Prince and I rode through downtown Minneapolis to go to what looked like a pizza shop.

  "I thought you didn't eat real food. Why are we here tonight?" I asked him confused.

Prince giggled a little as we pulled into the parking lot to find a decent spot to park.

  "What do you mean I don't eat real food. I eat the same stuff you do." He said as we still drove around looking for a spot.

  "Ok pause. Prince. Real food is what we're about to eat right now. The stuff you eat at your house is NOT real food! What the hell is arugula and chives dude?"

  "It's good for you though!"

I looked at the side of his face and I can tell it was making him uncomfortable.

  "You need to come back to reality with that vegetarian crap. I ain't wit it! A girl needs meat in her life. Some chicken! Pork chops! Barbecue ribs! And ooooo pulled pork sandwiches with home made baked mac and cheese and baked beans with potato salad. And collard greens. Mmmmm!"

I was so deep into my food fantasy that I didn't realized that we had parked and Prince had turned off the car. When I came to he was staring me down like I was nuts.

  "What? A girl can dream about food!"

He didn't say anything. He just looked at me and gave me an awkward smirk.

  "Shut up Prince! Don't act like you don't eat like a normal black person. I'm sure ya mama threw down back in the day."

Prince laughed and opened the door.

  "Carlyn you are something else. Come on let's go eat before you talk me into driving to the carolinas for soul food."

"That would be an awesome idea! Let's go!" I shouted to him getting out of the car.

"Absolutely not." He shouted back.

I ran up to meet him just as he opened the door to the restaurant. Prince held the door open and I went inside with him not too far behind me. The waitress greeted us with a big smile.

  "Well hello Skipper! Nice to see you here! And who's this?" The woman asked.

  "How are you my love? This is Carlyn. She's been taking lessons with me since the summer." He said as he shook my shoulders.

  "Hi Carlyn I'm Becca! Very nice to meet you!" She said putting her hand out.

  "Pleasure is mine Becca!" I said as I shook her hand.

Prince smiled and was rather impressed that I was extra polite and not my usual self. He realized that old Carlyn was dissipating and new Carlyn was entering the world. Even though old Carlyn wasn't afraid to come back and cut a bitch, I was still on my best behavior tonight.

  "The usual table tonight Skipper?" Becca asked him.

  "Ah you know me all too well my dear. Lead the way." He said with a smile.

She led up to a booth in the far right corner of the restaurant and we took our seats as the menus were placed in front of us.

"Anything to drink for you sweetie?" Becca asked pulling her pad from her pocket. She'd had her pen tucked just under her bun and when she pulled it out I get a little too excited.

  "You like batman too!" I exclaimed.

  "I do! Even though I prefer marvel comics over DC but this pen and this symbol has given this town new meaning." Becca said as she winked at Prince.

He flashed her a smile and tipped his hat to her.

  "Aww it's really nothing. How's your old man? He still come around?" He asked her.

  "Oh yeah! He'll be here in a little while! He's been wondering when you'd come back. We miss you coming to dinner here. And speaking of I'll put in for that veggie pizza and side garden salad with French dressing and a sweet tea."

My face was never so shocked.

  "So you do eat! And here I thought you were just a old beet eating guitarist." I said quiet surprised.

  "Mr. Nelson is always full of surprises! By the way thanks for the loan. I promise I'll pay it all back."

Prince waved his hand at her and shook his head.

  "Don't you dare worry about that. That was for you to keep. No loan. Finish school so you can do bigger things with your life. I've watched you grow into an intelligent young lady. I don't want you to waste that."

Becca smiled and seemed very grateful.

  "Thank you Skipper! You are a lifesaver!" She said excited.

She then turned to me with that same big smile.

  "I'm sorry I didn't even get your drink."

  "It's cool I'll just take a chocolate shake and a double burger hold the mushrooms. EXTA bacon." I said closing the menu.

  "No problem! I'll have that right out for you guys!"

Becca took the menus and went back to the kitchen. Prince and I sat in the booth looking at each other before we started our topic of conversation. The one thing that stuck out in my mind the most was the nickname. It was cute for a little kids but Prince isn't a kid. He's a grown man. My curiosity was eating me alive and I just had to ask.

  "Sooooo what was up with that?" I asked.

  "What?

I could tell Prince was confused but he already knew where this conversation was going.

  "It's a family name. Everybody calls me that. Well at least everyone who's close to me call me that."

  "Skipper." I said in an intrigued tone.

  "Yes. It's very fitting for me I think. When I was a kid my mom called my dad Prince too so to make sure she was calling the right Prince she just called me Skipper because I was the little prince and I was my dads Skipper."

  "Huh! Makes sense! I can feel that!"

Becca came back with Prince's sweet tea and my chocolate shake and before it hit the table Prince's eyes were on it. As I pulled it closer to me I had another question that was racking my brain.

  "Why are we sitting so far back anyway." I asked taking a sip of shake.

Prince pointed up to a mural of an elephant in a field of different flowers. The quote above the elephant read "There will be peace for those who love God a lot.". The quote made me smile a little then I figured it out.

  "You right?" I asked.

  "Of course! Why wouldn't it be? I helped with the funding to rebuild this place after it burned down."

I remembered seeing the flames on tv take this place and then a week after the fire the owner was on the tv in tears because he was happy that he was blessed with a check from an anonymous donor for the rebuilding.

  "Wait! You did this?"

Prince smiled and shook his head.

  "It's not a big deal." He gestured.

  "Not a big deal? Prince that was a million dollar check! That was an amazing thing you did! You should be proud of that!"

  "I am. I'd rather not brag about it though. Money isn't what's important. The people in this town that need it the most are."

The food came at last but it was silence between us. Prince was a genuine giver. There's more about him than I realized and now I feel like he's up to more than just giving away huge checks and buying my school clothes. He's still hiding something. But what?