I checked in with Barry, my AA sponsor, and assured him I was in control. Bending his ear about Angela, he sounded happy but cautious. I understood. Then, I called Wade, the young man I sponsored who was now working for me. We spoke for over an hour. The twenty-two year old man somehow survived life on the street after becoming a runaway addict at age fifteen. He received his ninety-day chip before I left for Houston. We made a good pair and he was no longer star struck by my larger than life persona. He had no problem giving me shit and I pushed his buttons right back. I ended the call after giving him the schedule for my return flight back to LA for a benefit concert. The unwanted thought of leaving Angela after coming so far drove me to approach Lydia. I needed to know her feelings about taking Angela with me. “I don’t know, Krispin. She doesn’t handle society well.” “This is a short gig, and both you and Damien tell me she’s stronger than she seems. Let her prove it. We’ll be together the entire time with Matt and Stephon protecting her, too.”
