There is commotion going on outside the abandoned appliance store. Police are in front of the store. There is a crowd of people outside the store. Margarita, Mary and Tomas are fussing with police as the police hold several people. Nicolas is frustrated as he looks on. The Youth Performers and Athletes suddenly approach the commotion. Mitch pulls up on the bike with Mike sitting and riding behind him again holding their shirts on their shoulders. Mitch pulls up to Margarita as Mike asks, “What happened Miss Margarita?”
Margarita and Tomas turn to Mike and Mitch as Margarita says, “Nothing happened boys. Just stay back.” Margarita and Tomas turn back to the police and continue to fuss with them.
The heavy set black man who Diane D was talking to earlier, who is now being held by the police, turns to Margarita and shouts, “You had no right to call the police on us Ma’am!”
“I had every right to call the police on you!” Margarita shouts back.
“No you didn’t!”
“Yes we did!” Mary and Tomas shout.
“Listen!” Margarita shouts. “Anybody that’s stealing merchandise out of that store is ignorant!”
“Ignorant?” the man says.
“That’s right ignorant?!”
“Okay fine then! But if we’re ignorant, I guess your granddaughter Diane D is ignorant too!”
“What!” Margarita, Mary and Tomas shout. “Diane?!”
“That’s right, if we’re ignorant, I guess Diane D is ignorant also!”
“What the hell are you talking about Diane is ignorant?!” Tomas shouts.
“What does she have to do with this?!” Margarita shouts.
“She asked us to hold a refrigerator for her!” the man shouts.
“What!” Margarita, Mary and Tomas shout.
“Diane D asked me to hold a refrigerator for her!”
“What are you talking about Diane asked you to hold a refrigerator for her?!” Mary shouts.
“When we were taking merchandise out of the store, Diane D asked us not to take the refrigerator, she said she wanted it!”
“What!” Margarita, Mary and Tomas shout again.
“So if we get arrested for grand larceny or theft, then Diane D should get arrested too!” a second man shouts.
“Diane didn’t take any doggone refrigerator out of that store!” Mary says.
“Yes she did!” the first man says. “The refrigerator is gone!”
“That’s right,” the second man says. “The refrigerator is gone and she’s the one who took it!”
One of the police officers turns to another police officer and asks, “Did you see any refrigerators in the store when you just left out of there?”
“No,” the other officer says. “There was no refrigerator in there. I didn’t see one at all.”
“Well Diane didn’t take it!” Mary shouts.
“Yes she did take it!” the second man shouts. “She said she was going to donate the refrigerator to charity, that’s why she wanted us to hold it for her!”
“Donate the refrigerator to charity?!” Margarita shouts.
“We don’t donate stolen merchandise to charity!” Mary shouts. Mitch pulls the bike closer to Mary with Mike still in tow.
The police officer turns to the man and asks, “Do you know where Diane D might be storing the refrigerator sir?”
“She said she was going to put it in the basement somewhere!” the man says.
“Did she say what basement?”
“No she didn’t say!”
“My child still didn’t take any damn refrigerator from there!” Mary shouts.
The officer turns to Mary and says, “We have to make sure she didn’t take the refrigerator ma‘am. To prove it, we might have to check the basement of your organization.”
“Well by o’means Officer. We have nothing to hide.”
“Okay.” The officer turns and walks away. Diane D’s family start to fuss with each other as Mike, Mitch and the rest of youth performers and athletes look on. Mary and Margarita turn to Mike and Mitch as Margarita says, “Come on guys, let’s get your shirts on.” Margarita grabs Mike’s shirt as Mary grabs Mitch’s shirt and start to help put Mike’s and Mitch‘s shirts back on them.
Ten minutes later, Mary, Margarita, Tomas and Nicolas lead two police officers down to the organization basement. Tomas turns on the light. They all look in the corner and are stunned to see a refrigerator there. “What!” Mary, Margarita, Tomas shout.
“Whose refrigerator is that?” the officer asks. Mary, Margarita, Tomas and Nicolas remains stunned. The officer turns to them and asks, “Is that your refrigerator?”
“No officer,” Tomas says. “I’m afraid it isn’t. That’s not our refrigerator.”
“It isn’t?”
“No. We don’t know where it came from, we didn’t put that there.”
“Well maybe this is the refrigerator the people said your granddaughter Diane D had taken. Where is Diane D? Because if she’s the one who took this refrigerator, then she will have to be arrested.”
“What!” Mary, Margarita, Tomas and Nicolas shout.
“You can’t arrest Diane!” Mary shouts.
“Why not Ma’am?” the officer says. “If I arrest the other people, then I will have to arrest anybody else who has any stolen merchandise in their possession.”
