Pine Bluff

I would like to thank everyone who is taking time to read these blogs. I have to go to Pine Bluff to work this week so I won't be blogging during the week. I did though want to post a letter I wrote to the newspaper after being down there a few days the first time I went a few months back to work. It really shows how judging incorectly or pre judging can set you up for a missed out blessing. I titled the piece "Welcome to Pine Bluff".

Welcome to Pine Bluff. By Simon Sade

When I found out that I would be coming to Pine Bluff and told my friends all I heard was, “You better get a gun”, “Don’t stay out late” and “Did you know that Pine Bluff is the only city in Arkansas that is losing population” meaning that this city is so bad that people are leaving in droves. And then when I mentioned that my partner and I in business would be working in the Cottonwood HUD housing area, remodeling bathrooms for several weeks, well you can imagine the hear say. But now that I have been here, I’d like to say:

I have shopped at a lot of Lowes and haven’t met friendlier people; Wal-Mart, the same way. “Well, that’s the south end of town. What do you expect?” Okay. We went to several of the fast food restaurants on Dollarway, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and have yet to have a bad experience. Everyone to the T has been friendly and hospitable. We’re staying at the Ramada downtown. The lady behind the desk stated that they were happy to have us and enjoyed our staying there.

How about Cottonwood, the “projects” as some have called it. This is our fourth week. We have met at least 50 people, personally disrupting their lives by moving in, tearing out their bathrooms, leaving them without any facilities for almost two days and have yet to meet one person who has not been friendly if not overly friendly. Let’s see, one invited me to her church, several have gone on and on about their kids and grand kids, one told us the best fishing spots, and Miss Betty fixed us some pan fried corn bread and apologized for not having enough greens to share with us also.

After the first week down here we had a third member join us in our endeavor. I’m not the going out type after work but they are. They stay up long after I have turned in, taking in bars, meeting new folks and in general just hanging out. When talking with those to whom they met during the day and looking for another place to go to that night, many of the locals would offer up names about town that my buddies had already frequented and everyone also offered up this advice, “Don’t go to the bars on University.” Did I mention that we are white?

When Thursday night rolled around we began asking where we might go to watch the UAPB / Duke game. We specifically asked for someplace that had a TV and a bar where there would be folks to hang out with and enjoy the game. PJ’s on University was a favorite response.

So off we went after a hard days work to PJ’s. Now I must say that I personally have never been to a bar. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, and I think the worst word in my vocabulary is “crap!” and I try not to use it. But people are people and what is really bad for some is common place, second nature to others. We pulled up to PJ’s about twenty minutes into the game. Expecting a packed parking lot we almost left. I think there were five cars randomly placed in the non painted parking lot. My two co-workers were starving, having missed breakfast and our often skipped lunch. The restaurant around back was closed but as we were leaving a man came out from the bar with a delicious looking BBQ sandwich. He was getting into his car to leave so we pulled up along side, rolled down the window and asked if the bar served food. “Joyce cooked up some good brusquest” he replied. Sounded good to us, so we pulled in and went inside. My two friends walked in, a little apprehensive but still feeling rather quite at home with the surroundings. I, on the other hand, had to keep from looking like a tourist.

The music was loud, not concert loud but louder then what I was used to and every body was talking louder than the music. You had to. I thought, “Why not just turn the music down so you don’t have to yell at every body”? But everyone seemed very comfortable with it and it was good music, music that made you want to take your sweetheart in your arms and dance. The regulars or so I gathered, having watched “Cheers” on TV were sitting at the bar, sipping drinks and smoking. Barbara Ann was tending the drinks. My business partner, rather matter-of-factly, went up to the bar, introduced himself then turned and introduced us also. Warm, honest welcomes were delivered along with a couple of beers. “And a Coke for my buddy” I heard my partner tell Barbara Ann. The next thing I know we’re sitting watching the game with several ladies who are treating us like family. Jennifer and Joyce sat next to each other. Their conversation was full of laughter and cutting up. Anita sat a couple of chairs over. “It’s very nice to meet you” she replied to me as I introduced myself. Around the corner of the bar another lady sat. She was on her cell, so I didn’t catch her name. I sat down next to her, turned my chair to watch the game and started sipping on my Coke. My buddy, who is a professional at mingling, was doing just that. The other third of us nested down into a soft, buckskin brown, vinyl couch watching the game.

A couple of other ladies came in and came around to the side of the bar where I was sitting so I got up to let them have my seat and moved over to the other side of Anita between her and Joyce. It wasn’t moments later that Joyce asked us if we would like to have some homemade brusquest on some buns. We gladly accepted and off she went, disappearing for a short while but returning soon with a plate full of mouth watering BBQ Brusquest. Everybody bragged about her brusquest and rightly so. It was the best that we had ever eaten, literally melted in your mouth.

While we were eating, an older gentleman came in and soon to follow him were two others along with another lady. They crowded in along the front of the bar with everyone else. This was obviously their home too. Bragging rights for Pine Bluff were in full swing and rightly so they were, after all, playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in their history. Low, who went to college at UAPB when he was younger touted their greatness and defied the mighty Duke. Carla, whose name I am guessing starts with a C and had just previously come in with the others, filled me in on many of the other greats of Pine Bluff, her French manicured fingernails flashing with each gesture of the hands. Louis and Arthur mingled in with the girls and joined in the conversation but I must say, Low was indeed the main attraction. His over exaggerated flamboyance was equaled by his voice above the crowd. His wit and humor kept the hearts of all in laughter; a speaker to his audience, his show on the road. When I personally met him his hand shake was warm and welcoming. He questioned me, as did everyone I met, of my home town and the business that brought me to Pine Bluff. A sincere and instant friend, who on his departure, made it a point to shake my hand and invite me back.

Barbra Ann slid another Coke down to me while Joyce disappeared and re appeared again with another plate of brusquest for us boys. It was while we were eating the second round of BBQ that Shirley came in. I’m not for sure what would happen if they had turned the music off while she was there. The whole time, especially her arrival, she danced to the songs. It found her as soon as she stepped through the door, a best friend that she couldn’t wait to see. She and Jennifer talked about their children, grand children and great grand children.

Barbra Ann was not the only tender. I think I counted four through the progression of the night. Cathy, the owner of the bar, often times mixed drinks for the gathering. She was quiet and graceful and minded the setting around her very well. She introduced me to Tenea, PJ’s daughter. She was a beautiful, young women maybe 5’2”. I shook her hand and she smiled. A few minutes later a couple of younger men came in. “Jay!” exclaimed my friend. They shook hands and hugged. Obviously he had met him previously a night or two before. The other was, Bruno, a handsome, smooth topped man with a great hand shake and solid hug. I returned the welcome as well and impressed him with it. I introduced myself. He turned to Tenea and introduced her to me. She held his arm and looked into his eyes with a look that gave it away. “You two just married, I guess?” I said pretty certainly. “Three months”, she replied. I congratulated them.

It was getting late for a guy like me so I approached my buddies who were locked in discussion with Carla. They knew what I wanted and had said previously that when I was ready to go they would be ready also. I shook hands with everyone I met that night. Everyone invited me back and said they were glad to meet me. “Tuesday night is Happy Hour” they told me. I guess that means I’ll get my Coke’s half priced, although I didn’t have to pay for either.

“We’re just regular folks, living our lives. We work, we play, we marry and raise children” , said Jennifer. Bruno put it like this after our second hug, “I’m black and your white but your always welcome here because were all, Americans.”