Becoming Nichole

By Jolene

 

I was a music reporter for a North Carolina weekly newspaper. The Weekly Appalachian perhaps you read my articles David Wingate’s musical beats. I studied them all, Jazz, pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, folk, soul, Roots music and Americana too.

When Pop-star sensation Nichole Hernandez died in an unexpected Airplane crash a week earlier something snapped in my cerebral cortex. I became obsessed with her life and all she accomplished. She was a beautiful, attractive young African-American woman. Beginning as a 15-year-old singer, she became a sensation with her hit, "Boy Be A Man" to her star making as a 23-year-old R&B artist. Her last song "Let Me Be Your Dream Tonight" her sound was fresh and exciting.

As an up and coming talent, made her film debut with Li Wang in China Blues, before her tragic end had signed to play a secondary role in the sequel to the modern classic The Virtual Man. She had it all.

When I became obsessed with Nichole. I heard stories about Hex signs and magic as a young boy growing in my grandparent’s farm in Pennsylvania. I wondered if the magic was real or just a wives tale.

Now I had interviewed her on one or two occasions, Nichole was a very down to earth person to talk to. Growing up in Memphis even after becoming a pop star in, she went back to school, graduated with her high school and was just another girl. Everyone adored her who knew her.

I found a photograph of us together. About a week after Nichole’s passing, I moved to the Amish country of Penn County Pennsylvania where I met an old woman named Janice who was a sign maker.

"Mr. Wingate. You’re playing with gods and magic you have no right too. I will draw your sign. There’s no guarantee you’ll go back in time. If you do, you’ll go back to your last meeting when you met with Ms Hernandez, about three weeks before her accident. Fate is fate. It can’t be cheated. There’s no guarantee you can save her."

"Janice, my parents have passed on. I’m currently without a girlfriend. And I’m on leave from my job. I have no strings to hold me back. My grand mother told me stories. I’m curious to see if they are true."

"You seem like an honest and decent man. I will make your sign and if your heart is true in knowing Nichole. Things will come to pass."

She drew the hex sign as a young man and woman sitting on a couch. The hotel room where the interview had taken place was at the Carlton in Raleigh. I’d be transported back to that morning. Janice gave me a sedative after drawing the sign but unbeknownst she had reversed us. Recited a strange incantation in flash of wave and lights I was in a hotel room. It was Nichole’s hotel room that morning.

Dazed and confused I saw a young black man sleeping next to me. Caressing my new soft shoulders and long black hair. "Hey baby, how’s my girl thing?"

Suddenly I knew who he was, somehow I had gotten Nichole’s memories. All morning as I touched things of hers. My memories got mixed in hers. As if I had been living her life. As I’m sure somewhere in North Carolina, She had gotten mine. Some how we had switched bodies. This is not what I wanted at all.

I responded to Nash, Nichole’s boyfriend smiling. "Your girl thing’s tired. I know my boy ain’t dissing, where I know he shouldn’t be."

"Babe, you know me better than that." He turned me to him in bed and kissed me. I replied the courtesy spontaneously.

"If you’ll excuse me, lover. I have to get dressed. I have tons to do this morning. Interviews, sound checks at the stadium, and everything else."

"Call your mom. She called last night when you had that hospital gig."

It all came back in flashes her mother, father, family, friends, even the gig at the hospital. I recalled that vaguely but wasn’t as David Wingate it was as Nichole. More and more memories came to me during the day. Whether it was an entourage or one of the back up singers. They had known her since high school. I just adored Natasha, Penelope, and Sandra. Nichole treated them like sisters and they were. We giggled, laughed, flirted with Nash, the roadies and the band and had a blast. Nash was just as sweet as he could be.

After showering, I got a good look at Nichole. Her hair was long and black falling pass her breast line into a peek-a-boo style. Her breasts were pert and shapely. She has a beautiful complexion with perfect skin and tone. Looking at her teeth, they were straight and just been cleaned before Raleigh. Some how the memory popped into my/her head.

All five foot – 8 inches of her stared back satisfied. I put on panties, a pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt from the University of North Carolina. It was a gift from some college students. I made myself up with a little blush, lipstick and eyeliner. Nash and I kissed until we were breathless than I started my rounds with several phone calls and breakfast. Being a star isn’t all fun and glamour. It takes work and more work. You spend almost as time on the phone with agents, etc as you do on stage. How Nichole did it all with such grace and style was beyond me. She was certainly star in the making.

Then about noon a phone call came from the blue, made me gasp. Nichole’s publicist Jordan lumley took the call. It came from my other self or that could I remember. It was Nichole as David Wingate. I gasped but kept control and told Jordan I’d do the interview with him along with some other reporters.

The one-on-one came about four that afternoon after a press session with several other local and national media. Nichole seemed surprisingly comfortable as Wingate asking questions. I could swear she was coding me. I had some black shades wearing a leather jacket and pants. She wearing a nice blazer suit there was a connection.