“You can’t arrest Diane!”
“Why not?”
“You just can’t that’s all! I’m going to deal with her!”
“Ma’am, the only way Diane D won’t get arrested and be let go, is that I let the other people go too. It’s only fair. I can’t arrest some people while I let others go.”
Mary, Margarita, Tomas and Nicolas worriedly look at the officer. “Okay officer,” Mary says. “You win. You can let those people go.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“If it’s the only way to keep Diane from being arrested, then we’d rather for you to let those people go too.”
“Go ahead officer,” Margarita says. “Let those people go.”
“Alright,” the officer says. “I‘ll go release them. I’ll send for the refrigerator.” The officer turns and walks up the basement stairs as Mary, Margarita, Tomas and Nicolas turn and puzzled look back at the refrigerator.
Later on in the evening, Mickey is walking towards the living room inside Margarita and Tomas‘ home. The phone suddenly rings. Mickey goes to pick up the phone receiver. He speaks into the receiver and says, “Hello?”
“Hi Mickey,” Keyara says. “It’s me Keyara.”
“Oh hi Keyara. Listen Keyara, I can’t stay on the phone too long.”
“You can’t? Why not?”
“There’re problems going on with my family right now.”
“You mean like your sister Diane taking that refrigerator, huh?”
“Yes. First my family have to deal with Mike and Mitch’s issues with threatening the other maid Nadia with reporting her to immigration and worrying that her husband might file harassment charges against Mike and Mitch!”
“What? Her husband is planning to file harassment charges against Mike and Mitch?”
“He might! And now we have to deal with Diane’s issues of possible theft charges and hope she doesn‘t wind up getting arrested later and wind up back in jail! I don’t know what’s going to happen with my family right now. All I know is that I have to be with them.”
“Okay Mickey I understand. Just hang in there. Things will start to smooth out in time.”
“Yeah I hope so.”
“It will. Well I won’t hold you up any longer. Soon as you sort things out with your family, call me okay?”
“Okay Keyara, I will. Thanks.”
“No problem Mickey. Talk to you later. By.”
“By.” Mickey hangs up the telephone and walks away.
The following day in the afternoon, the Diaz-Davidson Organization performers and some staff members are down the blo
ck from an arena building boarding around 5 or 6 tour buses. Mary comes out of the arena building. She hurries down the block to the staff members. She approaches the staff members and asks, “Are all the kids on the bus yet?”
“No not all of them,” Crystal says. “Mike and Mitch and some of the other boys are still at the basketball court.”
“They are?”
“Yeah,” Crystal says. Mary firmly looks at Crystal as Crystal nervously hides behind Stephanie and says, “I just thought you ought to know that.”
“Well all the kids are suppose to be on the buses already!” Mary shouts. “I thought I told you all to make sure all the kids are on the bus first!”
“At least we made sure most of the kids were on the buses first! We even called out to them at the basketball court while they were sitting and hanging around the benches. We told them it was time to pack their belongings and get on the bus. Most of the kids in the basketball court packed their belongings and left the basketball court and came to the buses, but Mike and Mitch didn’t pay us any mind! They and the other boys continued to hang out at the benches chit-chatting!”
“Plus they gave us such a hard time last time we tried to get them off the basketball court!” Stephanie says.
“That’s right,” Harvey says. “They caught a bad attitude and tried to knock Howard’s head off and the security guard’s head off which made the ball ricochet off that security guard’s head and hit Stephanie’s head! I really don’t want to deal with those two! I don’t want them trying to knock my head off!”
“I don’t want them trying to knock my head off either Mary,” Monique says.
“Oh come on now you all cut it out, alright!” Mary shouts. “Mike and Mitch aren’t going to do anything to anybody this time, they know better! I have to go back in the building and get the rest of the things out! Now when I come back, I expect to see all fifty kids including Mike and Mitch inside these buses alright! I’ll be back!” Mary turns and hurries away. The staff members look at Mary as she hurries back to the arena building. They then turn and worriedly look at each other.
“Well what are we going to do?” Crystal says. “Should we try to get Mike and Mitch and risk them trying to knock any of our heads off with that basketball again?”
“No not me,” Stephanie says. “I’m not going through that again. Are you going to get them?”
“No. Are y’all going to get them?”
“I’m not going anywhere near those two,” Phyllis says. “Why don’t you go get them Monique.”
“I’m not going anywhere near them either,” Monique says.
“Me either,” Evette says.
“Listen you all,” Harvey says. “If Mike and Mitch or all the kids aren’t on any of these buses, Mary might fire all of us!” The staff members worriedly look at Harvey. “Listen I’ll go get Mike and Mitch, but in order for me to do that, I need to round up some men to come with me.”
