بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Forget all ya’ll. I’m through with everybody. I’m sick of looking at devils. Black people are hopeless. At least everyone I know. Allah chose us to be His people but I don’t know any who aren’t in love with the enemy and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m never going to meet any so I’m officially giving up on The Black Nation.

Allah is The Only One Who Can Save You.

You have the book. You have everything. You don’t need me.

I quit.

I’m going to spend the rest of my days looking at kittens and squirrels, birds and insects. They never disappoint. I’m through with people. Ya’ll can all burn in hell.

****UPDATE **** UPDATE **** UPDATE **** UPDATE****

Man. Now I know why Master Fard Muhammad, to Whom Praises are due forever chose the poor, the rejected (just like I rejected you all yesterday SMH) the despised (just like I unwittingly despised you all yesterday SMH) So-Called American Negroes to be HIS PEOPLE.

You are the most wonderful, amazing people in the history of the world and I still love you.

I learned the hard way that people live in houses and squirrels live in trees (which although we can use them temporarily for shade and shelter from rain are not viable housing solutions for people) and kittens live UNDER houses which I contemplated but I wear nothing but white in public now and I hate being dirty. Even if I crawl out and take showers once a day I would just get dirty again as soon as I crawl back under, so I went back to the man I once thought was so amazing.

He lied to me and I’ve been lied to all my life! So when it comes to lies I’m like that Mexican guy in “Next Friday” was with locked doors. “NO MORE LOCKED DOORS!” LOL Even MY NAME was a lie!!! So now, I’m like that with lies.

NO MORE LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And he doesn’t understand. He wants me to just forget it and I can’t. I haven’t tried to because I know if I forget it and try to act like everything’s okay, he’ll just lie again and I’ll end up looking stupid and that is the worst thing I could be mistaken for. Stupid. So I can’t. I’ve been with a liar before and it never works. So I know it will never work with him unless he admits it. I was willing to work with him but he doesn’t want to work with me. Not the way that will make it work with me. I can’t trust him anymore. You got ONE TIME (like the LAPD LOL) to lie to me. But I love him like a Brother and really wanted the relationship to work so I told him exactly how I felt. I opened up and told him the truth and poured my heart out to him. I really liked him.

But it keeps coming up because he won’t admit it.

I don’t even care about the lie. Never did. It’s the principal. Just the fact that he lied to me hurts. I feel like he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. I don’t know why he felt that he had to lie to me. I’m a good person and I feel like crying just thinking about it. It hurts. I liked him and he is too proud to admit that he got caught in a lie.

Then he turns it around and tries to make it my fault! And one of the worst things you can do to me is play with my head. That’s all a lie is. Playing with my head like I’m crazy and I’m already fragile mentally so when you try and make me think I don’t know what I’m thinking and knowing is the truth is playing with my head and trying to MAKE me crazier.

Truth is the MOST IMPORTANT thing. Allah is the AUTHOR OF TRUTH and we are His People. We have to be like HIM. We have to be one thousand per cent truthful. The devils have ruled this world under falsehood so now I can’t stand falsehood with a passion. More than anything else on this Earth I hate a liar. I even love a murderer before I love a liar. Sometimes people deserve to be murdered but nobody deserves to be lied to. I don’t even like surprises. Tell me straight up. Because if you have to lie when I find out you lied it ruins the surprise. I don’t care what it is. Don’t lie to me under ANY circumstances. Surprise me with TRUTH! I am really starting to love coincidences. They are natural surprises and are always pleasant. I’m getting used to them now.

So to make a long story short. I was having a difficult time living under his roof. He lied and I knew it so everything I did was wrong. He gave me no peace. All I wanted to do was color my Dr. McStuffins, listen to my music and my Messenger (PBUH) and watch the kittens, and birds and my spider (Shelby), an occasional dragonfly and the butterflies and just enjoy being in Nawlins in peace.

But he wanted it to be like it was before all lovey-dovey, but not with a lie undermining everything. I couldn’t trust him/believe anything he said. And I couldn’t help it. I was doublechecking everything he said and did and he would just get mad. But I just couldn’t help it. I didn’t believe nor trust him unintentionally. Men are supposed to control their woman and I need to be controlled, I admit, but not by a liar.

I just want a roof over my head and my Black people came through like thoroughbreds (slang).

