CHAPTER ELEVEN: Let's Muse It Over At The Krewe of Krewes Parade
"Hey, wait a second!"
As they left Harrah's closed down Casino, Cay stopped and slipped her shoes off again. The Gator Pond wasn't far, but she had used up all of her patience with her shoes. They looked great with her dress, but weren't met to exercise in.
"What I wouldn't give right now for a pair of those comfortable shrimpers boots right now. "
"I've got an idea. Wait here." Francisco said, and slipped down a dark trail that led behind the casino. It was a good long wait before he returned driving an electric golf cart. Cay stuck out her thumb as if hitch hiking.
Frank waved her in and explained. "We use them to get around the site and I have a key to the padlock. One of the advantageous of being site foreman."
Cay jumped in and they continued to the Gator Pond. The Gator Pond was a large enclosure of a simulated bayou, filled with swamp animals and about a half of dozen alligators. It was built for tourist and resident alike to be able to see the alligators from a safe distance.
There was a service drive towards the back with a small outback building for maintenance supplies and office work. Frank zipped the electric cart toward the back. He parked the cart to the side, behind a tree when he saw the door to the office.
He put his finger to his lips and motioned Cay to follow. She slipped out of the card and tiptoed across a line of parallel parking spaces. Frank poked his head into the office and flipped on the light. A chair was tipped over near the center of the room. An empty bottle of Canadian Club sat full on the desk next to a thick role of duct tape. There were signs of a struggle, and the smell of vomit on the floor.
"This doesn't look good," Cay whispered.
Frank was about to answer, but they heard some shouting and a woman's voice coming from the Gator Pond building.
"She's still alive! " Frank said. "Come on!"
Cay followed behind Frank, but took a quick detour to the golf cart to pick up her shoes. Painful as they were, she thought they might offer some protection against a hungry alligator. Only the thought of Nicolette could make her go into a place devoted to reptiles. She didn't want to admit to Frank but she was deathly afraid of any place that hosted scaly, foot-chomping, finger-biting creatures.
They tried the back door to the building and the door opened easily. Cay could see that the lock was broken and the door had had been forced open, so there was no sound or click when they swung the door open. They quietly sneaked around the palms that stood at the door's entrance. They could see a small narrow walkway offering access to the back of the gator pond. On that walkway, they saw Tone and Nicolette in struggle. Tone was holding another bottle of whiskey upside down and was forcing alcohol down the throat of an already, drowsy and floppy Nicolette. Her hands were bound together with silver duct tape and it looked as if the binding around her feet had recently been removed.
Cay moved closer to get a better look and she tripped over a hose that was running fresh water into the pond. Tone looked up at the noise, then dropped the bottle and jumped up. He was moving quickly toward a stone ledge where Cay could see a large hand gun. But Tone, like Cay seconds before, tripped over another hose that was laying across the floor.
Frank took off like a rabbit toward Tone. Cay shouted, "Nicolette! Wake up!" Nicolette startled, tried to focus, then turned her head and threw up on the tile floor next to her.
Frank got to Tone as he started standing, grabbed the back of his shirt and spun him around.. Cay ran to Nicolette She was a mess, soaked in liquor and vomit. Her eyes were starting to perk up a bit. The vomiting must be helping, so Cay turned the woman to her side again and stuck her finger down Nicolette's throat, making her throw up one more time. Then Cay dampened her hand in a small pool of pond water on the tile floor and wiped Nicolette's mouth before she hastened to unwrap the tape around her hands.
Meanwhile, Tone and Frank had started to wrestle each other. Frank pulled free for a moment, and back away enough so that Tone was able to get in a good punch in that doubled Frank over. Frank then roared forward and steamrolled Tone into a fake tree. Tone "oooofed" loudly then grabbed the collar of Frank's coat to hold him, then started punching him in the stomach.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Cay yelled. She couldn't bear to see Frank hurt.
