Los Angeles, Winter 1999
The
applause was deafening as the last curtain call came, ending the
month long run of Richard O’Brien, Rocky Horror
Picture Show. Sadie Banks followed the
rest of the crew backstage to the dressing rooms. She dropped a towel on the
ground and dropped down in a heap of sweat and exhilaration on the
floor next to her best friend and fellow dancer, Minako
Chouda.
“You got another show lined up yet?” Minako asked, offering her a
bottle of water.
Accepting the water, Sadie answered, “Yes. Thank God. The next
production I’m working will be in New York. It will be great to be home
for a while. We pay
ridiculous rent on a place we hardly get to live in. What about you?” Sadie took a deep swallow of
water before setting it aside to release the strap across her instep
before she eased off the soft character dance heel and wiggled her
toes beneath the off black sheer stockings.
“I had a couple of promising auditions, but I’m going to take
some time off to spend with Mom.” Minako answered while
stuffing her carrier bag with personal
items.
“Are you going to Japan?”
“No, Mom’s here.” Minako shook her head, smoothing her
curtain of shimmering black hair behind her ears as she leaned
forward and shoved a makeup bag inside the larger bag. “Well, not here in Los
Angeles, but in New York.
I want her to meet George.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Sadie sighed. “She will love
George. Besides, your
father already approves.
I’m sure that will help things go
smoothly.”
“My father’s opinion probably doesn’t have as much clout
since they’ve divorced,” Minako murmured. “Mom is more of a
traditionalist. She was
born and raised in Japan, where my father is Japanese
American.”
“I can’t believe
your folks divorced after thirty years of marriage. They always seemed so
happy.”
“They were. They
still are; just not with each other,” she chuckled. “Growing up in the
household, it was no secret that theirs was an arranged marriage
between fathers who were best friends. After Subaru won that music
contest when he was sixteen and mom chose to accompany him to Osaka,
we knew it was pretty much over between our
parents.”
“Do you regret staying in New York with your father?” Sadie
asked.
“No, I had aspirations of my own,” Minako shook her head.
“Besides, Subaru is the
baby of the family.
There is a ten-year difference in our ages. He needed Mom more than I
did. She supported me
all my life and saw me through dance school in Paris. It was Subaru’s
turn.”
“Your older brother, Ichiro, has just always been on his own,
huh?”
“No, he had our grandparents to himself. Ichiro remained in Japan
with my mother’s parents,” Minako supplied. “He had a girl he loved and
wanted to someday marry.
He refused to leave her behind, so he
stayed.”
Sadie nodded and took another drink of water. “Oh man, it will be great to
see Subaru again. He’s
all grown up now.
He’s what, twenty years old?”
“Yeah,” Minako picked up her water bottle and sipped before
saying, “Hopefully this time you don’t have to worry about him
walking on your heels and talking nonstop. What did you two have to
talk about anyway?”
“Mostly music and dancing,” Sadie answered. “Even back then he would
pick up his guitar or sit at the piano and play such beautifully
composed music. Here was this
eleven-year-old kid, composing music like I’ve never heard and he
was even more skilled at fourteen when I saw him again. I can’t believe he’s wasting
it on that mediocre female vocalist Riya’s
band.”
Her expression thoughtful, Sadie said, “He sung them with so
much emotion. He was
singing about love and heartbreak like he’d been through it a
hundred times! I often
wondered where it was coming from. All that emotion, yet his
experiences were few.”
“Mother
says Subaru is an empath.” Minako explained. “He
unknowingly has the ability to feel another's true
emotions to a point where he relates to that person by sensing the
true feelings that run deeper than those portrayed on the
surface. She believes
these emotions come out in the music he writes and in his playing in
general.”
“I can believe that,” Sadie nodded.
“Well, whatever special talent my brother has, it’s all going
to making Riya Matsuda famous for she takes all the credit for the
music he writes. I
personally think my brother has a crush on her and she is taking
full advantage of his feelings for her.”
“If he is allowing her to take full credit for his music,
maybe it’s more than a crush,” Sadie said softly. The idea saddened her and
she wasn’t sure why.
“How does she feel about him?”