He had locked the door so I knew I was going to have a hard time once I got in. And I have too much self-respect to knock. He was wrong and today tried to make me crazy by telling me he knows he’s right. See what I’m saying?

But, I digress. I walked to the store to get something to eat because I didn’t even feel comfortable fixing food at his house. I don’t eat but one meal a day and had bought food for us. I learned that a woman is not supposed to be the provider. Men eat too much. When it came time for me to eat, he had eaten up all the food. That made me feel stupid for buying it. He was providing shelter but that’s not enough. He has no car either which I learned today is rather important.

I bought some chocolate chip cookies and A.J. 😉 I started to buy some bread and cream cheese for nourishment but I needed some feel-good, pick-me-up food. As soon as I was about to open into the cookies a cargo van pulls up and the Brother inquired about my well-being.

I told him I was okay, then I recognized him from the Drum Circle. I had seen him a couple times before and he has a little boy and I love the beautiful Black babies so I took a special interest in him. I had seen him earlier at Armstrong Park.

So, I told him I just wanted to watch the squirrels and the kittens and he said he was on his way to deliver some hibiscus drinks he produces and I asked, “Can I roll with you?” He obliged and he took me to another Black entrepreneur and we talked about how to get more Brothers into entrepreneurship locally.

I never realized how easy we have it in L.A. We have downtown where you can buy everything wholesale but they don’t have that anywhere else except NYC, I believe. So we chopped it up and he said there were some incense and oils spots, which is always good, but T-shirts and socks (which is my favorite thing to tell Brothers to start out with) you have to buy online wholesale.

You know I’ve been homeless so I feel for Brothers who want to be entrepreneurs but have no mailing address to ship to so if you can offer any suggestions on how they can be business owners please drop a comment off below, In sha Allah. Shukran.

So, I thought he wanted to take me home. I know I’m a desirable woman for any intelligent man, so I offered to let him take care of me. But he said No. So by then my pride had withered down to nothingness and I resigned myself to knock on the life-controller’s front door.

He didn’t answer so I asked Tyrone – the entrepreneur, if I could use his car charger to charge my iphone so I could call the life-controlling liar. We were in the middle of this exchange when he finally opened the door.

I went in and walked past my room onto the service porch. I sat down and grateful to be inside, exhaled. I don’t know why they don’t redesign these houses because there is absolutely no privacy. You have to go through every room in the house just to get to the bathroom. LITERALLY. I’m glad I’m not a teenager. It would drive me crazy.

So, as soon as I finish thanking Allah for giving me a place to stay, here he comes, slamming the back door talking about mosquitos and if I don’t like it I could leave.

I DIDN’T LIKE IT. So that’s what I did.

I had seen Mrs. Marion’s grandson yesterday and he told me he would be back at ten and he had a couch I could sleep on.

I figured at least he hadn’t lied to me so I would give him a chance to take care of me.

It was nine so I headed over to the Treme’ and thoroughly enjoyed the stars and cats and totally ignored the people. I was still mad at cha’ll. I stuck my tongue out at a Brother who was standing at this house where I had met another Brother who was in love with devils. (I’m in the house right next door now LOL)

So, I made it back to the Treme’ where he lived and sat on the bench outside his house. It is very common for people to have benches outside their houses here. They still congregate on the front porch like we used to do in L.A. back in the day. No one does that there anymore, (because of stray bullets from drive-bys probably) which is one of the reasons why I’m still here. I love New Orleans (I got some fleur de lis [the Saints symbol] gold earrings finally 😀 ) and when I was ready to give up they show me how much they love me.

So, he comes and gets in my face (lovingly) talking about how Mrs. Marion told him something about two mountains will never meet but two people always will.

His electricity was out and he had no running water but he was still generous and humble enough to offer what he did have – a couch to keep me inside and not in Armstrong Park which is where I had thought about going. I’ve slept on the bench there before but it’s not completely safe. I probably would have stayed up all night waiting on the Sunrise and the squirrels to wake up. That’s why I like kittens and cats. They’re nocturnal like me. And they get the most active at night and in the early morning while everybody except me is still asleep.