Tone gave Frank one last large punch before Frank tripped backwards, catching his heel on the side of the pond. He flipped backwards, sinking in the green algae of the cold pond. When he came up out of the water, spitting and sputtering, his face and hair were covered with algae, making him look like some kind of alien visitor. But what was even scarier than his looks was the sound of a big fat "plop" coming from a big log on the other side of the pond.
"Uh oh!" Nicolette said as Cay slipped off the last of the duct tape from around her wrists. "That's Miss Candy!"
Cayenne helped Nicolette to stand, and suddenly Nicolette seem to shake off her lethargy. She was watching a lumpy log gradually make its way toward Frank, who seemed to be disoriented and not aware of the danger he was in. She jumped up, alert from a seeming rush of adrenaline. She ran toward the side of the pond and did a perfect poolside dive into the pond.
Cay was stunned. Little size four Nicolette was going to rescue big tall Francisco Estiponal? Tone halted his movement, too, and watched the scene with amazement, but then quickly saw his opportunity. He ran to recover his gun from the ledge, then rushed at Cay. She started to run for the door, but he was too fast. He grabbed her from behind and put the gun to her head.
"I'll shoot her, I swear!" He yelled at no one in particular. Cay could feel his heart pounding like a nine-pound hammer. Or was that her heart that was about to burst?
Again, their attention was drawn toward Nicolette. Frank was heading toward the side of the artificial pond. But Nicolette was heading toward the moving log. She wasn't going after Frank. She was going after Miss Candy.
"Depéchê!! Hurry!!!!," she screamed at Frank as she swam. "She's the biggest …" her words were garbled by a big gulp of green water. She reached Miss Candy and wrapped her arms around her back.
Cay took advantage of the commotion to scrape the sharp side of shoe down along Tone's shin. He dropped in gun from the pain, but hung on tight with his arm around her neck. She tried to spin him around with the weight of her body. This time she jammed the sharp point of her heel directly onto the middle of his foot. It hit its mark and he reflexively let go and grabbed his foot. This threw him off balance backward toward the pond. He stumbled backwards just as Frank was getting out of the pond, and flipped over the back of Frank. Frank hung on, but Tone flipped directly into the pond.
Frank jumped up and grabbed the gun which had flung away from where Cay was standing. He picked it up with a dripping, shaky hand and was pointing it at Tone's head when he emerged from the water.
Now it was Tone and Nicolette in the pond. Nicolette was getting tired of wrestling with Miss Candy.
"I'm giving you two moments," she sputtered and yelled at Tone, " to surrender to my friend, or else either he will should you in le tete or I wil…." Nicolette went down in the water, and was rolled rolled over, under water, like an Eskimo kayak roll but righted herself. Cay could see she was exhausted.. "... will serve you to Miss Candy for dinner."
Tone freaked out. Cay could see he wasn't able to swim well. He was flailing and terrified and swallowing lots of algae water. "You're crazy! Save me! All right! I did it. I'll confess. Whatever you want… I needed the money … for God's sake give me a hand."
"Cay, hold this steady and if he tries anything, shoot him. " Frank handed her the gun then went to the wall to grab something that looked like a huge hook on a ten foot pool. He guided it over to Tone and reeled him in. Cay tried to keep a steady bead on Tone, keeping herself between Tone and the door. Frank dropped the pole when Tone neared the side to avoid being pulled in. Tone pulled himself up quickly up onto the tile floor and lay face down, breathing hard, obviously shaken and broken by the experience of a swim in the Gator Pond.
Just as Tone was saying his prayers of thanks to the stone tile below him, the trio heard Nicolette yell, "Incoming!" and saw her let go of Miss Candy. She dove under the water and the water boiled and splashed. Then there was nothing.
Frank quickly tied up Tone and Cay held the gun pointing steady at him. But the water remained silent.
No Nicolette.
No Miss Candy.
"Nicolette!" Cay yelled, still keeping the gun steady on Tone, but trying to look out at the pond from her peripheral vision. Her voice just echoed off the walls.
There was a splash of water and Miss Candy popped up to top of the surface and swam in a circle, as if dazed.
But no Nicolette.
They heard a scraping, then a metallic bang. Fat bubbles rose and broke at the surface. Then nothing again.
