Labor Day

 

It was Labor Day...We were thinking about going down to the beach to Nelson's Beach House...but it was announced in Josie's that they were giving their annual Labor Day Picnic in nearby "People's Park."  The Park was a few blocks from us..

We drove up in three buses with our catering van and set up as had others.

In our tent there was Olivia and Me, Beverly and Nelson, Josie and Paris, Bresha and Tony, Yvette and Gary, Keith and Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil,Jade and Danny, Alfreda and Rockland , Virginia and Jetty and newly married, Nina and Carlos Diaz

 "Ouuu this is so nice... A Huge Block party in "People's Park" said Olivia.

"It's been about three years since we did this."I said.

"The last fling of the summer." said Beverly.

"Got to love this...and after it's over we can pack up and go home."said Nelson.

"Gotta love it." said Josie.

"Man....Josie's is the best bar and club in the area...They don't just have live entertainment, they do things for the surrounding area." said Paris.

"That's why they have the largest clientele base."said Bresha.

"Yeah, Josie's is the spot."said Tony.

"I've been coming here since Olivia and Bev moved around here...."said Alfreda.

"I was coming to Josie's before I knew them."said Rockland. 

 

 "Me and Olivia and Zoey were coming to Josies before any of us lived in this area...It's known around the city as a  hip place to go."said Yvette.

"I remember when it was a dive...They always had cheap drinks and live entertainment..Look at it now, expanded,ultra modern and throwing events like this."said Gary.

"We started coming here when we were in law school."said Keith Jones.

"Yeah I remember those days...It was before we lived around here too."said Bee Bee.

"Good Times."said Sofia.

"It's still good times."said Kahlil.

"I remember coming here when I first came to America."said Jade.

"This is where I met you."said Danny Ho,.

"Awwwww that's so sweet." said Virginia.

"I first saw you in here too...before uh , before you got in trouble."said Jetty.

"I came here with Olivia."said Nina,.

"You guys go back aways..."said her husband, Carlos..

"A very long ways."said Nina.

This was a first time for our new neighbors, Lee Phillips and her boyfriend, Matthew Akes.

"I love this...I love this neighborhood."said Lee Phillips..

"Me too!  We aren't leaving."said her boyfriend, Matthew. 

"We are glad..We hope you two stay with us."said Jazzy...
 

"You all fit right in with this group."said Dabnis.

''Wow this is so nice and such a nice day to have this too."said Kayla.

"Yeah it's beautiful day..."said her husband Ray...

"It is, isn't it?"said Jessica.

"Yeah,let's get this meat on..."said her husband, Chip...

 "Me and Olivia and Vettie were coming to Josies before any of us lived in this area...It's known around the city as a  hip place to go."said Karen.

"So I've heard." said her husband, B.L.

We hadn't had a Labor Day Festival in three years....This was a first time for our new neighbors, Natalie, David, Brooke and Sean and Renee and Tyrell as well.

"This is Nice...Last time they had this I was just getting here from D.C. "said Natalie..

''And I was completely unaware of this event...Though I had been in Josies before."said David.

"This is new to me completely.....I do remember you bringing me to Josie's before Natalie." said Brooke.

''And you fit in so well bestie. How bout you Sean, had you ever been to Josies?"asked Natalie.

"Oh Yeah....this was the hot spot...Known throughout the city as the place to be." said Sean.

"Yes indeed..Me, Olivia, Vettie, Karen and Nina always dropped by Josies to drink and dish back in our earliest days."said Zoey.

"Never imagining you guys would live walking distance from it." said Lem.

"When I was home from Spring Break at Howard....I'd always stop by Josies and catch up with Beverly, Jazzy and Kayla....my besties from High School."said Renee.

"I often came here too...It was either Josie's or Aqua Bar."said Tyrell.

In the tent right next to theres was our good friends, Keith Wallace and his wife Carlotta, Eddie C. and Sissy Van Buren, Edwin "Duke" Baylor and his wife, Hazel, Tyriq and Sirena Pile, Jimmy and Angie Belton Barlow and Tony and Sharon Hopkins. Like the others, They too  were setting up the table with food and drinks and pulling out meat for the grills.

"Ouuuuu this is so nice and they have Latin Food laid out too." said Carlotta.

"Yeah they have something for everybody."said her husband, Keith Wallace

"This is soo nice...And a great day for it."said Sissy.

"A nice way to end the summer."said her husband, Eddie C.

"Yeah, nice we had Saturday off, no major cases."said Duke.