“You actually need other men to back you up?”
“Well y’all not doing it!”
“Well if you do round up some men, be careful just in case Mike and Mitch kick on any of you guys! The way Mike and Mitch be fighting, kicking and hurting those security guards when those security guards be trying to subdue them, I guess you’re gonna need some back up!”
“Well thanks for the confidence Evette.” Harvey turns to the male staff members and says, “You guys ready to go with me to get Mike and Mitch and the rest of the boys?”
“I guess so,” Norman says. “I really don’t want to deal with Mike and Mitch myself, but if that’s what Mary wants, we have to do it.”
“I still need more men.”
“Well here comes Michael,” Evette says. “Maybe he can go with you.”
Harvey turns and sees Michael. He then says, “Okay, I’ll ask him. Hey Michael!” An upset Michael approaches Harvey. “What‘s wrong?” Harvey asks.
“Oh Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa are still fussing with Diane about taken that refrigerator from out of that abandoned appliance store,” Michael says.
“They are?”
“Yeah.”
“What is Diane saying about it?”
“She’s fussing back at them, still saying that the refrigerator was for charity. They’re telling Diane she still didn’t have the proper authorization to take it.”
“Are the police going to arrest Diane?” Stephanie asks.
“No. They decided to let things go once we brought the refrigerator back to the appliance store.”
“That’s good.”
“How did Diane wind up bringing that heavy refrigerator from the appliance store and putting it down in the basement in the first place?” Harvey asks. “Especially without anybody in her family seeing her?”
“She had the refrigerator delivered through the back door then down to the basement,” Michael says.
“Oh yeah? Who helped her?”
“She saw some Mexican guys up the street corner not far from the appliance store. She went to them and paid three of them to move the refrigerator from the appliance store to the basement.”
“She hired Mexican guys?”
“Yeah. By the way Harvey, are all the kids on the buses yet?”
“Well not exactly.”
“Not exactly? What do you mean ‘well not exactly’?”
“Well most of the kids are on the bus, but Mike and Mitch and a few of the other boys are still at the basketball court.”
“Mike and Mitch and the other boys are still at the basketball court?”
“Yeah. We called out to all them and the rest of the boys at the basketball court a little while ago and told them it was time to get on the buses. Most of the kids packed their belongings and left the basketball court and came to the bus, but Mike and Mitch and a few other boys stayed there at the basketball court.”
“You remember the hard time Mike and Mitch gave us last time we tried to get them off the basketball court,” Monique says. “They tried to knock Howard and the security guard’s heads off with that basket ball then Stephanie winds up getting hurt too!”
“Yeah we really don’t want to deal with that again Michael,” Crystal says.
“Yeah we don’t want to go through that again,” Phyllis says. “We don’t want Mike and Mitch trying to knock our heads off!”
“Man,” Michael says. “It sounds like we’re gonna have another problem with Mike and Mitch. It sounds like they’re gonna have to be physically forced away from that basketball court.”
“Well Norman and I were just about to go get them,” Harvey says.
Michael’s cell phone suddenly rings. He picks up his cell phone and looks at the name on the cell phone. “It’s Aunt Marilyn,” he says. Michael opens up his cell phone. He speaks into it and says, “Hey Aunt Marilyn, how’s it going in there? Are Diane and them finish arguing yet?! ---- They‘re not? ---- Well I‘m at the buses now. All the kids aren’t on the buses yet. ----- Just like I said, all the kids aren’t on the buses yet. ----- No the staff members said they didn’t bring all the kids on the buses.” The staff members worriedly look at Michael then at each other, then back at Michael as he says into his cell phone, “Well they’re standing right here in front of the buses, I’m standing here with them now. …. Why didn’t they put all the kids on the buses? Well they claim they called out to all the boys at the basketball court and told the boys it was time to get on the bus. They said most of the kids packed their belongings and left the basketball court and came to the buses, but Mike and Mitch and a few other boys stayed at the benches and continued to chit-chat! ----- Yeah. ---- Well because the last time the staff members tried to get Mike and Mitch off the basketball court, Mike and Mitch threw that basket ball right at their faces! None of the staff members really want to go through that again. None of them want to deal with Mike and Mitch. ----- No. ----- Okay Aunt Marilyn.” Michael takes the phone from his ear and closes up his cell
phone. He turns to the staff members and says, “Okay guys, Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Tonio, Nicolas and Mickey are on their way downstairs.”
“They are?” Crystal asks.
“Yeah. They’re going to come right here.”
“Right here?” Monique asks. “Why are they going to come right here?”
