshake. “I’m Ravi Gancha, owner of Gancha’s in the Viddhana neighborhood of the South Walter’s Grove District. Mrs. Delia Villanueva told me about your situation and I would like to see if you and your lovely wife want to dance at my house in a few days from now.”
I looked over at Latisha and she smiled at Ravi’s compliment.
“We are free these days and will accept your offer,” I replied.
Ravi smiled and pulled out a card from his left pocket. “Here’s my information and I want you both to come to my house tomorrow evening for a visit and we can talk further. I think the world of Mrs. Delia Villanueva and if she vouches for you, then I’m interested. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening.”
He gave Latisha a kiss on her right hand and walked away.
“I would have never thought that people from the Viddhana neighborhood would be interested in Guanamamma dancing,” Latisha said.
“Same here,” I added. “Delia has done it again.”
***
Latisha and I got dressed the next evening to go to Ravi Gancha’s home in the Viddhana neighborhood of the South Walter’s Grove District. The neighborhood sat west of Ave Kummar, the city’s longest street, and just south of Ave Guana, the street that created the border for the South Walter’s Grove District.
The Viddhana people first settled in this part of city nearly one hundred years ago. Viddhana Hampi was the first explorer that came across the Omarra Sea into the western part of the land. I had always learned in school about the explorer Hendric Terrance Goltz who came across the Kammara Sea from the east, but not much about Viddhana Hampi. I learned about Viddhana Hampi and his people from Delia. Hampi left his homeland of Kanataka looking for silver. However, when the explorer and his small group of people arrived in the region they discovered guanna stalks instead of silver. Guanna stalks were a native plant to the region mostly in the area between the cities of Walter’s Grove and Adrian. The plant had been cultivated for food and the liquor: javann. Disillusioned by the discovery of the guanna stalks, Viddhana Hampi wanted to return to Kanataka and begin another exploration to find silver. However, the people that came with him wanted to stay and make a life in this new land. Viddhana reluctantly agreed with his people and prayed to their god, Hoymala for a sign that they were meant to remain in this land. The sign came when some members of the Nerdann tribe showed the Viddhana people how to cultivate guanna stalks to make their own food. Hampi believed it was meant for his people to remain in the land and declared this section of Walter’s Grove as the new homeland for the Viddhana people.