"No corpses for me to look over thank God." said Hazel...

"Ditto...Lots of Food, Lots of Drink..." said Tyriq..

"And the five D.J.'s they have are really spinning good music."said Sirena.

"This is great...I'm glad we were able to get our tents together." said Jimmy.

"Yeah....We brought food...but Josie's supplied food too!"said Angie.

"That's okay...With this crowd, it'll all get eaten."said Hop.

"Oh for sure."said Sharon.

We set up grills...There was plenty of food.. We brought our own grills , between the three tents..

"We had Burgers and Dogs...

Steaks, Hot Sausage, Brats and Chicken...

and seafood..

Josie's provided a catered Latin Food Buffet

A Catered Chinese Food Buffet

And A Catered Soul Food Buffet...

There was plenty of beers and sodas..

In another tent , a little further away was our friends, Bonnie Shay..and her husbanhis wifed, Ronald Shay, Bonita Foxworth and her husband, Robert Foxworth, Kevin's main man, Kool Kat and his wife,

and our good friends, Kevin Morris and his wife, our realtor, Sepia Morris and their daughter..

"Ohhhhhhhh this is a beautiful day and we've got everything we need, Good Food, Good Music, Good Neighbors and Friends." said Bonnie.

"That just about sums it up." said her husband, Ronald.

"Fix me a plate hubby."said Bonita.

"Sure Baby."said Robert Foxworth.

"This is sooo cool, I love this.."said Kool Kat.

"Me too this is the perfect Saturday..."said his wife....

"Can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday."said Kevin.

"Me neither."said Sepia.

There was 5 D.J.'s Spinning  Classic Hip Hop, Soul and R& B and a little bit of Rock music.

And a live band....

The Park was packed..everyvbody was having a good time.

II-

Miles Ellis walked into our tent...He had Sirena Banks with him...They were holding hands..

"Well Hello Olivia, Vettie, guys...We thought we'd drop by today....We are just getting back from our honeymoon."said Miles...

"We got Married!" said Serena, showing off her wedding bands.

 

"OH MY GOD!! I HAD A FEELING YOU TWO MIGHT TIE THE KNOT SOON! I HAD A FEELING!"said Olivia, hugging them both.

 

"WELL CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!" I said.

"CONGRATULATIONS ,CONGRATULATIONS!"said Beverly....

"WOW!  YOU TWO WENT AND TIED THE KNOT HUH?" said Nelson.

"CONGRATULATIONS ,CONGRATULATIONS!"said Josie.

"NICE!! YALL GOT HITCHED!"said her husband, Paris.

"CONGRATULATIONS ,CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!!"Gushed Bresha.

"HOW LONG AGO?" asked her husband, Tony...

"Two weeks ago!  We didn't have a big church wedding...Maybe we'll do that later...We went to a Justice of the Peace in City Hall and then off to Hawaii for our honeymoon."said Miles.

"We were in Cancun around that time...For the wedding of Nina and Carlos here..Rollie Rollerson paid for all of our airfare and our rooms in a fabulous hotel..."said Alfreda.

"Oh My that must have been something!" said Serena.

"Oh it was....It truly was." said Rockland.

 

 "Miles Ellis...Married....I never thought I'd see the day...Mr. Confirmed Bachelor himself.."said Yvette.

"I know....it was just time..." said Miles.

"Happens to all of us eventually." said Yvette's husband, Gary.

''We fool around and fall in love."laughed Keith Jones.

"Oh is that what you guys do?"laughed his wife, Bee Bee.

"It's good they do something....I wondered how long we were going to have to wait."laughed Sofia.

"Awwww we told yall we had plans for you both."said Kahlil..

Jade just shook her head and ,laughed...Plans she had helped put in motion.

"Well Congratulations to you both."said her husband, Danny Ho.

"Yes..CONGRATULATIONS!"said Virginia.

"CONGRATULATIONS!"said Jetty....

"We just got married too!" said Nina.

"Ouuuu let me see your rings....Ummmmmmm Nice." said Serena..

"Thank you...Yours are nice too!"said Nina's new husband, Carlos...

"Thank You!"said Serena...

"WOW! You just got out of one marriage and into another."said Olivia.

"Girrrrrrl I know.....I didn't want to at first...but Miles was insistent.."laughed Serena.

III-

The Picnic in People's Park continued on.....Soon We had more visitors...

Judge Charlotte Peterson and her boyfriend, Eric Becker showed up 

"Heyyyy Everybody...Mind if we crash your party?  We had a feeling you guys might be down here this weekend." said Judge Charlotte Peterson.

