Rise Of Stardom

Houston, Texas

On the crisp morning of February 15th, 1991, the tour was in full swing, and the anticipation was evident. Taiyon found himself in a moody and groggy state as he boarded the tour bus. With Atlanta, Georgia, in the background, the journey began. The hours on the road faded away, before long, a pit stop was made at a olde roadside diner settled in the heart of Louisiana.
As the early morning sun cast a warm glow over the environment, the tour crew detrained from the bus, their bodies longing for a stretch after the long drive. The fresh air refreshed them, and they took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty around them.

Stepping into the diner, the cheerful chime of the bell above the entrance welcomed them, setting a cozy and inviting tone for the experience ahead. The vibrant chatter filled the building, along with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sizzle of various breakfast foods being cooked on the grill. Inside the diner, a mix of locals and travelers occupied the space, watching TV, engaging in conversations, enjoying their meals simultaneously. Seating themselves in a booth, they waited for a server to attend to them.

Soon enough, a friendly server approached with a welcoming smile. "Good morning, folks. What can I get for y'all today?" he greeted.

Before they could respond, his expression transformed to stunned, a spark of recognition igniting in his eyes. "Hold up a min, ain't you Taiyon Bennett?"

Taiyon grinned, responding, "You got it, my brother. How's it going?"

"It's going good man! A pleasure to meet you, can I get your autograph?'

"Absolutely." Taiyon reached for a napkin, and Vicky handed him a pen from her purse. After he signed it he gave it to the young man. Then, he took their orders and retreated back into the kitchen.

His buzz spread to his co-workers, "Y'all won't believe who's in the house right now!"

"Who?" they chimed in with curiosity.

"Taiyon Bennett!" he hollered out, filled with excitement. They poured out of the kitchen, following the guy to Taiyon's booth. Handshakes were exchanged, autographs were scribbled, and Taiyon even rose up to his feet to take a group photo with them. As their food was being prepared, several people also approached Taiyon for photos, and shortly afterward, their orders were brought out to the table.

Two of the servers brought their food out. Taiyon ordered a lot. He got biscuits and gravy, grits, bacon, eggs and sausage and a crispy hash brown. Others around the table went with waffles or pancakes, paired with eggs, sausage and bacon. As they were finishing up, the young man approached them with a framed photo of their group photo. "Mr. Bennett, would you mind signing this for us? We're going to hang it up on our wall as a memory of this amazing day." Taiyon happily signed the picture, and the young man carefully placed it on the wall, displaying it as a cherished moment.

The rest of the staff came back out to interact with them, and Taiyon's entire crew was incredibly cordial. One of the staff members' eyes lit up with recognition as they realized where they knew Shantae from.

"You're Shantae! Oh my goodness I loved you in that movie 'Into The Dark' " she exclaimed.

Shantae gleamed, "Thank you so much!". They enjoyed a bit more time in the diner before preparing to hit the road again. Their stomachs were full, and their hearts were bursting with joy from the lovely hospitality. After exchanging goodbyes with the staff and diners, they bid farewell to the diner and continued their trip.

After a lengthy nap, Taiyon woke up to find that they had reached Houston, which was a few hours from their arrival time of 1:30 PM at the hotel. Stepping off the bus, he gazed at the beautiful surroundings. The hotel itself was beyond extravagant. Feeling still a bit tired, he decided to take another step to assure he'd be energized for the show scheduled for 8:30 PM.