“I personally think she is just another opportunist. She will keep him dangling
in her web until she no longer needs him, or she finds someone else
that can give her what she wants.” Minako’s voice was full of
mistrust.
Minako screwed the bottle top back on the bottle of water and
shoved it into her gym bag with the stuff she’d cleaned out of her
dressing room locker.
“Maybe while he’s here, he will talk to you about what’s
going on in his private life.”
“Subaru isn’t a kid anymore. He definitely won’t be
interested in hanging out with me like he used to.” Picking up her carrier, she
eased her burning achy feet into a pair of soft-sole slippers. “I’m ready to go if you
are.”
Both the ladies headed out of the auditorium waving and
exchanging “goodbye” hugs with their fellow dance troupe members of
the show. Some they
knew they would be working with again soon, while others they would
never cross paths with again. Ending a long-run show
was always bittersweet. It was like losing members of
your family after every show went black.
“Hey, Sadie!
Holdup a moment!”
Sadie slowed and turned at the sound of her name. An easy smile came to her
lips. “Mr. Horowitz, I
didn’t know you were in Los Angles.”
The
aging handsome man came forward in assured strides. His thinning light
brown hair was swept back, revealing a broad forehead. The most attractive thing
about him, Sadie thought as he halted in front of her, was his
arresting blue eyes and wide-toothed grin.
“Told
you to call me Marshal,” he corrected. He slid one hand in his
front trouser pocket and shifted most of his weight to one leg in a
nonchalant stance. “Are
you two ladies going to the wrap-up party at the Wiltern
Theatre
in Koreatown?” Marshal asked,
briefly touching Sadie’s hand.
She
looked up into his weathered lined face and felt awareness in the
pit of her stomach. His
unflinching sky blue gaze lingered on her although the question was
addressed to Minako and herself.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Minako said with a
smirk.
Sadie
gave her a hard, warning look to be nice.
“Yeah, we’ll be there as soon as we go to the hotel to shower
and change,” Sadie replied in softer tones to compensate for Mina’s
rudeness. Marshal was a
nice enough man. He was
making a name for himself of being an A-1 Director on the Broadway
circuit and was about to roll out his own production in which he
offered her the lead and the chance to stay at her home base of New
York. She was grateful
that he considered her for the role. There weren’t
t
oo many shows on Broadway these days offering leading roles
to the Black female dancers regardless of how talented they
were.
“Great to hear; then I will see you there,” Marshal winked at
her.
“Uh, Mr. Horowitz, I wouldn’t have pegged you for one to like
Japanese Rock music,” Minako piped in.
“Heh?” He cocked
a bushy eyebrow in question tearing his gaze from Sadie’s face to
stare at Minako.
“My brother’s band is playing there tonight. I think the crowd may be a
bit too young for your taste is all I’m
saying.”
“Minako,” Sadie elbowed her in the
arm.
“We’ll, I...”
The cellular phone shrilled at his hip. “Excuse me a moment
ladies. I need to take
this call.” He started
speaking into the phone as he walked away.
“What’s with you, Mina?
Why are you always so rude to him?” Sadie asked in hushed
tones.
“He’s nice and he’s opening up some new doors for me,” Sadie
pointed out.
“Yeah, but what is he wanting in return?” Minako rolled her eyes,
cocked and crossed her arms over her breasts. “You are far from
naïve, so don’t even try and play. You know he’s trying to tap
your ass. I've slept
with enough of these creeps to know that and so have
you.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” Sadie eyed Marshal while he
stood unaware. He had a
nice body on him. So
what if he was older than she, losing his hair and not her usual
type? She’d had enough
of the musician types; maybe it would be best to try an older, more
distinguished entrepreneur with an understanding of the
business.
“Geeze, I know that look,” Minako shook her
head.
“What? Shit,
girl, it’s been awhile for me.
At the very least, I can consider it and knock the edge off,”
she laughed softly.
“Doing the Horizontal Mumbo with someone that is going to be
your boss; it’s not a good idea, Sadie.”
“I haven’t done anything, have I? Either way, you need to be
nicer because Marshal has been nothing but nice to the both of us,
right?”
“I’ll do it for you, but I don’t like it, or him,” Minako
murmured and went quiet as Marshal closed his mobile phone and
approached them.