That is the most peaceful time. I thrive in it. Nobody’s even on Facebook except Africans LOL. All in my DM. Is that right, Hakim? LOL SMH

So, I woke up this morning and he’s getting ready for work. I thought I had found another place to live but he said No. So, I did not want to go back to the life-controller and started walking in the direction of Uptown. There’s always something to do Uptown. I really had a lot of options for my day. I could have gone a couple places to take a shower or sat in Armstrong Park and watched the squirrels and ducks and listened to the fountain. I absolutely love the sound of flowing water. In Arabic, it’s called Hadira. I love it so much I know how to say it in Arabic. (smile)

So, as I was walking I saw a dollar on the ground. I didn’t want the devils around to see me bend down like I was bowing down to them so I waited until they had gotten away and picked it up. I had no dollar bills. I have a quarter and I believe two dimes in my purse. But I haven’t carried any cash all month. I always give it away in charity so I’ve been using plastic.

After I found the dollar, I figured I might as well go back to life-controller because the bottom line is, I didn’t have anywhere to go tonight either and I knew he would let me stay if I needed to.

I knew he had packed all my stuff up because when I moved in he had packed up the previous Sister’s stuff. But I didn’t want to be homeless. It’s hard to be completely clean when you’re homeless. Food is easy. And you can sleep on a bench. But try and find a shower. And I’m Muslim. We HAVE to bathe or the equivalent daily not to mention the ablution we do before our five daily prayers. Which I haven’t been doing. I have prayer beads and have been doing meditation instead.

But I’m not your average Muslim.

So, I’m enjoying the fresh new day. I even saw my bird. I named him Jay Bird after Jamal. And sat down and let him serenade me in the morning light. Then I resumed my walk and passed by this high school I’ve passed on several occasions and it was 7:30 but there was not a child in sight! That creeped me out! I was staring into the school completely perplexed and I see this Sister whom I had asked to pass out my fliers yesterday before I gave up on people.

I still wasn’t completely forgiving of you all yet so I was going to just keep on walking but if I had done that to Mrs. Marion’s grandson yesterday I would have been sleeping on a bench. So, I waited.

She told me the school was closed. She didn’t let me get all emotional, you know how I am when it comes to our future. She said she would walk with me and I liked her. She’s me in another life and we hit it off. She confessed that she’s an alcoholic but everybody in New Orleans is an alcoholic. LOL She said she was having stomach pains/withdrawal symptoms. So I told her try eating one meal a day and don’t eat meat and whatnot and I mentioned that I didn’t have anyplace to stay and if she didn’t offer me her home!

Allah is so Infinitely Wise. Black People in America are the most generous people I’ve ever encountered. I can’t stay mad at ya’ll. And yesterday I was through with you. As much as I love you, I was really finish.

I even decided to stop handing out fliers. I was going to throw them in the water but I didn’t want to mess it up for the ducks and pelicans. They never piss me off.

 So, why was I about to walk to life-controller’s house to get the rest of my stuff and he’s walking right there at the intersection. I told him I wanted to get my stuff. And we talked. We really mix well and I love walking and being in the company of a controlling strong Blackman but he lied and I can’t. At least not unless Andrea throws me out. LOL

Then I’ll be back at ONE. But the bottom line is, I have a roof over my head and a place to stay at least until I can get my own place, In sha Allah. Hopefully by next month!

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Ma Bebies!

OMG! My life is so amazing.

Let me go back to the day I was hospitalized.

Ever since 2014 when I first became homeless, I’ve been meeting Brothers who are my Zawji’s doppelgangers. We connect on one level or another but I can never hook up with them because they are not him. However, I know that his desire is to take me away from someone. I’ve been vehemently opposed to this plan but he and Allah are the Best Planners and despite my opposition I have finally “hooked up” with one of his most attractive and sweet doppelgangers. It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Especially considering tomorrow is a special day. Allah, Master Fard Muhammad, to Whom Praises are due forever, plans monumental events to occur on specific dates.

For instance, he timed the day of His Coming to deliver us to coincide with our slavemasters’ biggest day of celebrating – July 4. Another example is the date of the passing of our Beloved Messenger – the day before Saviour’s Day – February 25.

So, despite the fact that in The Nation of Islam we do not celebrate birthdays, there is a special significance to dates.

Tomorrow is my Zawji’s birthday.

I was discharged from the hospital earlier today and had no idea what Allah Had Planned for me.

On the day I came to the hospital, I was experiencing some strong spiritual warfare from the place and people where I lived. I was literally driven out of the house in the wee hours of the morning.

I had been, for about two weeks, rising up before sunrise (as is customary for Muslims) and after making Salat (prayer), I would sit outside my house and view the Shurook (sunrise). This particular day, my roommates decided to come outside and disrupt my revelrie.

