La Bamba

BY SHAMARI GUERRANT

10 years later, Manuel Gomez is now a sophomore in college, majoring in music. Known on the internet for making singing and dancing videos for entertainment. Thanks to a recruiter who was at the talent show looking for a young singing artist, dancer or actress or at least someone someone who can fit those positions when Manuel was in 5th grade. The recruiter said that Manuel would be sustained for those positions once he examined Manuel’s amazing performance and realized how good he got  into character while singing “La Bamba”. Once Manuel leaves college, Nikolas, the recording artist that noticed Manuel is willing to sign him immediately and move him and his family to L.A.

Manuel attends the Berklee college of music which is located in Boston,MA. Since the record deal is waiting for him to finish college they were willing to pay for his family to come and stay with him around campus. Manuel is so in a haste to finish college and become famous that he’s forgetting that he has his own life problems aside from music. His mother’s sick, his dad’s busy working to pay for what the family needs and  his younger siblings aren’t doing good in school. Manuel becoming famous can and will benefit his family complications but what time would they get to spend with him?

It seems like the only thing that the music record cares for is making money and getting other benefits out of him. They don’t care about how he’s feeling or what’s going on besides the music and money. It’s either he makes good music, gets them money or he doesn’t. With or without him they’re always going to make money he was just going to make more money having Manuel Gomez, one of the first hispanics to become a singing artist and not singing hispanic music.

Manuel conceivably might be on thin ice in college. He’s doing good in his music class of course, I mean the music teachers love him but in the academic classes. He’s way behind either not coming to class, sleeping when he’s actually there or just not passing in assignments that are a major fraction of his grade.

There’s barely any time to spend with his family. Being in the music industry will result in him not being there for his mother’s last few breaths.

He loves his family but music is a big part of his life to and without it he won’t be able to help them financially and he’s already decided that he’d be in the music industry regardless of what anyone says because that’s his dream but one day reality hit him.

Manuel went to visit his family at the house that Nikolas, the music recorder rented for them. He walked in, saw his family at the dinner table, laughing, talking and enjoying dinner but once his little brother seen him he grew silence and stared at Manuel as he walked closer and closer to the table. Once his father turned around and seen that Manuel was finally in the house he began yelling, stood up and started to push him back out the house “NO GET OUT!” he repeated himself until he finally pushed Manuel completely out the house. Once Manuel was back on the porch his father yelled and said “SHOULDN’T YOU BE WRITING MUSIC SOMEWHERE? DON’T COME BACK TO THIS HOUSE UNTIL YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE AND CHERISH YOUR FAMILY!” Moments after that Manuel was back on campus inside of his dorm, laying down with his pillow over his face. Manuel’s roommate, Jim walked in asking what was wrong with him, why he had missed class and why he’s been slacking on his school work. Manuel had explained what had happened when he went to go see his family earlier that day and what his father had said to him. Jim explained to Manuel that no matter how much money he’s being offered, family always comes first. If you’re going to get money then do it the right way and even if music is what he really wants to do that he has to compromise with his family.

Manuel took Jim’s advice but it took Manuel a whole month to decide what he was going to do to compromise with music and his family. Manuel told the music record that if his family couldn’t come to rehearse with him then he wouldn’t be able to work for them anymore because that’ll result in family issues and they came first. Manuel went to his family’s house once again and had explained how things were going to be because he had worked with the record dealer so that’ll be able to spend time on both music and family at the same time. His family was so excited to hear that, even his father. He gave him a big hug and welcomed him back to the family, telling him how proud he was to have a son like him.

2 years later, Manuel had graduated college started his own record label called “Gomez” which is now the label that supports the biggest names in the singing/rap industry like Beyonce, Drake, Bryson Tiller and many more. As for his family? They’re doing better than ever. His mother is now healthy, his dad doesn’t have to work as much and his siblings are doing very well in school thinks to Manuel for paying for tutors.