“My apologies ladies, but it seems as if I have a business
crisis I need to deal with and won’t be able to make the party
tonight.”
“Awe,
damn,” Minako crooned.
“That is too bad.”
Sadie’s smile slipped a bit but she avoided looking at Minako
who she was sure gloating big time about now. “I’m sorry to hear that
Marshal, maybe another time.”
“You can count on it,” Marshal looked into her eyes and held
them. “How about I make
it up to you over dinner?
Call me when you return to New
York?”
“I’d like that,” Sadie nodded.
“Err...you’re welcome to come too, Miss Chouda,” Marshal
turned to look at the fair woman standing at Sadie’s
side.
“Thank you, but I’m sure I will be
busy.”
“I’m sure you will be,” he said dryly. “Ladies, have a good
night.” Marshal nodded
and turned on his heels when his phone rang again and he immediately
answered the call.
Before Sadie could reprimand Minako about her behavior again,
she said, “I’m sorry. I
just don’t like him,” and sauntered over to the awaiting
taxi.
Sadie shook her head and released a long sigh as she caught
up to her and slid in to slump comfortably into the back seat of the
taxi. At least this one
didn’t stink of stale cigarettes and piss like the one they arrived
in earlier.
“I wouldn’t be going to this bitch’s show if my brother
wasn’t in the band,” Minako muttered. “I’m thinking we should wait
until we think it’s almost over and show up long enough to pick up
Subaru and go party somewhere else.”
“It’s up to you,” Sadie shrugged. “I feel my stage-high coming
down,” she yawned. “I
would love some smoked eel sushi, a good book and an early night
myself.”
Minako cut a glance at Sadie. “Don’t even think about
staying at the hotel and leaving me out on my own with my kid
brother. I haven’t seen
much of him in years. I
don’t know what he’s into these days. To me, he will always be the
introverted geeky kid brother that likes to keep his head buried in
video games and his music.”
“Just ask him what he wants to do when you see him. Maybe he will just want to
chill quietly after the show.
If so, you can hook up tomorrow and do something
touristy. Tonight, all
you need to do is just show up, find out where he’s staying, you
know...just make a connection like your mom wants you to
do.”
“Yeah,” Minako nodded in agreement. “What are you
wearing?”
“Something casual I’m thinking.”
“Sadie, something casual to you is something ‘dressy’ to
others.”
“You know me Mina; I’m a Goth type of gal. I adore my corsets, pencil
skirts, ruffled blouses and vintage spike-heeled shoes or my
platforms shoes, high neck blouses and tulle skirts,” Sadie laughed
softly. Her head,
resting on the interior seat, lolled and rocked each time the cab
driver hit a dip or bump in the road. “I’m not going to change me
to suit that J-Pop Princess band your brother is playing
for.”
Minako snickered.
“You know that’s wacked right? What the hell came over
him? When Subaru
started out with his first band, he was the lead singer and
guitarist. He was pure
rock and roll and metal.
I felt it was his niche. The next thing I know, he’s
being headhunted for this band with a big contract and when I found
out who it was with, I didn’t speak to him for
months!”
“Did Subaru ever tell you why he left the other band?” Sadie
asked.
“No, he would have told you quicker than he would have told
me.” Minako shrugged her shoulders.
“What does that mean?”
“You’re telling me Subaru doesn’t shoot you an email every
once in awhile?” Minako
asked.
“Just on holidays, birthdays and such, but not like he used
to when he first moved to Japan. Now they are short and
sweet. Nothing about
what’s going on in his life or I would have told you; you know
that.”
“I just think it would have made more sense to me if Subaru
had moved on to something better for him. But it’s stupid to give up a
solo gig to become a backup singer and lead guitarist for Riya. I don’t understand it; do
you?”
“You said it earlier.
He has a crush on Riya.” Sadie laughed at Minako’s
expression. “C’mon, it
makes a lot of sense. If he and Riya are romantically involved,
being in the same band people wouldn’t have such a big issue out of
building a romance between them. But if you want to be sure,
why not ask him?”
“Because it will piss me off and ruin our reunion if he tells
me to mind my own business.”