I was not able to sit out and enjoy the Shurook, undisturbed, as I had been doing for weeks.

I ended up in the parking lot of the neighboring CVS and just walking around in my own world.

Medications are probably a billion dollar industry in America and I watched, as I have on many occasions, the huge 18 wheeler truck come and deliver boxes and boxes of medication to the CVS.

Then I watched, as I have every morning, the smaller truck deliver boxes and boxes of alcoholic beverages.

This really disturbed me. America is so wicked, adults think they are not living unless they smoke and drink. Everyone in America takes some type of drug. Whether it is pharmaceutical, alcoholic, narcotic, carcinogenic, marijuana, meth, vapes or whatnot. Life in America is so hard to take that one must drink or smoke just in order to cope.

Why not get high on life – Just LIVING!?!?!? I am probably the ONLY person I know who does not smoke or drink. But I have psychotic episodes that leave me hospitalized where  I am FORCED to take antispychotic medications, against my will.

Allah is justified in bringing about an end to wicked America where drugs and drinking are the order of the day and one is hard-pressed to live without them.

But I digress.

This alcohol truck was making its daily delivery and something drew me into the store.

I am the person who is known for taking the road less traveled. And I was drawn to an emergency exit in the back which I used to exit the store. No alarm went off but I found myself on the outside of the store and there I saw a Brother whom I had seen just prior to my entering the store.

As usual, when I see one of my Zawji’s doppelgangers, I began following him.

He went into the Family Dollar across the street and asked me to watch his backpack, which the store manager told him he had to leave in the front of the store. I willingly obliged.

He made his purchases and we left. I followed him to his house. He dropped off his purchases and we began conversing.

He told me he was headed uptown and I said, “Let’s go.”

We walked through beautiful historic New Orleans, through Louis Armstrong Park and took a rest at the main Library, where several people were waiting for it to open.

I was nervous because I had stolen a book there that was not even supposed to be checked out and was afraid that I was going to be detained.

However, we entered the library. He relieved himself and we exited uneventfully.

We continued our trek from downtown to uptown and reached a destination under the freeway where he positioned a crate and provided me with a cushion to sit on while he began panhandling. I watched his form and became more and more enamored. When I noticed him becoming fatigued, I took the sign and gave him the seat.

I immediately, handed over every donation of food or money and when he gave the signal, we resumed our trek deeper into uptown New Orleans.

We reached a location where there were more people panhandling and he began a conversation with one of the Brothers sitting on the sideline. I am still enamored with the New Orleans accent and I like to just earhustle. But sometimes I actually listen to the topic of the conversation.

Apparently, the Brother with whom he was conversing, was being shorted on his opportunity to panhandle. He was next in line, but the white devil woman who was currently panhandling was not giving him his turn. I went and said something to her and he was able to have his turn.

I bet you didn’t know conditions in America were so bad that people have to wait in line to panhandle!

So, anyway, we took turns there too.

But, I was a little too enthusiastic and got caught up tapping on people’s car windows, despite warnings not to do so.

I kept thinking of the Aretha Franklin performance of “Til you come back to me” when she say’s “I’m gonna tap on your window pane” and she makes the tapping motion. So, I kept tapping on people’s windows thinking about one of my musical sheroes.

Next thing I know, I turn around and he’s talking to a police officer sitting in his car. I knew he was talking about me, so I saunter over to the police officer, daring him to take me to jail.

Two more police cars pull up and the officers get out. I gave him a fake social security number but he still found me in the system. We managed to get away with just citations. Of course, I threw mine away. He told me today, he went and they threw it out. I was in the hospital, but I didn’t think the court date would be so soon. It’s only been two weeks. I was just happy to not have to go to jail.

We left after that.

He smokes and if I knew any better I would have left him as soon as I found that out. But I think men need to smoke sometimes, or used to need to smoke to do some spiritual stuff. So, I wasn’t tripping. But we are living in the bright spiritual light of Allah and He Has Done away with all those old practices. We can do the same thing, achieve the same results, without having to smoke. Allahu Akbar! Allah is the Greatest! But he is just a doppel, so I tolerate it.

We walked back through Central City and while we waited for the streetcar, he rolled a blunt. I didn’t trip off of that either.