“Are they going to have a word with us?” Phyllis says.
“Yeah,” Stephanie says. “Are they mad at us for not following Mary’s orders?”
“Listen,” Crystal says. “We all tried to get Mike, Mitch and the other boys to come out of that park, but they just didn’t listen to us! They gave us a hard look then just ignored us! We couldn’t make them leave the benches even if we tried, just like we couldn’t make them leave the basketball court last time!”
“Oh would you all just relax everybody!” Michael shouts. “Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Tonio, Nicolas and Mickey aren’t coming here to have a word with any of you! They’re coming here to meet me!”
“To meet you?”
“That’s right, to meet me! Once they get here, then we’re going to get Mike, Mitch and the other boys ourselves!”
“Y’all going to get Mike, Mitch and the other boys?” Phyllis says.
“Yes!”
“Oh thank god we don’t have to do it.”
“Thank god y’all don’t have to do it?!”
“Yeah Michael,” Stephanie says. “It’s better you than us.”
“It’s better me than y’all? Why what‘s the matter? Are y’all afraid of Mike and Mitch?!”
“I’m afraid of them,” Evette says.
“Well I’m afraid of trouble,” Phyllis says, “and that‘s what Mike and Mitch are, Double Trouble and I don‘t want any part of trouble!”
“Well you don’t have to worry about trouble Phyllis because we’re going to get Mike, Mitch and the rest of the boys ourselves,” Michael says.
“Well good luck.”
“Yeah.” Michael annoyingly looks at the staff members. He and the staff members wait a couple of seconds. Michael looks to the side. He then says, “Here comes Aunt Marilyn and them now.“ The staff members turn their heads to look. They see Marilyn, Tonio, Nicolas and Mickey hurrying from the arena building coming towards them and Michael.
Marilyn, Tonio, Nicolas and Mickey approach Michael and the staff members. The staff members say, “Hey.”
“What’s up everybody,” Tonio says.
“Nothing much,” the staff members say.
“Are Diane and them still fussing in there?” Michael asks.
“Yep,” Marilyn says. “Mary, Mom, Dad and Barry are still fussing with Diane about taking that refrigerator.”
“Yeah,” Nicolas says. “Diane is still pissed off that they won’t allow her to donate the refrigerator to charity.”
“She still wants to donate that refrigerator to charity?” Harvey asks.
“Yeah.”
“But it was a stolen refrigerator.”
“Diane don’t care about that Harvey. As far as she’s concerned, it was an abandoned refrigerator that nobody else seem to have wanted.”
“Okay everybody!” Tonio shouts. “We got to get the rest of the kids out of the park, are y’all ready?”
“Yeah we’re ready Uncle Tonio,” Nicolas says. Nicolas’ cell phone suddenly rings. Marilyn, Tonio, Mickey and Michael look towards Nicolas’ cell phone. Nicolas picks up his cell phone. He reads the name on it and says, “It’s Mom.” Nicolas talks into the cell phone and says, “Hola Mama. ----- Si, Tia Marilyn, Tio Tonio, Mickey, Michael y yo estamos aqui en los buses ahora. ---- Si. ---- Ellos deberian estar.” Nicolas turns and moves away continuing to speak into the cell phone as the staff members worriedly look at him. Nicolas then takes the cell phone from his ear and closes it up. He turns back to everyone and says, “Mom’s going to be on her way here in fifteen minutes.” The staff members worriedly look at Nicolas. Nicolas then says, “When she gets here, she’s going to look in all the buses to make sure all the kids are on them. Now we got to go to the basketball court, get those kids real quick and make sure each and every kid is on the buses by the time Mom gets here.”
“Esta bien, vamos,” Marilyn says. She turns around and hurries off as Tonio, Nicolas, Mickey and Michael hurry off after her. The staff members and the rest of the organization on the buses anxiously watch Marilyn, Tonio, Nicolas, Mickey and Michael hurry way into the distance. The staff members and the rest of the organization then watch Marilyn, Tonio, Nicolas, Mickey and Michael turn and disappear around the corner. The staff members and the people on the buses continue to look into the distance. They suddenly see the Dianettes hurrying from the arena building heading towards them.
The Dianettes approach the staff members as Nancy asks, “Are all the kids on the buses yet?”
“No,” Harvey says. “Your Aunt Marilyn, your dad, Nicolas, Mickey and Michael went to get Mike, Mitch and several other boys from the basket ball court area.”
“Yeah they wanted to hurry and get Mike, Mitch and the rest of the boys and make sure all the kids are on the buses before your Aunt Mary gets here,” Stephanie.
“Before Aunt Mary gets here?” Bernice.