Tone was starting to calm down. Frank took the gun from Cay and continued to keep it pointed at Tone. "I grew up hunting, so don't even think that I wouldn't shoot you, especially if you killed my friend."
Cay began to cry. "God damn it! Nicolette! Talk to me!" The water was too thick with algae to see anything. Then they heard a muffled voice, as if it was buried beneath the ground.
"Je suis vivant! " They heard someone running from outside the pond enclosure. A few moments later, Nicolette stumbled through the open black door, dripping and green, green with algae and shaking.
"Je suis vivant! I'm alive. Thank God you found me! Merci! Merci!"
Nicolette threw herself at Cay, and Cay hugged her hard, despite the fact she smelled of algae, and bourbon, and vomit.
"Cay, run back and get that duct tape from the office.." Cay kicked off her shoes and ran the errand. When she returned, she bound Tone's hands up tightly, tearing long strips with her teeth. Then she taped one of his legs to a bucket that had been stored in the corner, so that he couldn't run away easily. When Cay was finished, she got up, put her hands on her hips and looked right at Nicolette.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Cay said.
Nicolette ran her fingers through her hair to release some of the green stuff from her locks. The alcohol that still remain in her petite body and the adrenaline rush of the evening's event caused her to talk at a manic pace.
"Bernard has been training me for his alligator wrestling show this summer. He thought a pretty girl wrestling alligators would be… how you say…would get people to come to the shows. Miss Candy is the worst. Tres mal. She's taken off the tip of Bernard's finger and I have no doubt you two would have been just an hors-doeuvre for her. I thought if I could just hold her off… There is an escape gate under the pond in case something goes wrong or you need to make an underwater disappearing act. I guess it's made for things like this. Once I Saw you had Tone, I gave Miss Candy the old stun move that Bernard taught me, then used the hatch to escape. C'est bien. I hope I didn't hurt her or anything. "
Cay and Frank just stared at her. Then started to laugh. Frank, still pointing the gun at Tone with one hand, he leaned over the kissed the top of Nicolette's filthy head. "You and Bernard are going to be very happy together,"
He turned back to Cay. "Come on. All of the Lake Charles Police Department is back at the dance. I think we should hand deliver this guy to Chief Fourchere."
Nicolette, her lips blue and her tiny frame shaking, said. "Wait! We have to go back to Harrahs. I left my phone there." Nicolette started explaining hurriedly in French, then stopped herself. "It is a story I can tell on the way."
They hoisted Tone and his bucket up on the back shelf of the golf cart and used some more of the duct tape to tie their captive to the canopy frames. The rest of them squeezed into the bench and drove as quickly as the heavily laden cart could as they could.
"When I was kidnapped, Tone brought me to the abandoned casino through a back entrance and Star was waiting by the door. I was able to take just two pictures of them, thinking that it would be evidence. It slipped from my hand when Tone yanked me from the horse, so I could not use it to call for help. I hoped someone would find it and see the pictures or something, but the entrance is pretty well hidden. I have to get it. I hope Tone didn't find it already. It's evidence that Star was involved."
The ordeal of the past two days seem to hit Nicolette all at once. She began to shake violently. Cay wrapped her arms around her to try to keep her damp body warm. Frank stopped the cart and peeled off his damp, smelly tuxedo jacket and wrapped it around her. Nicolette could barely make sense, but she managed to say through her tears. "They wouldn't believe me about Penny. They wouldn't believe me about Elena. I had to have les photos. No one would believe me."
As they zipped along under a cool, starry sky, the smell of algae and pond water filling the immediate air around the, it seemed to Cay that a million years had passed since Nicolette had snapped Cay and Frank's picture at the food cook-off with her camera to send to JeanMarc. She hugged the young woman even tighter.
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Things were really rocking at the Gala. Little Eddy and the Zydeco Hot Shots were playing and hundreds of people filled the dance floor. As the night grew later, outfits were rearranged, discarded and added onto, so when four damp, straggling persons entered the hall, three covered with algae, one with a bucket taped to his foot, and another barefoot and limping, they only earned a passing glance from the partygoers.