So, the streetcar comes and we board. This was going to be my maiden voyage on the new streetcar that they just built that takes me right by where I used to live and now where I currently live (his house).

Unfortunately, right when we get to the main highway that the new streetcar was supposed to go down, it went off the track right in the intersection. We ended up having to alight and take the bus. I was able to take it today though!

So we get of the bus and take the short walk to his house and I’ve seen inside these three hundred year old houses before but it never dawned on me that they are actually shotgun houses. I mean I used to think a shotgun house was just a house that you could go from the front door to the backdoor without making any turns. But these houses are a rectangle divided into sections. You literally have to go through every room in the house to get to the back. No hallways. Just straight through everyroom. And I couldn’t take it. You walk in the front door and you’re in the living room. Go through a door and you’re in the bedroom. Next door, his brother’s bedroom, next door, another smaller room, to the right the bathroom, the left, the kitchen and that’s the whole house.

The backyard looks like a forest though. So creepy! But so fun! 😀

Now, you know how much I love New Orleans, and I am immensely blessed to be able to get the real New Orleans experience, living in one of these beautiful, charismatic houses, but I need my privacy and the thought that his Brother could be right there with us, was a bit overwhelming.

So, when his phone rang and he took me on a walk through the neighborhood, we ended up being separated and I told him I would meet him back at the house.

I was sitting on the porch, mentally deliberating, oh wait, I forgot to tell you, we went back to my house and I got all my stuff. I was already packed because, I had planned to move to NYC that day. I had my ticket and everything. But I don’t know if somebody put “roots” on me or what, but for some reason, I decided to stay in NOLA.

So, we got my stuff and took it back to his house.

But while I was waiting for him to meet me back at his house, I got anxious and started walking down the street. I ended up sitting on somebody’s upstairs porch and this incredibly hypnotic Brother and his white friend showed up and coerced me into their car and they took me to the hospital.

I had no idea about my belongings. I had left my wallet (ATM card, ID), my iphone, my laptop, my only other change of clothes, my Holy Qur-an, my Message to the Blackman and my jounal!

So, for the past two weeks, while I was in the hospital, my life was completely in limbo with this amazingly similar to my Zawji, Brother who was in possession of my life.

Fortunately, the hospital said I could use their address to have another ATM card sent to me, just in case, and they had a copy of my ID on file from when I was hospitalized there last year, so I wasn’t really worried.

Worst case scenario,  I would have to hide out in my cubby hole, steal food and just wait for a new card to arrive.

MY plan upon my discharge, was to go back to his house, see if he still had my stuff, get it, go to the library, print out a ticket to Miami and be en route on Zawji’s birthday tomorrow.

Keep in mind, I met Our Saviour, Master Fard Muhammad, on a Greyhound bus on another significant date (February 27), so I was really expectant that something amazing would happen tomorrow.

The hospital said they couldn’t discharge me to an unknown address (I didn’t have his address, I just knew how to get there) so they called a cab to take me to the shelter. Why did the cab driver ask to take my picture? (Happens all the time. So, I obliged 🙂 )

I ended up revisiting the places where we panhandled, looking for him, just in case, he was there and not at home, so I wouldn’t have to backtrack.

And I got to finally see the Convention Center, where all that Hurricane Katrina stuff happened. There is no sign of it there now. That is the only Convention Center I’ve seen except L.A.’s. It was nicer than ours. Newer and bigger, I think. I wanted to see what was on the OTHER side because I knew the river was back there. I walked all the way to the end and saw “Mardi Gras World” but I got a bad feeling about it, (I have a healthy fear of Mardi Gras) so I turned around and went back toward the French Quarter.

I finally got to go to the Riverwalk Mall or whatever it’s called and came up on  some beautiful satin gloves with pearl accents that I really needed because I lost my other ones.

So anyway, here I am with my Zawji’s doppelganger, not knowing what’s in store, but just trying to stay chaste and not make him mad and kick me out. If that happens, I’ll just go to Miami, which was MY original plan anyway.

But I submit to the Will of Allah and I know I’m where He and Zawji Want me.

So, Jamal, my Love, you get your wish.  I couldn’t do it in L.A. because that doppel didn’t have his own place. I need food, clothes and shelter. And I’ve got that with this one, in this beautiful, wonderful, incredibly jazzy city, with so much personality and the best accents in the world! Allahu Akbar!

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum!

