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GIFTS

Chapter 6: With A Voice Like That...

"Damn, you all hear that little gal sing"?

"Yeah, Billy, we heard her".

The bartender made his way over to the newcomers with a fresh round of tallboys.

"You fellas like my waitress"?

Edward finished his beer and reached for a second one. "Thanks buddy. Who is she? She sings like an angel".

"Her name is Bella, but folks in these parts call her Sissy. She's like a big sister to everyone around here. Been working here forever, since before I bought the place. Hell, Sissy came with the place. Little gal shore can sing". And he wiped the bar with his ever-present cloth and went to tend to other customers.

Edward drew a long sip of his beer, deep in thought. He hadn't heard a voice as pure and honest as hers in years. And she had sung a Roberta Flack song! Roberta Flack of all people. Roberta, who had sung a duet with Donny Hathaway, one of his own musical heroes. Donny and Roberta had sounded so natural and powerful and real together. His mind raced with the possibilities.

Authors Note: Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway had a hit in 1972 with the song Where Is the Love? It will feature prominently later in this story.