Frank and Cay instinctively made their way to the judges' bench, where they could see some folks milling but no sign of Chief Bull. Frank spotted a young police officer over at the side of the stage and waved him over. The officer moved slowly until he saw that Tone was bound in duct tape.
Frank barked authoritatively. "I want you to arrest this man for two murders, malicious vandalism, kidnapping and attempted drowning." People in the crowd were starting to gather around the scene.
The young police officer smirked at him. "Geez, buddy. You stink. You're not the first to go swimming in the Lake, but I strongly advise a shower if you don't want to go home alone tonight. Why don't you untie your buddy there and let him go?"
Cay stepped in. She recognized the young office from the search at Star's house and she knew she would need to handle this well. "Officer, this is serious. Is Chief Fourchere still here? I would be mighty obliged if I could talk to him about what is going on here."
The police officer looked at the four, then suddenly recognized Nicolette from her All Points Bulletin. "Hey, you found that girl!" He waved over another office and told him to keep an eye on them until he returned with the Chief.
It didn't take long to find him. He was on the dance floor with Star, and he seemed none too pleased to be interrupted. He returned to the spot, with Star right behind him. Daphne also saw the commotion and moved over. Cay noted that she was wearing a new crown on her head that spelled out 2006 in rhinestones. She had won the Queen of Queen's competition after all.
"Arrest that woman!" Bull barked when he saw Nicolette.
"Wait!" Cayenne said. "Hear us out first!"
It took awhile to explain everything out, and Tone didn't say too much. Chief looked skeptical and irritated. He said to his police office. "Throw the whole lot of them in jail and we can sort it out in the morning." He turned and offered his arm to Star. Star gave one last look of triumph at Cay.
Then she made the mistake of shooting another look at Tone. One of contempt. One of superiority. One that said loud and clear, "I'm untouchable."
It was then Tone decided to speak.
"Yeah, I did it." His voice rang out loudly. "I killed Penelope. But not Elena. I'm not going down for this by myself," He said, nodding his chin at Star. "She set up everything. I didn't want to hurt anyone. But she set me up. Said she'd reveal me as an ex-con. She is one crazy bitch."
Bull turned around, came over and got in his face. Cay thought he was going to hit Tone. "I would not be besmirching this fine lady's character, you psychotic piece of shit! I'm hauling you down to jail and putting your ass in jail for the night. We'll sort this out in the morning. Cuff this bastard! Throw them all in jail. " The Chief roared.
The young police officer hustled to put handcuffs on Tone, but seemed stymied by the fact that he already was bound by the duct tape.
"Wait! He's right. She's in on this. I have proof." Nicolette's French accented voice rose about the crowd. She held up her phone.
The entire crowd seem to suddenly be listening in. Dozens of eyes and ears focused on Nicolette. She continued. "I have pictures that I took of the two of them at Harrah's where he was holding me prisoner for the last two days.
Bull hesitated. The crowd was watching every step he took. He cleared his throat and calmed himself down. "Little lady, I can smell from here that you've been drinking. I'll just take a look for myself tomorrow but for now, I think we can just get back to the party."
Tone stared at Star, then he said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Search her house." He motioned his bound hands in Star's direction."This time, don't warn her. I think you will find a red beaded shoe that belonged to Penny. She took it before she helped drive her car to the swamp and left that silly note trying to make Penny's murder look like a suicide. If I was a betting man, and I am, I would wager you will also find that fancy hat thing that I rescued from Elena's car. Yeah, I got Elena to go to that daiquir drive through, but it was Star that got Daphne to put the poison in her drink when Tommy wasn't looking. I poured the whiskey all over her after she crashed to make it look like a drunk driving accident, but it was Star that killed her."
Tone had the crowd in his hand, now and he reveled in it. Bull was listening closely, too, and Cay could tell that it was starting to shake Star's arrogant confidence.
