AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Bottom was body to body but there wasn’t anything new about that. This place was the heartbeat of our little town. Mostly because there wasn’t much else here in Coleman but limited stock didn’t take away from the charm and appeal of this old staple.
Coleman, South Carolina was a tiny city just north of Greenville that few people knew about but if you’d heard of it, then you’d heard about The Bottom. This was home for me and no matter how many cities I’d been to, fancy clubs or bars I’d spent my time in, none compared to this place.
It raised my mother first and then me. Maybe that was part of why I loved it here so much. Even in her absence, I felt her spirit the strongest, each time I pushed through the doors.
“Cadee, drink’s up.”
“Thanks, Del. The crowd is getting loud and anxious. Hope they get started soon to calm these people down.”
I pushed an empty tray of glasses across the sleek surface of the bar and reached for a new one that held the round of drinks I was about to deliver. Glancing out at the sea of faces scattered about high-backed booths and tall round tables, I groaned knowing that tonight was going to be a long night.
Tips had better be good.
“Tommy’s getting things set up now. You heard of her?” She pointed to the stage with her forehead and I glanced that way before lifting the tray of drinks.
In her mind, I knew every person that managed to secure a deal, no matter where they were from or who they were connected to. Especially if the person had ties to New York and from what little I knew this girl did.
Del couldn’t fathom that a city so large could hold millions of souls that never crossed paths. Even if they shared the same dream. Maybe it was because she had lived in Coleman her entire life, never going any further north than the Carolinas.
Our hometown was a predominantly Black city where everyone knew everyone. It just made sense that the rest of the world functioned the same.
It didn’t.
Our small town bred people who looked out for you and cared about your wellbeing. It was rare not to find a warm smile and acceptance. Some of the places I’d been mirrored hell on earth and I never wanted to go back to what I’d left behind.
But here in the confines of these weathered walls, I felt like I could breathe. Here, I knew I was safe and Del made sure to always remind me that I was loved.
She and my mother had been the best of friends and this place was Del’s legacy. It went back four generations of Browns, passed down each time it needed a new lifeline which was how Del had ended up being the owner for the past fifteen years.
Her grandfather had signed the place over a few years before he died and there was no doubt that when it was time, another family member would take ownership when Del washed her hands of the place. For now it was her baby and she cared for it just as much as she did her own daughter…
And me.
She gave me a home. A promise that was made to my mother. One that would never be broken because they loved each other that much. Their friendship had been solid.
“Nope, she’s new. Pretty young too, but I heard her warming up in the back. She’s good. An old soul.”
“As good as you?”
“Doesn’t matter. That’s not my life anymore.” I shrugged it off and Del grunted under her breath.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with what’s going on in it.”
Don’t want to.
I didn’t know new artists. Didn’t seek them out, follow them online, nor did I ever really listen to them on the radio. Living here made it easy to be stuck in a time warp. Occasionally new artists came here but mostly when they were trying to make a name for themselves.
Never after they made it big so we missed all the hype surrounding their careers. Del liked oldies—blues, jazz, and old school R&B. When there weren’t performers the songs that played through the speakers were legendary greats.
Miles Davis. Coltrane. Monk. Luther. Anita. Shalamar. Atlantic Star. BB King. Johnny Guitar Watson. Betty Wright.
That suited me just fine.
“True, but I’d rather keep up with you. It’s why I came home. Missed you and this place way too much.” I stuck my tongue out and she flashed a warm smile, not calling me on my lie.
It was most certainly a lie.
I came home because I didn’t have anywhere else to go. No one who would hold me up when I felt like I was drowning. I ran and never looked back because here was where I should have been all along.
