We are good bandmates it is our pleasure to introduce you.

Listen to me!

To a singer we have crowned as the king of punctuality.

Always on time!

Wow wow wow… Thank you!

Thank you!

Menu: beef stew, baked pork chop, codfish salad, white rice.

Crab Meat Chicken The one I sang last Friday I don't know if I'll remember all of it, but I'll start.

It goes like this: You'll wonder, what have I come for?

If everything has already ended You'll think that I ask for affection, but you are wrong.

Maybe you'll say I'm crazy… That's it.

No, I don't like to sing.

Not even in the shower.

I like the crowd moving, the way people sing.

I enjoy it a lot.

You see, I enjoy that a lot.

I'm Israel Molina, and I'm the owner of this business called Casa Laurel, located on Loiza Street.

It's a family business, run by my wife Laura and myself, and it's mainly focused on traditional Puerto Rican cuisine.

We opened in 1991.

When I bought this place, the storefront was more or less like this.

Here it looks like this because a hurricane had recently passed, and that’s how it looked after.

This is another photo of the front facade, and here we have some of the customers that I had back in those days when I bought it.

You see?

It's changed a lot.

This space was completely different.

I feel good when the customer eats and says: “This food is delicious, it tastes like my grandma's cooking.” That makes me feel great.

This couple that comes in, he is a psychologist, José Marrero and his wife.

They are Friday regulars.

He loves to dance and eat as well … and drinking.

So does Magali, who dances a lot.

There’s also Néstor and his wife Jenie.

They eat, dance and sing.

Likewise, there are other groups of customers.

My name is Angel Luis Manzano, and Miranda... because the mother counts.

My name is Rafael Pastor Jinorio.

My name is Vilma Burgos Marzán.

My name is José Luis Figueroa Padilla and I spend my days here on Loiza Street.

We come here most Fridays to enjoy ourselves.

It's a very good and nice environment.

And if you stop coming for a while, they call to check on you and see why you haven't come by.

They are always looking out for each other.

It used to be called “Israel Mini Market”.

Now it's “Casa Laurel”.

It's his name and his wife's name combined.

I used to tell Israel: I'm going to stop coming here because your beers are warm.

“There she comes to fight again”, he said.

So he would separate some beers and put them in the fridge with ice so that she wouldn't complain.

So I wouldn’t complain.

Fridays are my day to let off steam.

I drink my beer.

I sing.

I spend time with my friends.

That's a big part of my life, spending time with people.

I love partying.

Karaoke Fridays are iconic.

And on Fridays I can go to bed a bit later than 8pm.

I come here and forget about it!

While I’m here I forget all my problems.

Until I leave.

Once I leave, all my problems come back.

Oh yes, this is like therapy.

Because sometimes loneliness can be rough.

And being inside the house by yourself... is not easy.

My wife used to come here.

She started coming with me, but she's sick now.

So, she doesn't feel like coming.

She doesn't want to come.

Doesn't want to come.

I had a husband, my daughters’ father.

He was cruel, a very bad man.

He even shot me.

He almost killed me.

It went through here and came out this way.

He also shot himself that day.

He was hospitalized for almost a month.

He blew his brains out.

And he didn't die.

He wouldn't die.

When I was discharged from the hospital, I went to talk to him.

I told him I was there to forgive him.

That I forgave him for what he did to me and that I was going to raise his daughters well.

I turned my back, got out of there and he died soon after, about 10 minutes later.

God gives and takes away, that’s the way it is, and now he gave me a good husband.

I’m with him, I’m sharing my old age with him.

He comes here with me, we go everywhere, and we’re okay.

I’m always singing.

I have two grandsons and only one daughter.

She left for Florida after Hurricane Maria to see how it would go and she stayed.

I have a daughter who lives in Tampa.

But she knows not to call me on Fridays because I'm here.

My two sons who live out there, when they come to visit, have come here.

The other one comes from time to time.

And they sing with me.

It feels amazing.

When your son sings with you that feels out of this world.

Once we were at a caroling spree and my two sons were playing instruments with me.

And I thought, oh my gosh, my sons are playing with me… I'm sorry… Let’s continue.

Well, yes, my daughter lives in Tampa, Florida.

But since I don't know her phone number and she doesn't call me, I don't know.

I'm trying to see if someone will contact my daughter so she can call me.

so she can hear me.

I haven't had that opportunity.

I hope someday I will.

I spent eight days between Tampa and Orlando.

My sister would tell me: play Powerball here so you can buy that house that’s for sale.

We had so much fun, we had a blast.

After a week I called her and she said: Chegui I miss you, come back.

I went grocery shopping with her... Look... I’m tearing up.

I hadn’t seen her for 3 years… I enjoyed it.

I had a great time.

I hope to go back.

I hope to go back.

That affection is always necessary.

I wish we all lived close by to spend more time together but that's how life is.

I'm like a camel.

Always moving through the desert.

Because my house is deserted.

You see?

I live alone.

It's important for me to see each other here on Fridays.

Because I share with them, we sing together, we share about things that we tell each other, we argue, we dance… For in this life you have to fight not listen to what others say You have to love and to hate as well and remember and forget That's how I lived And I always did it my way I always did it... my way Bravo, Bravo We are losing these types of small businesses.

So the essence of community, of sharing with the neighborhood and its people, there are barely any places left for that.

This is one of the few that's left.

There have been changes on Loíza Street lately because foreigners, Americans have been investing in Loíza Street because they've been given tax exemptions and they have acquired many properties to turn them into the infamous Airbnbs.

[PEOPLE LIVE IN LOIZA STREET] Some, like my neighbor who owned the hardware store, got an offer and decided to sell.

Then, they approached me and told me to sell, but I'm not selling.

For a start, I'm not selling.

But I could lease it, so that I can have the opportunity to retire with my wife and enjoy our remaining years a little more.

Echoing Magali, I think we would lose an iconic place in this neighborhood.

It's one of the few places left where you can feel that community warmth.

Applause!

Goodbye!

Until next time.