"Star always wanted trophies from what I did. I hid them for her when her house was searched, but that very afternoon she called me and wanted them back." He sneered at Star, whose face was now livid with rage. "Star paid me well to do her dirty business. Once last thing, just check in her refrigerator. I bet you find some nasty looking boudin balls that match the ones that almost killed her." He jerked his head in Cay's direction. " Star's a terrible cook. Don't even know what a good boudin ball supposed to look like. I think you'll find the rat poison under the sink. Don't worry. I got plenty of evidence to go around."
The crowd took a collective gasp, then a gossipy murmur started running through the crowd.
"She's the one who told me to kidnap Nicolette, too. I was supposed to get her drunk then let her drown in the pond. The alligators were supposed to destroy the evidence. I didn't want to. I was tired of the killing. But she was crazy to have Daphne be queen." Cay almost felt sorry for this pitiful man. "I was supposed to bring back Nicolette's alligator necklace after I had done the deed to her. That was the trophy she wanted from her."
Nicolette stepped forward and pleaded with the Police Chief. "Monsieur, you must believe me!" She handed him her cell phone. "Look at les photos. They tell you she is guilty."
Chief Bull looked closely at the photo, then looked at Star, then back at the photo. You could see the struggle that was battling inside him. After a few minutes, Cay could see who had won. The Police Officer in him won out over the middle aged man in love with a beautiful woman.
"Take them both down to the jail house and book them. We'll sort it out in the morning. " Bull turned to Nicolette. "M'am, I'll need to take this in as evidence."
Cay yelled to the crowd. "Did anyone see the Chief take the phone as evidence?" Several people yelled. "Yeah, I did!" "I'll swear to it."
Bull glared at her.
"Just wanted a few witnesses," she said primly. She turned around and grinned at Francisco, then walked away quickly before she, too, was arrested.
The rest of the night was a blur. Dry clothes were found in the back dressing room for Nicolette and Francisco and they quickly changed. Nicolette ended up wearing some kind of majorette's uniform and Francisco was in a baggy clown outfit complete with round bells forming the fringe of every hinge and rick-racked seams.
Raven found Cay in the crowd and asked if she was okay.
"It's been quite a few weeks!" Cay admitted.
"Well, I have to tell you that you proved me wrong."
"How so?"
"I told you there was no treatment for Texas Cheerleader Mother Disorder. You proved me wrong. There is a cure. It's called a 'Red Headed Yankee'."
Cay shook her head in disagreement. "Actually, I think its a 'Size Four Alligator Wrestling French Fiancee'!"
By the time Frank and Nicolette got dressed and returned, Marcy and Mambozo had found the group and Cay was catching up on the results of the Queen of Queens competition. Both were wearing bright gold sashes that said "People's Choice." Marcy was gushing.
"I don't care that I didn't win Queen," she said. "People's Choice! That's even better! They love us in Lake Charles! They really love us! Beside they aren't going to let Daphne keep the crown after this. Maybe we still have a chance. "
She continued. "It was all due to the gorgeous outfit and of course, Mambozo." She leaned over and gave the chicken a fat kiss. "They love him! Every kid in Lake Charles wants a pet chicken now. There's been talk about canceling the chicken run for next year and have a pet chicken race instead. That guy from the Courir de Mardi Gras is here and he is none too happy about the turn of events. He's been looking for you."
Cay looked around in a panic, then spied a forgotten mask, laying unattended on the side of the stage. She grabbed it and popped it over her disheveled hair, the bright blue feathers perfectly matching her dress. She looked around rather nervously. She'd rather wrestle one of Bernard's alligators then mess with a Mardi Gras rider who was steamed over not being able to hunt a chicken.
Nicolette got a ride over to the police station with Raven and Bryant, hoping to get Bernard out of his cell in time for the Krewe of Krewes parade the next day. Marcy, Mambozo, Zydee Bob and the rest of the Krewe of Muses wanted to stay for the rest of the party. Cay just wanted to go home and think through everything that had happened.
"Going my way?" she asked Francisco hopefully, "Or are you going to stay and party in that festive outfit of yours?"