"This isn't our party....It's the neighborhood party." said Olivia.

"Then that's my kinda party."laughed Eric Becker.

 Elaine Young and her boyfriend, Hector Gonzalez also showed up.

"Heyyyy Everybody."said Elaine Young...

"Hola." said her boyfriend, Hector.

"Are we missing anybody today?" asked Beverly...

"Not a soul..."laughed Natika Sommers who walked up....

''Heyyyyy girlie.. Where is Lester?" asked Jazzy.

"He'll be coming along." said Natika...

 

"He'd better hurry up before all this good food is gone."laughed Dabnis.

"Yes....The Dj's just finished their set...The live band is about to come on."said Kayla.

"Pop a squat...Go over there and fix yourself a plate or two."said Ray.

"We've got enough room in our tent for you and Lester." said Jessica..

"Yeah."said her husband, Chip...

"Ouuu the food is so hot and so good."said Natika.

"Josies really sets out a nice event..."said Karen.

"A Sort of Thank you to all of their loyal customers..." said B.L.

"Yeah....I love it."said Natalie..

"So Do I."said David.

"I hope they do this next year."said Brooke.

"I do too!"said Sean.

"This is a unifying event..It brings the entire neighborhood together." said Zoey.

"It does and in a positive way." said Lem.

"This is the very best part of the city." said Renee.

"It is." said Tyrell.

"I've never regretted a minute moving here."said Josie.

"Me Neither."said Paris.

"Same Here.."said Bresha.

"Yeah.."said her husband, Tony....

"Uu Oh...Look over there."said Lee.

"Look who's here...What's he doing here? he doesn't even live in this part of the city.

Assistant District Attorney Bruce Greene, who lived nowhere here was in the park at our picnic...

He looked around...He saw Renee with her husband, Tyrell and he saw Bresha ,Natalie Jazzy and Kayla with their husbands...All women he was once attracted to...All women who with only a few exceptions, married beneath themselves., (according to him) He scoffed, seeing them with their husbands.

None of them gave him any eye contact.....

Then he spotted Natika, sitting by herself, quaffing a beer and enjoying her food. He decided to drift over towards her.

IV-

Bruce Greene sauntered over to Natika's table..

"Well Hello Natika...Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"I am...Olivia says that they haven't done this for two years....I for one am glad I live up here now." said Natika.

"If I hadn't of purchased my townhouse, I thought about living up here...but I'm actually glad I don't...Too many attorneys who I know and joust with live up here...I don't think I'd be comfortable

living amongst them." said Bruce Greene.

"You never know , you might grow to like them..."said Natika..

"I'm a Warrior...And When I'm in court...It's All out War...And I take each battle personally for the moment."said Bruce...

"Is that why you goaded two of my young ,just out of law school Public defenders?  The Young Lady quit the next day...She's with a small law firm now." said Natika.

"This wasn't for her..She didn't have the stomach for it...I goaded the young man...He's still with you."laughed Bruce.

"True..but why do that?....Olivia told me that she and Beverly never take these cases personally or the people they are up against....It's just a job and when it's over they are on to the next case...They tried cases against Karen when she an ADA and Nina Rios...and they're the best of friends.. They never took it personal..." said Natika.

"Maybe it's easier for women....but like I said..."I'm a Warrior."said Bruce Greene.

"Olivia and Beverly beat you twice recently and they didn't goad you...Why couldn't you follow their example?" asked Natika.

Before he could answer, 

His supervisor and her boyfriend, Jonathan Burke, the Deputy District Attorney walked over to them..

"Hey Baby! Am I too late for the food?" he asked.

"No...I made you two plates...One with Burgers , Dogs and Ribs...and another with Chines Food and A Taco."said Natika.

"You're so good to me." he said.

He kissed her softly...

"You better know it" she laughed as their kissing got a little hotter...

"Oh Hi Bruce....Enjoying yourself?" asked Lester diplomatically...

"I was until a moment ago" he said snarkily and walked away.....Not hiding the fact that he hated the man.

Bruce stared at all of us from a distance.....

 

 

 

 

 Bruce looked at all of us...Eating, Drinking, Laughing and Talking together, Even Line Dancing..  He could never imagine himself doing that with these people , His adversaries and potential adversaries....

He was after all a warrior. He was also lonely, a man with no friends...Not even a girlfriend. And no matter how hard core a front he put on...Nothing could change that!

The Labor Day Party in People's Park ,sponsored by Josies Bar and Grill continued...