Let Love Rule - Lenny Kravitz Page 0,73

way that hurt my mother?

The only recourse was to drive over to Cloverdale the very next day. By then, Mom had calmed down and was willing to hear us out. We apologized. We knew she felt disrespected, and we explained that had not been our intention. It wasn’t an easy conversation, but it was civil. It would take a while for the wound to heal. Finally, though, Mom acknowledged the love between me and Lisa. In due time, she and my wife grew close.

Dad was another deal entirely. When Lisa and I called him with the news, his reaction was to laugh and say it would never last.

Wow.

Still, nothing could bring us down. The two of us had to be the happiest people on planet Earth.

* * *

Back to work and the decision that had been hanging over my head: Was I going to commit full time to our band and accept the deal offered by Capitol Records? It should have been a no-brainer—except that my brain kept saying no. My brain kept hearing songs inspired by my love for Lisa and this new spirit she’d brought to my life. These songs had nothing to do with this band, no matter how great the band had become.

Raf told me that their deal was contingent on my being the lead singer. “Bro, it’s your voice on the demos. What are we supposed to do now?”

All I could say was that I was sorry, but I was out.

At this point, I was getting a reputation. It was nuts. There I was, working my ass off for months—rehearsing, showcasing, outfitting—only to blow it off at the very moment it really mattered. What was my problem?

The guys were furious. And I understood why. We’d put in so much time together. Yet meeting Lisa had rearranged everything about me. She had become my muse. She had me writing in ways I’d never written before.

I quit the band. Fortunately, soon after, they found another singer, Robi Rosa, later known as Draco. He’d left Menudo, the superstar boy band with Ricky Martin, where Robi sang lead on their biggest hit, “Hold Me.”

The new lineup eventually made an album for Capitol and toured with Fishbone and Faith No More. They called themselves Maggie’s Dream, also the title of their first and only album. Ironically, the name came from a book about aspirational African Americans, Maggie’s American Dream, written by Dr. James Comer, a friend of Mom’s from Howard University, who had visited us years earlier at Cloverdale.

* * *

Lisa was excited about my decision to go solo. We talked about the artistic process.

Things that are authentic and organic take the time they take.

New life has a rhythm of its own.

“LISA BONET IS PREGNANT, BUT DENISE HUXTABLE IS NOT”

It happened in the Bahamas in the early spring of 1988.

I wanted Lisa to meet my family in Nassau, especially cousins Esau and Jennifer. I wanted to show her my roots and have her experience the joy of my island life.

I also knew that Lisa would love it there, and naturally she did.

After a few days in Nassau, we bumped into my cousin Diana, a nurse who babysat me as a kid, and her husband, Bill, a British teacher. They had just relocated to Gregory Town, on the island of Eleuthera, to work at the clinic and primary school. Diana was raving about her new home. “Man, you got to come see it for yourself. Trust me. Come stay with us. Relax.”

After a few days of spending time with my family, we decided to take Diana up on her offer. Although I’d spent my whole childhood in the Bahamas, I had never left the island of Nassau. I was curious. So why not have an adventure?

We found out that a boat called the Current Pride was leaving for Eleuthera early that very evening. It was twenty-five dollars per person, which got you a sandwich, a soda, and passage to Hatchet Bay, where the boat let you off at midnight.

When we arrived at the dock, people were lined up with huge bags and boxes that they were toting to the island. On board, there were giant pallets of goods, everything from Pampers to caged chickens to one beat-up old car.

Though it’s only fifty miles from Nassau to Eleuthera, the trip took five hours. The ocean breeze was fragrant and mild. A full moon cast a glow of shimmering silver on the dark water.

Lisa and I climbed a little metal ladder and found