"Jacques would call this thing fabulous. Actually, I do need a ride," he said, more appealing than ever now that he was dressed in a funky clown outfit covered with rick- rack. "The police are going to confiscate Bernard's camper as evidence."
He took her hand and they walked slowly out into the parking lot. Revelers, inebriated guests, and children who were allowed to stay up late ran past them, oblivious to everything except the joie de vivre of the moment .
The night was dark, and cool, and the sky was filled with a thousand stars.
"Urania, our Muse of the stars, is out in full force tonight. " Frank said, stopping near Cay's car. He pulled her close to him. His arms jingled as he wrapped them around her in a tight hug.
"You smell like a swamp! " she teased, snuggling into the striped cotton covering his chest..
He lifted her chin to look deep into her eyes. "You could get used to it." He said, then leaned in and kissed her, long and slow, like he meant it.
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The parade through town was noisy and rocking. Lake Charles was crammed full of people, lining the sidewalk and all yelling "Throw me something mister!" "Over here!" "Happy Mardi Gras!"
There had already been two parades through the main streets of town, but the Krewe of Krewes parade was the big one. It started at 5:30 p.m., so much of it snaked through town in the twilight, then in the dark, under Urania's stars.
The Krewe of Muses had invited Cay to ride with them. Cay had never ridden on a float before. Her first Mardi Gras parade had stopped and turned into a street party. During her second, she marched in the Second Line for the Wild Indian Tribe of the Yellow Magnolias. But the Krewe insisted that she joined them, especially since Nicolette had decided not to ride but to spend the day with Bernard who had been released from jail that morning. Cayenne borrowed throw beads from Marcy who always had way too many.
The float had been built under the guidance of Bryant and painted primarily by Marie Katerina. It was simple-a giant red dress shoe, with a stage at the arch for the band and places to stand at the four corners to throw beads and to toss the occasional treasure of a painted or beaded shoe to a lucky parade viewer.
There was a small part of the float that most of the viewers would never see. A few private items were tacked up on the spiky heel of the shoe, a testament to a year of tragedy and blessings in Louisiana. It started when Nicolette was able to wheedle Elena's headdress and Penny's beaded shoe out of Chief Bull for just one day. Well, actually, Joy Bottell snatched it from the evidence locker figuring that the Department owed the Krewe a favor. Nicolette silently hung the items from the post so that the spirit of the women would ride one last time for Mardi Gras.
Cay saw the items, then found a bright yellow feather and tacked it to the post. She could not stop the tears from blurring her eyes.
Mambozo, watching from a ledge near by, noticed her tears. He flew over to her into her arms, and nodded at the feather. "For Mr. Jonathon?"
Cay nodded, tears rolling down her cheek.
"It is good." He nodded his head again in his own personal tribute. "Boonaro, my friend."
Frank came by to help with the preparation and upon seeing the beginnings of the memorial, went out to his truck and came back with a beautifully carved egret in flight. "For my uncle Felix. Rest in piece, mi tio." He fixed the carving to the heel with a piece of wire.
Zydee Bob Beaux was also invited to join the float and he pulled together some local musicians he had jammed with over the week. They had a pretty good zydeco beat going. It was hard to keep Zydee Bob on the platform and prevent him from jumping in the crowd. The band called themselves the "Calca-Shoes of Calcasieu" and everywhere the float went, people started to cheer when they saw it was Zydee Bob leading the band.
But the biggest cheers went up from the crowd when the people of Lake Charles spotted Mambozo. Bryant had found a place for Marcy's scepter and he put Mambozo at the back of the float and wired him to the perch so he wouldn't fall off during sudden starts and stops. He built a stool like throne for Marcy and they brought up the back of the float, each wearing their People's Choice Award sashes, waving to the crowd and throwing out beads. Marcy was disappointed that they hadn't elected her Queen of Queens after Daphne got stripped of the title. The judges decided to play it safe and awarded it to Ardelia Commerant from the Krewe of Cosmos in honor of all the good charity work the krewe had done in Lake Charles. But Marcy still felt as if she had won the Grand Prize, because each time the giant shoe passed, the group on the sidewalk picked up the chant, "Muse! Muse! Muse!"