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

As-Salaam ‘Alaikum Ma Bebies!!!

Well, I’m still in NOLA. I bought my ticket to NYC and was scheduled to leave on the the sixth, but Allah (swt) had other plans. I was all set to stay but ended up in the hospital. Which is where I am now.

My life is so up in the air. I don’t have any commitments anywhere, even though I consider New Orleans my new home. I know where I think Allah Wants me to go (Miami) but I never know until it’s time for me to go.

I could stay here, just as easy as I could go somewhere else.

I mean.

I have no responsibilities anywhere.

I wanted to go to NYC because I’ve been there before and I loved it.

I knew Allah Wanted me to go to Miami a long time ago, but I’ve never been there and I was scared. My Zawji went last year, I think, and Allah Always Has Me Follow him, but I can be proud at times and not want to admit that I’m following him. But he’s my husband and I’m supposed to follow him. So, that’s where I’m headed next, I think.

I am sure I’m over my fear now. But sometimes Allah Makes spur of the moment decisions to the point where I may have my ticket, be at the bus depot and He Changes the plan, at least, MY Plan.

But anyway, I just wanted to check in and let my babies know I’m okay and happy and pleased to be where I am right now.

I’m supposed to get out of the hospital in time for my Zawji’s birthday on Saturday.

I’ll check in again, ASAP.

Love you all, and remember to keep Allah First in EVERYTHING you do! Before you make any decision, ASK ALLAH for guidance. Say, “Allah, would you have me do this first or that?” “Allah would you have me go here first or there?” Even simple things like which direction to take to a destination. Always seek Allah’s guidance first and you will be sure to stay on  ال سيرة ال المستقيم  The Straight Path.

In the Name of Allah,

As-Salaam ‘Alaikum,

Your Sister,

Love Allah ❤

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beloved Asisatic Black Sisters and Brothers!!!!

I GUESS YA’LL WONDER WHERE I’VE BEEN….. 😉 #imsonola (“Ya’ll” 🙂 )

I’ve been in the hospital since the 9th.

Yup.

And I don’t think I’ve written anything about “Rawlins” since I got here on the Second.

Wait.

I think I remember writing about the Essence Fest.

Anyway, I got to see my Mellow, Brother Corey Henry LIVE!!!!!!

And as much as I LOVE the c.d……

LIVE IS EVEN BETTER!!!!!!

My man blew the roof off with that bone!!!! He did my favorite song, “Treme’ Lyfe” first and I was in Seventh Heaven.

SIXTH Heaven, rather. 😉

* * * * *

I was disappointed because he has devils in his band, but I’m used to it now, which is a very, very, very sad commentary on the state of Black affairs.

WE SHOULD LOVE EACH OTHER MORE THAN THAT. 😥

Next, I gotta tell you about his electric violin player. He reminded me so much of my son (He wears glasses 😉 )

But his solos were legendary. He was also the first member of the band to arrive, which communicated his enthusiasm, as well as, his professionalism as a musician.

The trumpet player took us off on a tangent reminiscent of Mr. Marsalis when he started playing classical trumpet at the end of one of the numbers.

Mr. Henry wanted me to pick up the tambourine again, to bring him back on track, but I LOVE classical trumpet, so I said, respectfully, “No, Sir.“

(Sorry, Mr. Bossman.)

He didn’t leave Mr. Henry out tho, I mean, he IS the bandleader and he was right there in the  pocket with him. I loved the whole thing!

But my second favorite moment was when they did a Second-Line version of The Duke’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing” and my man did Ella’s “Boo-Wop” instead of the traditional and much more common “Doo-Wop.”

Thanks, Mr. Henry, I know that was for me. ❤ ❤ ❤

My MOST favorite moment of the evening was the LAST number, wherein Cory, the percussionist and the trumpet player, sang in IMPECCABLE 3-part harmony some song. I forgot it now, but In Sha Allah, when I go tomorrow, they’ll sing it again. Maybe, I can get some video. In sha Allah (If it is the Will of Allah).

But their harmony was beautiful and right on point.

Oh, and to demonstrate how supportive the Treme’ family is, Corey let this young cat ([17 years-old] who I had heard earlier that day at a birthday party for Mrs. Marion [88 years old] in the Treme’) get on the proverbial M.I.C.