Minako gave her a sly look out of the corners of her exotic
dark eyes. “Hell, it would piss me off even more if he tells me he’s
in love with the bitch.
What? I don’t
like her?”
“Have you liked anyone that I or your brother has been
interested in?”
“Subaru hasn’t liked anyone but you and Riya from what I can
tell, and--”
“It’s not like that between us; you know that,” Sadie
injected.
“I know it’s not for you. He’s just a kid, but nothing
you can say will convince me you weren’t his first crush,” Minako
teased.
“A first crush is nothing in comparison to a first love. Be mindful of that, just in
case he has fallen in love with Riya and refrain from giving him
your two cents like you do me,” Sadie
chastised.
“Yeah, speaking of you, let’s talk about you and your
non-existent love life.”
“Let’s not,” Sadie groans. “I haven’t had a love life
for two years now, so there is nothing to talk
about.”
“You were a happier person when you were getting you some,”
Minako murmured.
“Until I had to take my STD tests, and have you seen how
expensive condoms are now?
The sex was great. It’s all the other mind
numbing responsibilities and emotions that come with it that
convolutes the mind and body.”
Sadie defended her decision.
“Well, tell me
how is the celibacy working out for you? Is it giving your karma or
whatever shit you were trying to tell me
enlightenment?”
Sadie
made a face and laughingly said, “I’m laying the
foundation for spiritual progression to conserve Ching Chi and
transform it into a positive behavior. My behavior prior to finding
enlightenment from within was destructive to my body, soul and
nature.”
“Huh...okay...if you say so.” Minako’s lips twitched at
the corner. “You can
have all that stuff with a good man in your life.”
“Mina, I discovered after several broken relationships in a
ten year period that there hasn’t been a man made for me yet. I have abandonment issues
because I lost my parents when I was a
kid.”
“Many kids have lost their parents and went on to be in
loving healthy relationships, Sadie.”
“When my grandmother passed away, I really felt completely
alone and as if my life hadn’t already sucked enough, I became a
burden to my aunt when they moved me into her house. Trust me, if I didn’t have
issues before, living with her family brought me to a new level of
dysfunctional.”
“That’s why you need to try harder than anyone else to make a
good home for yourself and have lots of babies. You need to create some good
memories and give your children everything you missed out on,”
Minako reasoned with unwelcomed frankness. “I know it’s something you
secretly long for.”
“Yeah,
I said it when I was what, eighteen?” Sadie said accentuating the
annoyance she felt more with herself than with Minako. “I think my life is better
the way it is now. I
don’t have to answer to anyone. My career is on the
rise. My money is good
and I’m too busy to give a man the attention it takes to maintain a
healthy relationship.”
“You need to find a man that has a career similar to
yours. You can’t date
Dr. Dan down the way.
He is probably looking for a sweet housewife that keeps
everything immaculate. He will want dinner cooked
and you know your ass can’t cook.”
“My granny taught me how to cook when I was a little girl,”
Sadie protested. “It’s
just I can’t cook that healthy calorie free shit that ya’ll like to
eat to keep those girly stick dance
figures.”
“Oh wow, like I’m the only dancer in this car. Your bubble butt would get
out hand if I didn’t stay on you.” Minako reached out and
pinched her.
“Will you stop,”
Sadie burst out laughing and playfully tapped Minako’s knee. “Those skinny fingers
hurt.”
“I bet if you were to marry that tight-ass old guy, Horowitz,
he will want you to hang up your dance shoes and keep his
polished.”
“Oh my damn, you are so wrong,” Sadie scoffed. “I don’t even see that man
like that. We are going
to work together; that’s all.”
“You need to remind him of that because I see much more than
you do.”
“You
worry about keeping your
man
happy and I will keep my mind on my
career.”
“Alright...alright,” Minako huffed.
With a heavy heart, she rode in silence beside her friend,
enjoying the way she happily chatted about her relationship and
plans for the future with George. Sadie was resentful although
she knew she shouldn’t be.
She wanted the best for Minako; she just hated the thought of
their lives taking them in separate directions and possibly causing
them to lose touch with one another.
Sadie also wasn’t ready to admit the idea of her never
finding someone to share her life with bothered her.