The trip through Lake Charles was utter joy. Bryant drove a small tractor and tugged the giant, scarlet shoe float down the street. The Calca-Shoes rocked the float and Zydee Bob's rubboard could be heard echoing off the buildings. Kenois, Anna Marina, Marie Marguerite, Raven, and Marie Katerina were all dressed as glittery, five pointed stars. They shouted, and pointed, threw shoes, candy,and beads, and generally celebrated at full throttle.
Cay had seen wilder and more raucous parades in New Orleans, but from her perch on the shoe, she had never seen more joyful faces in the crowd. At one point, she reached into her bag to grab a shoe to toss. She picked up a lumpy feeling one and took a quick look at it before she threw it. Then she started laughing. It was painted pump completely covered with bright red painted macaroni. She looked around and met the eyes of Marie Katerina who obviously had been waiting all this time for her to find it in her bag.
"Well?" Marie Katerina asked, expectantly, as if waiting to hear a lesson rehearsed.
Cay laughed and shook her head. "I know! I know! You can use macaroni in art, but not in a gumbo. "
"Damn right, girlfriend." She smiled and lifted up her gin and tonic cup which was hanging from a plastic chain around her neck. "Steep learning curve, but I do believe that perhaps Yankees can learn to cook!"
As the Krewe of Muses float neared The Coffee Beans and Rice café, Cayenne spotted Bernard and Nicolette standing in front, hanging on to each other's arms as if to never lose the other again. Marie Marguerite tossed a special shoe directly at Nicolette, the one she had started beading so very long ago. "I have the other one at home," she shouted over the crowd.
Cay threw them some beads as she passed by. Bernard caught Cay's eye and blew her a huge kiss. "Thank you!" she could see him mouth the words, though the crowd was too loud to hear him.
Just a few feet down, standing next to Joy Bottel, was Francisco. He was out of his clown suit, wearing a simple pine colored tee shirt, those great jeans, a courdoroy jacket and a cluster of metallic beads. His face lit up like fireworks when he saw her coming.
She reached back into her bag and felt for his special shoe. She pulled it out. Marie Katerina had helped her paint it that morning. It was a white shrimper's boot, glue gunned with lots of beads, while a chain of intertwined alligators circle the rim. She waited until she got really close and aimed it right at him. Joy almost got knocked in the head, but Francisco caught the heavy boot and stared at it. He threw back his head and laughed hard, then showed it to Joy, busily explaining something. He looked up as Cay sailed on by and headed down the street. He blew a kiss, and she blew one back.
She looked up into the sky. Despite the streetlights for the parade, the stars were bright enough to see a few of them twinkling overhead.
"Thank you, Urania," she whispered, even though no one could hear her anyway over the crowd.
Hurricane season would be beginning in a few months. Who knows what this windy season would bring to her city on the Crescent? The insurance work was ending so Cay faced going back to a New Orleans that was alive, but was very different. She look back at the place where Francisco was still waving at her and she knew that Cupid had got her good this time. She wondered what it would like to live in Lake Charles.
Marcy must have know what she was thinking, because she walked over from her throne and shook her shoulder. "Girlfriend, don't even think about it! I just got word yesterday that I got a job bartending and teaching those zydeco lessons at the Rock N Bowl. I am finally going to teach you to dance!"
Mambozo had also seen the look that passed between Francisco Estiponal and Cayenne McKenzie Del Roi.
"Ah, dear Miss Beauchamps! Something tells me that Cay indeed will finally learn to dance." He laughed his little chicken laugh, then continued "But something also tells me you are not going to be the one who will teach her. "
THE END
In New Orleans they say, "Everywhere else, it's just another Tuesday." I hope you make it a Fat Tuesday in your part of the world. Thanks for being a reader and coming along on the trip! Hope you have a great Mardi Gras Day! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
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About the Author
Copyright by Aileen M. McInnis, 2006. All rights reserved. Contact the author at aileen_mcinnis@yahoo.com .