“Yeah. Where’s Diane?”
“Diane and Aunt Mary just got through finished fussing with each other,” Charlotte says.
“Yeah, they were at war,” Nancy says. “Now they’re on their way downstairs.”
“Yeah. They‘re on their way right over here.”
“They are?” Harvey asks.
“Yeah.“
“We better go help get the rest of the kids before they get here,” Miranda says.
“That’s right,” Lonna says. “We don’t need Aunt Mary getting all rowded up over here.”
“Yeah that’s right,” Miranda says. “So come on girls, let‘s go.” Miranda and the rest of the Dianettes turn around and hurry off. The staff members and the rest of the organization on the buses anxiously watch the Dianettes hurry way into the distance. The staff members and the rest of the organization then watch the Dianettes turn and disappear around the corner.
Four minutes later, the staff members and the people on the buses continue to look into the distance. They become surprise as they see Marilyn, Nancy, Miranda, Lonna and Charlotte coming back holding on to Mike and Mitch with Marilyn walking between Mike and Mitch holding on to them looking down at them fussing at them as Mike and Mitch look up at Marilyn talking to her. The staff then see Tonio, Michael, Nicolas, Mickey, Bernice and Kelly come back holding on to the rest of the boys.
As Michael helps bring the boys to the buses, he turns to Nicolas and Mickey and says, “I hope your Mom is not at the buses yet.”
“I hope not either,” Nicolas says as he, Mickey, Bernice and Kelly hurry past Marilyn, Mike, Mitch, Nancy, Miranda, Lonna and Charlotte and hurry the rest of the boys to the buses.
Mitch angrily points his arm and finger at the other boys and shouts, “Yo Vincent! You better not loose that ball!”
“And y’all better not take our seats either!” Mike shouts.
“Yeah we’re sitting in the same spots!” Mitch shouts.
Nicolas and the other boys turn around towards Mike and Mitch as Nicolas shouts, “Don’t worry about your ball or your spots, I‘ll take care of it!” Nicolas and the boys turn back around. Nicolas, Michael, Mickey, Bernice and Kelly bring the other boys right to the doorway of the bus. The other boys step into the bus. Michael gets inside the bus doorway. Marilyn, Nancy, Miranda, Lonna and Charlotte bring Mike and Mitch right to the doorway of the bus. Mitch steps up into the bus. Michael pulls Mitch in bringing him into the bus. Mitch turns his head towards Marilyn as Marilyn and Nicolas turn towards Mike. “You ready Mike?” Nicolas asks.
“Come on baby,” Marilyn says. Mike steps into the bus. “There we go,” Marilyn says.
“Step in Mike,” Nicolas says. Michael pulls Mike in bringing him into the bus. <
br />
Marilyn turns to Nicolas and Mickey and says, “Yo voy a ir en los aotobuses y contar todos los ninos para asegurarse de que estan todos en los autobuses.”
“Esta bien tia Marilyn,” Nicolas says. “Voy a ir en el autobus con usted.”
“Esta bien.” Marilyn turns back forward and steps into the bus as Nicolas and Mickey follows in behind her. The staff members continue to wait outside the bus as they watch Marilyn, Nicolas and Mickey go inside the bus.
Michael steps back out the bus. He turns to the staff members and says, “So we went and got the kids from the basketball court ourselves, the task none of y’all wanted to do.”
“Well do you really blame us Michael?” Crystal says. “Do you really blame us?”
“No I guess not.”
Marilyn, Nicolas and Mickey step back out the bus. They approach Michael as Marilyn says, “So far we got all the kids that‘s supposed to be on this bus.”
“Yeah we got to check the other buses,” Nicolas says. “Michael why don’t you stay here and guard this bus while we go check the other buses.”
“Yeah we want to make sure none of the kids leave this bus,” Mickey says.
“Okay,” Michael says.
Marilyn, Nicolas and Mickey walk to the second bus. They step inside of it as the staff members watch.
Ten minutes later, Mary angrily holds on to Diane D‘s arm as she, an angry looking Diane D, Margarita, Barry, Tomas, Tonio and Marilyn are standing outside the first tour bus. Barry turns to the other buses behind the first bus and shouts to the bus drivers, “Okay close them up!” The doors of the second bus to the last bus shut as the doors of the first bus remain open. Mary turns to Diane D and brings Diane D in the doorway of the first tour bus. Diane D steps up into the bus as Mary steps up into the bus behind her. Marilyn steps onto the first bus. Barry then steps onto the first bus. Margarita, Tomas and Tonio step onto the first bus. The door of the first bus closes. The first bus then pulls off as all the other buses follow behind it.
chapters 30 – 45
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