Standing on the subway platform, Jasmine felt the cold wind blowing frosty kisses across her face. As she swept her long black hair behind her ear, she caught sight of two young lovers kissing and she smiled as her mind traveled to him. Miles Davis Chase…a tall caramel brown skinned brother with an athletic build and a smile that could make you feel the sun shining in the middle of a snowstorm. Miles…the man who made her believe in dreams again, Miles…the one who knew her better than anyone, Miles…the peanut butter to her jelly. But, in order to understand their connection…their bond, you have to understand who they are as individuals, to truly understand that…you have to go back to the beginning.
Miles
Miles Davis Chase was born September 9, 1974 to James and Loretta Chase. James Chase was a serious jazz fan and musician…in fact that was about the only thing he was serious about, so when he had a son, he gave him the name of his favorite musician...Miles Davis. James Chase idolized Miles Davis and he always swore he would be the next great trumpet player to share his gift with the world. But James spent his entire life doing just what his name implied...chasing his dreams. He left Miles and his mother when Miles was only three years old. Initially, he would come to see Miles every month, then every 6 months…each time filling his head and heart with fake promises of father son outings and family trips to Disney Land that never happened. Instead, with each visit all James ever left behind for his son were tears that Loretta had to wipe away; a broken promise she had to explain away; and a broken heart that she could never quite mend for her son.
After his last visit Loretta sat hugging her now six year old son, trying to soothe the latest in a long history of disappoints by her estranged husband. She tried to remember why she ever fell in love with James Earl Chase in the first place. Her mind traveled back to when they first met. Loretta was just 18 years old at the time, wide eyed and very naïve. With her curvaceous body and pecan tan complexion, she could give Pam Grier a run for her money on any day of the week. Loretta was still living at home and working as a cashier in a local drug store. She was an obedient and shy young woman who rarely went out, besides the occasional trip to the mall or movies with friends…that was until her friend Jeanette suggested that they check out a local bar and grill called Joe’s.
Loretta had borrowed a sexy black halter top with matching black hot pants and Go-Go boots from Jeanette’s closet. Her naturally curly hair which she usually wore in a ponytail, was now hanging free resting just below her shoulders and partially covering a pair of large gold hoop shaped earrings. Glossy red lipstick clung to her full sensuous lips; and the Channel No. 5 that she was wearing compliments of the tester bottle at the perfume counter at the mall, left a hypnotic effect on all the men she walked past. Her new look was so surprising that Loretta felt like she was playing the part of someone else’s life in a movie. While still in awe of her amazing transformation, her leading man entered stage right (from the back room).
“Wow, I must have died and gone to heaven because I swear I am looking at an angel”. Loretta was about to tell the stranger that his line had to be the corniest thing she had ever heard, but when she looked up into the eyes of what had to be the most gorgeous man she had ever seen, all she could do was smile. “Hey sexy momma my name is James, what’s yours?” Still smiling and blushing, she placed her hand in his outstretched palm and replied, “Loretta…Loretta Davis”. Loving the effect he was having on her, he continued, “Well Loretta Davis, maybe you will give me a chance get to know you better”. Giggling and showing her obvious inexperience with male compliments, Loretta responded “Maybe”. “Why don’t we go outside and talk” James offered with plans of seeing if Loretta’s lips were as juicy and sweet as they appeared. “Ok” she replied and accompanied James outside.
That was the beginning of the end for Loretta. James charmed her into giving him her phone number at work (since her father would never approve of him calling the house). Pretty soon, Loretta was using every opportunity she had to be with him. He would woo her with stories of a glamorous life as a musician in New York and shopping sprees in Paris. She was so in love with him that she would do anything he asked and it was not long before James charmed Loretta into giving him her virginity as well.
When Loretta became pregnant, James told her that he was going to marry her and that she was going to have the life of her dreams. He spun tales of how he was going to be the next Miles Davis and that they were going to live the good life in a luxury apartment on Park Ave. He told Loretta that if their baby was a boy, he wanted to name him Miles Davis Chase. Loretta agreed it was a great name for their son; of course she was so in love with James by this point any name he suggested would have been a great name.
Loretta packed her bags, picked up her last check and met James at the court house. They said their vows in front of the Justice of the Peace and then boarded a bus to New York. She left a note for her parents, telling them that she was going to live the life of her dreams with the man she loved and their expected child. After arriving in New York pregnant, newly married and with only $50 between them, Loretta quickly saw that that dream life James had promised was not as glamorous as she thought it would be.
Loretta and James moved into a shabby apartment above the restaurant where she was a waitress and he was a dishwasher and bus boy. Money was tight and James started to feel the pressure of having a young pregnant wife and a dream of being a musician that was not coming true as quickly as he expected. On September 9, shortly after midnight Loretta’s water broke and so did James’ spirit. He was suddenly faced with the reality that he was 20 years old and had a wife and child that he now had to take care of. He began to grow bitter and blamed his non-existent music career on his wife and son.
Soon, things became really tense in the house and Loretta found herself home alone a lot with her son. This continued until Miles was about three years old. Then Loretta found that her husband stopped coming home at all. One day after returning from her shift with Miles in tow, she found a note from James saying that he needed time to get his head straight and pursue his music career. He came around for a while periodically feeding Loretta lies about potential job offers to play in a band and a better life for their family. After about three years of sporadic visits and fanciful tales, James stopped coming around all together; leaving behind a wife with a broken heart and son with a face that was an everyday reminder of the man who broke it.
(Excerpt from forth coming book: Like Peanut Butter and Jelly)