I also heard the same young cat the next day, when I followed this Bass Drum player (of The Kinsfolk Brass Band) to a wedding reception [I crashed] 😉 . They had a Second-Line all through the “Quotah.“

So, how did I end up in the hospital????

Well, I stayed one night in this inexpensive hotel ($54) but the rest of the time I’ve been on the streets – not trippin’!!! – I mean, there’s always something to do in NOLA and all I need is to rest my body and my eyes every coupla days and I’m GUCCI, as they say in the Dutty.

THE LIBRARY IS ABOUT TO CLOSE!!!!

MORE MANANA

CHECK BACK!!!!

❤

PART DEUCE

So one morning I went to the Treme’ and I found an open apartment that somebody trying to get me to sell my soul to the devil Caucasians led me to. It was obviously for people in need of a place to stay because there were laminated cards saying stuff like “Please replace the toilet paper if necessary ” and “Please don’t leave empty bottles” and whatnot.

But I did not feel right so I posted on the stoop.

So, time goes on, Oh! I almost forgot. While I was looking around the apt. I saw some FBI Agents out the window downstairs on the street. That spooked me quite a bit because technically I was trespassing.

So, I went downstairs, closed the door, and acted like it was my crib.

You know I’m nosy so when the agents finished talking to this Sister in an SUV, I waved to her like we’ve been neighbors for years and the agents came over to talk to me.

I asked them what was up.

They said they had gotten a tip that someone who had robbed a bank in Richmond was in the area.

They showed me his picture.

I wouldn’t have told them if I did know him (“Thank you for not snitching.”)

I asked how much money did he get away with.

They wouldn’t tell.

So, when that was over, I started noticing how many tours were coming down the street. So far, I had seen three bicycle tours; two of those standing two-wheel scooter thing tours; three van tours; and one one walking tour. This just in about four hours.

So these two shuttle buses slow down to about five miles an hour before they turn on to my block. All the windows are blacked out and all I can picture is a bunch of devils snapping pictures of the “porch monkeys” like we’re in some kind of ZOO!!!!!!

I WAS LIVID!!!! So I flip them two birds arms length looking dead at those tinted windows.

TWO BUSES!!!!!!!

TWO!!!!!!!!

So, they pass but I’m talking to one of my Zawji’s Doppelgängers and getting hotter by the  second.

So The Treme’ is the oldest Black neighborhood in the United Snakes and it is EXTREMELY RICH in culture. And there’s this museum on my block celebrating The Treme’s rich cultural history.

Now, I was there on Thursday for Mrs. Marion’s birthday party. That was where I first met Corey. He grew up down the street from Mrs. Marion and he and my other bebies came out and played for her birthday. I asked him if he was having a birthday party (the 14th. It was the 7th). He said probably at his weekly gig. That’s when I realized it was that night too, so that’s when I saw him perform again frfr.

The next night (Friday, the 8th) was the reception and Second-Line in the Quarter.

Saturday morning was when all this stuff happened.

So when I was there on Friday day, I went to the museum and loved it. There is information on the Mardi Gras Indians, the Brass Bands and other societies. All I could think about was our posterity. But there were nothing but devils in there and for some reason the owner DID NOT LIKE ME.

All while I’m loving him because he was a journalist and had collected all of this memorabilia after decades of covering everything happening in The Treme’!!!

He had generations of old cameras and press passes and you know that’s my specialty. So, I’m going out of my way trying to get to talk to him and he’s avoiding me like the plague!!!

So Saturday, I’m so pissed off now I’m throwing stuff (glass bottles and scissors and whatever else I can get my hands on) at every devil that walks in front of my stoop, especially the tours. I’m yelling “DON’T COME BACK!!!” and I heard one of the tour guides apologizing and saying, “This has never happened before!” And I was like “Well, get used to it”

So, then here come the museum owner in his little get around scooter telling me to leave the devils (his customers) alone.

Now, there are some Black people who love devils for certain privileges. This was one of them. Mrs. Marion too. We got into it a coupla times. I’ll never forget she told me don’t let my religion make me think I’m better than white people. LOLOLOL I KNOW IM BETTER THAN WHITE PEOPLE!!!!

Anyway, so Sylvester starts getting all up in my grill so I threw this 64 ounce bottle of ice in his face and we started fighting.

I stabbed him in the hand with my ink pen and he started having an asthma attack LOL Old goat!!!!

Anyway, somebody called the police and THAT’S how I ended up in the hospital AGAIN….