Chapter 4

After the first three plays, I was recommended to another playwright called George Sinclair and decided we should collaborate together. Our work was bringing in quite some money. He wanted to go bigger and further than our town. He wanted to go national. I was skeptical. But I went along with it. The first 3 years were tough. We were constantly shot down and turned away. There was a lot of doubt.

We were always rejected and I was scared, this was a make it or break it industry. And I had a family to feed. George talked me into quitting one of my jobs to give my full attention to new movie idea he had. It was a gamble. But I did do it.

I wrote one of my best piece of screenplay's and he used his connections and sent it to one of the biggest actresses in the state. She fell in love with it and bought it for $32 million.

Taking the risk we put all our money in it. Plus the money we earned from the plays. We were able to get a loan from the bank. And together we produced and directed our own very first film. I wrote and George directed. It was an international hit. The movie Sands become one of the most talked about movie of the year. Unfortunately, it was not nominated for an award, but it did put our names out there.

The rest was history. A year after Sands we wrote and produced another mega hit The Miners of Detroit. This was even more successful than Sands. George was nominated for Best Director and our lead actress Francisca Veni was

nominated for best lead actress. They both lost. But it was a big event. Over the years, George directed and produced other movies.

George was a good man, he encouraged me to strike out on my own. I took his advice. I wrote three screen plays, all of which I sold quickly. I wrote a customized one for Liane Patrick, which earned her an Academy Award. I didn't stop there, I wrote and created and produced two hit television series 100 and End Time. HOTwas another series I was working on which will feature my mother. It was a cooking and talk show. It was becoming quite popular.

But the sky was the limit. I wrote three detective novels; all three New York Best Sellers. And of course, songs were just another form of screenplays. Some songs earned me Grammy's and nominations. I took an online school to get a degree in creative writing and music.

I was not famous, I mean I was no celebrity to the world which was no surprise. Most people do not care how a movie or song was created, just who sang it and who acted in it. Which was fine with me. I hated the paparazzi. How people did it was beyond me. Always hounding and looking for the right moment to strike. Like snakes.

But I was a celebrity in my own right. I was a celebrity to the stars. I had grown close to quite a few them. Writing songs or plays or movies for them gets you close to them. But apart from that, I was content with peace and quiet. Which is why each time I declined George's offer to be his date on some premiere or award.

I was relaxing and dozing off when one of my kids bellowed from down the den

"Mom, we are watching a movie!"

"Please do not shout" I called back.

"Sorry" he yelled again. I grabbed my juice and headed down the stairs. The den was dark and the movie was on a 72" plasma Tv. I took a seat next to mom. She handed me some popcorn. The den was a theater room, with a small kitchen and concession stand. I turned my eyes to the screen.

"Hey, why is he doing that?"

I knew that had to be Mario without turning my eyes from the screen. He always talked during movies. It drove his twin crazy. David took his took his movies very seriously; at times way too serious. That was one of the rare differences between the two boys. Apart from that, they enjoyed the same things. The same color; green. The same cartoons, Bugs Bunny and Flash.

The same subjects at school; science and social studies and music. They were both big football fans (soccer). Supporting Barcelona FC. And ironically they were both left handed. They did not finish each other's sentences but they were definitely entuned with each other's emotions. And they loved to play pranks on people.

I always say that they learned to cause mischief before they learned how to speak or walk.

"Shut up Mario" he growled.

"You shut up"

"Hey, hey no fighting" I reprimanded them. The movie went on. We watched another one and it was time for bed. It was past ten and tomorrow was church. That was one thing my mother no matter how old I was ordered me to go to. She did not care how busy or rich I was, Sunday was the Lord's day.

When the boys were in bed and tucked away I headed to my room. My mom was there sitting in my dresser chair.

"Everything okay mom?"

"Yes, sweetie. I just wanted to check how you were doing?"

I had to sigh. We went through this every week. She always asked how I was doing. I always told her I was fine and happy.

There was no cause for worry. But she asked anyway. She thought I was holding everything up and one day I would explode without warning.

I told her I was fine and not to worry her pretty little head over it. I was beyond okay. Those people were out of my life and I did not have to worry. I was happy. I had my family. I had her and the boys and were the most important things in my life.

Nothing else mattered.

Nothing could tear me or bring me down ever again. No man or woman or thing could.

I had learned very well in my 27 years.