I did the best I could with everything, the album, movies, upcoming videos, and all that. Nichole gave me the answers with loaded questions. More and more we were becoming each other and we knew it too.

I invited Nichole for a private one on one. Joanna wasn’t so sure. I told her it would be cool. Nash was at the stadium looking over things. It would give us some time.

Nichole, asked a simple question, "What am I doing here in a man’s body talking to myself but I don’t feel like me anymore. I’m not dead, I have an ex wife – gambling debts that are almost paid off. And a cat with shed problem. I don’t understand."

"It’s magic. I didn’t mean it to happen like this. Our sides were reversed and I became you."

"Magic! Nikki if I may call you that, Momma said never play with magic because it always plays with you!"

"Dave, I’m sorry! I can’t believe this were arguing like old friends or something."

"Wingate if you’re looking for a story. This is one hell of an angle!"

"I’m not looking for angle. I wanted to save you Nichole because you’re great talent. Look at my life I’ve got nothing. You’re the one who needs saving here not me."

"What happened in the plane crash is still fuzzy. I remember before but not after that I don’t recall anything else. Dave I did my thing and did it the best I could. I’ve lived your life for one day from what I see. You have plenty. Your award for writing ain’t bad. I don’t have that."

"Nikki, you do or will the R&B Awards in two weeks. You swept several categories, for vocal, writing, and video."

"Forgot about those nominations, stunned me cold. I don’t know if we become ourselves again or not. How’s Nash?"

"He’s good. Actually he’s great. You got a special one right there."

"No you do. Your ex called she wants to see you, get together tonight."

"Mary, is a trip. I loved her but I just couldn’t commit and she didn’t want to wait. That’s a new wrinkle in the continuum."

"In your time, she never called? If we end up staying like this, the shoot in the Bahamas, I never acted like a diva when I was with the gang that wasn’t my thing. Babe, don’t get on that plane, or if you can, talk them into chartering a second plane."

"Guy friend I was going to suggest the same thing." We smiled and shook hands. Our touch must have downloaded more thoughts into each other. I kissed the man on the cheek who once was me. There was humor and a grin on his face. Nichole now David Wingate smiled kissed my hand and said goodbye.

I told her about Janice and her address to see if he wanted to contact her, as he scribbled some notes methodically into his notebook. The notes were for an interview piece more likely and to keep appearances. The gig was in two hours. I needed to get ready. Eventually, our memories of our past life would slowly fade away.

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The shoot in the Bahamas two weeks later was blistery and hot. Wearing skimpy suits, tank tops, bikini skirts, a blouse and a sarong was fun but hard work. The dance routine on a Catamaran was impossible. It was me and a party 12 other women proved wearisome. I loved the song and the idea. Nikki and Jim Rockingham, her writing partner, must have worked on it for weeks and did.

Come time to fly back to Miami. They had ten people with half a ton of equipment loaded onto a twin Cessna to take us back and huge storm on the way. The pilot acted like he didn’t have a clue, vaguely remembering what Nikki told me. I showed my butt and acted like a Diva as I told my producer.

"Logan, I don’t want to seem rude or arrogant. It’s been a tough shoot and fun. But this is dangerous and doesn’t show a lot of common sense."

"Nikki, there isn’t time to get a bigger plane. We can load the stuff, have the video shipped to LA, when we get back to the Miami and still have time for a Junket tour and premiere the song at the Music Awards."

"Logan, that ain’t what I’m saying. At the airport they had another small plane for charter. Charter a second plane I’ll pay for it if that what it takes. I know these girls and guys they’re family to me. I just don’t feel comfortable with this situation. You feeling me?"

I surprised myself and Logan Monroe gave in. He chartered the plane to the record company. What a sweetie. There was severe turbulence but we got back safely. All the equipment had been loaded on the second plane. Logan about died when the pilot had to make a safe landing just off the coast but everything was saved that mattered.

Fifteen people had lost their lives in that crash. I saved Nikki, the girls, the band, and the president of Sound Dog records Logan Monroe. I felt good and called Nash. I just felt I wanted to be with him.

 

Epilogue

That night Nash and Nichole rocked the Casbah till the pillars crumbled in their Hotel room.

"I know my girl thing ain’t dissing me."

"I know my boy thing ain’t dissing me. You’re kind of cute when you want to be."

"Girl you have no idea." Nash took her into his large chest with his muscular arms and took her breath away.

The Awards came and went. Along with Nichole, her, sister and brother, she dedicated her awards to their father and mother.

Nichole heard David Wingate reconciled with his wife and was thrilled for them both. The two developed a friendly relationship of Journalist and Star.

Later she heard from David an old woman had passed away in Pennsylvania having written an apology to David. Nichole sent a flower bouquet to her grave with condolences and a thank you note to a Penn County Pennsylvania address. The name said Janice Delph.

 

End

 

 

 

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© 2001 by Jolene. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.