Cutthroat: A Ramona Park Legend

XLVIII

"Did she take her shoe off again?" Matika asks looking over.

"Yup," I say laughing as Marina picks it up looking at it funny.

"This girl hates her some damn shoes. She just wanna be barefoot Fred Flinestone style all the damn time. She keeps this up she's gonna have rough ass feet. And she's pigeon toed? Bless my babies heart," she says as I laugh.

"She'll be fine. How are you? I haven't talked to you in awhile," I say.

"Fine, I've just been working on this and some charity events I have planned. Gotta stay working despite me carrying a boulder on the front of me."

"Who are you telling? I'm ready to drop this baby like it's a nigga who broke my heart," I say making her laugh. "Did you find out what you're having?" I ask.

"Another girl," she says rolling her eyes. "I like dressing up little girls, but I don't need the attitude times two."

"Attitude? Marina is as sweet as can be," I say looking down at her. "Right mama's?" I say in baby talk making her smile. I pick Jodie back up putting her back on my hip because she wants to walk all over the place. "Now this one," I say pointing at Jodie. "This is attitude and just bad as hell."

She chuckles then says, "Like her Momma? What are you having?"

"A boy. Joey got what he wanted, so that's all that matters."

"That's good. Oh, I was thinking since our pregnancies our literally only a couple of weeks apart that we should have our baby showers together. Like a dual baby shower. Saves money and time. Just knock it all out in one day since we basically have the same friends and of course family since we're with cousins."

"Sounds good to me. I actually wasn't going to have a baby shower since it's my second child," I say shrugging.

"Why not? It's Joey's first child. I know he considers Jodie his, but y'all weren't together when you were pregnant with her, so it wasn't like that. I'm only having one because Marcel's cheap ass wants free stuff."

I laugh then say, "Hey, I don't blame him. Babies are expensive. I guess you're right. He deserves to have this experience, especially since he's so excited. Baby shower it is."

"Yay, good! We need to meet with my party planner whenever you're free. I guess we should stop talking. I'm acting like this isn't my event. Are you ready? You have your poem ready for the intro?" She asks. Matika asked me to write a poem for the intro of the documentary, so I did.

"Yup, got it memorized. My face won't be shown right cause ya girl has not been looking too good throughout this pregnancy."

"Girl, I know how you feel. I've been busted and disgusted. No, you won't. We're just gonna have your voice in the background. Come with me," she says beginning to push the stroller as I follow.

...

After everything was set up I waited for them to give me the signal to start. I sat on a swing in the one place it's quiet in the park because no one was over here. All that could be heard in the background was music and kids yelling as they played in the background. Because it was windy you could hear the rusty swings as they swayed back and forth.