Dry Docked Bayou La’ Batry looked the same. A kaleidoscope of shrimp boats lined the deep water canal just as she remembered. Jodi took out her Nikon and snapped a few quick shots. The day showed blanket stacked lavender clouds swiftly traversing over the bay. Shrimp boats lined the side of the canal in a rainbows of colors. Shrimping was a generational family business. The beauties would pass to the next generation to the next. No one considered orange or neon green freak colors or men wearing pink shrimper boats walking into the bank. Painstaking dreary work called for color and humor. With a week to shoot the town, Jodie drove across the rusty drawbridge and parked her rental. Thinking that it was a stroke of luck to get this assignment, she still had to do the necessary butt kissing. It was worth every minute of pleading. She didn’t get home near enough. She dialed Shawna’s cell phone and waited to hear her best friends’ voice. Shawna recognized her voice and squealed. “Girl, I been waiting for your call all day. Shawna exclaimed. Where are you, I’m getting in my car right now. Floyd, I’m out of here, turn off those greens.” Jodi heard Floyd asked when she would be back. Shawna cut loose a string of a shrimpers’ slang that would burns the ears of an angel. Then she yelled “whenever I get back is no concern of yours, Floyd Saucier. You gave that up when you crewed and screwed on Tank Gautier’s boat. You just go ahead and sign on for life, she owns you now!” Jodi cleared her throat.” I’m at the Cat’s Meow, on the deck. Get a move on girl, I can’t wait to see you.” Jodi took a sip of the best Margarita she’d tasted since college days. Maybe it was because she was drinking it in Bayou La Batry. The last of afternoon sunlight bleached the fishing village to sand dollar white . She always thought Floyd not good or smart enough for Shawna. Not because he was a shrimper, but because he bullied her. From the sound of it, Shawna had that under control. Too much whiskey could change her circumstances. Shawna wouldn’t take much guff, that was for sure. She knew without turning around that Shawna had arrived when deck conversation hushed. Halle Berry had competition when Shawna glided into a room. She was a dead ringer for the model. Five eleven with skin like chocolate silk, she was breath taking. Shawna spotted Jodi and hurried to her table. Diners watched the girls hug. Shawna wiped a tear and smiled. “ I’ve missed you so much. Tell me you are moving back to this God forsaken hell hole.” “Not just yet, I’m on assignment. “ Jodi ordered margaritas and asked for a menu. The waitress scowled and didn’t look too happy. After she left the table, Shawna explained. “That girl is mad as hell that I am the vice president of Pelican Bank and she is serving catfish. She hates me like it is still nineteen sixty. Oh, but let’s not dwell on ignorant people. Tell what mountain have you conquered lately?” “Well, after trying to land a spot of the staff of Food and Wine Gourmet magazine for years, I finally succeeded.” Shawna screamed, oh my God, when do we leave for Europe?” “Hold your horses honey pot, my contact isn’t even dry yet. I still have three months with Coastal Magazine, which fortunately brings me to Bayou La Batry.” “What’s your assignment in this crappy little tow?” “I am during a feature on Bayou La Batry. It is unique and generational. People love this kind of stuff. If you hate it here so much, why do you stay?” “My mama is just about dead, I’m not about to leave right now. Hurricane Katrina put the finishing touches on a life that has been nothing but hard. I don’t have to tell you she sacrificed everything, including her health to get Oliver and I through college. It seemed like she was finally getting a small share of pie before Katrina put her back to square one. Oliver and I built her a house on Bayou Bon Bebe one year before Katrina roared in like a right hook from God. It was a darling little raised cottage where she could sit on the deck and watch the boat traffic go by. She had a small vegetable garden in her back yard and shared her bounty with the church kitchen every Sunday. Always the faithful servant, she lost everything including her will to live. If I left her, she would die. I don’t care if she is eighty two. That’s not happening on my watch.” Shawna ran her hands through her and twisted it into a knot. She pulled out a barrette. “I feel so incomplete. I want this emptiness to go away. It is wearing me out, I feel like I’m a million years old. Hell, I am old, I am thirty six. No kids and a deadbeat husband who screws around with a toothless shrimper who has watermelons for boobs is not what I invisioned, not to mention she has bleached blonde hair. I take that as a personal insult to my black soul. Oh, forget it. What the hell, let’s get good and drunk.” When Jodi signaled for server she heard her say, “ I hate serving salt and pepper. My grand daddy would skin me alive if he knew I have to serve blacks. This is still Alabama and we still have our pride.” Jodi stood up. “Let’s go somewhere else Shawna, this place is beginning to stink.” Shawna shrugged. “I’m with you kid, I don’t like this place either, too many stupid people. ” “ Ride with me, I’ll put the top down and we’ll cruise the redneck Rivera.” Shawna laughed, “You got that right.” “So you and Floyd aren’t going to make it, is that what I am hearing?” “He doesn’t want a divorce. Shawna tied a hermetes scarf around her long neck and put on Jackie O sunglasses. The shrimping industry was murdered by Katrina, did you notice how many boats were in dry dock. After the storm they look like mangled wooden bodies tied together with nets. Floyd hasn’t hit much of a lick sense. Gas is too expensive and the shrimp have disappeared. I’m his only meal ticket.” “You need a break Shawna; do you have any vacation time at the bank?” “Who takes vacations?” Shawna’s voice cracked. She pulled a starched white handkerchief from her purse. Then she really started bawling, “Mama irons these for me every week, she is so proud of me and Oliver. He is going great guns with his Mercedes dealership. He’s the biggest in Mobile and getting ready to open another dealership in Orange Beach.” She blew her nose, “enough about me and my woes, let’s remember the good ole days.” “ Ok, do you remember the time you, me and Katy Washer tried to sneak in Katy’s dad’s office to steal vodka and Katy’s mom tuned the lights and caught on just as we were about to climb out the window?” “Yes and Mrs. Washer almost crapped her pants when she saw who her darling debutante hanging with a black girl from the other side of the tracks. My hair has never been that kinky since, Shawna laughed. “We were certainly notorious. In our won way, we were knocking down racial barriers before Martin Luther King.” Jodi slowed down when they came to Mullet Bay, Why don’t we stop by and say hi to Katy?” “You are kidding right?” “She is just a mile up the road, why not?” “Katy doesn’t live there anymore. I guess you didn’t hear about her, it was just unbelievable. They rode Katrina out in their house. Mr. and Mrs. Washer didn’t live to see what happened to their beloved homestead, thank God. Katy, Steve and their fourteen year old twins, Alex and Sarah had inherited Palmetto Oaks and were living there the night of the storm. Hell, Palmetto Oaks withstood the civil war, and it is at least a hundred yards from the bay, right?” “When Katrina came to shore that night, especially this close to the water, one either came out dead or alive. In Katy’s case, her twins were washed out in a rowboat that Steve had tried to anchor. When the walls of the house started collapsing and water rose in the house, Steve tied the kids to a dingy and pulled them through the house. Katy refused to get into the boat. She was afraid it would be too much weight. I can’t even imagine what she endured that night. I was in North Mobile and the wind sounded like a freight train. The rain came down so hard in that pitch black night, I thought it would pound a hole in the roof. It was Noah’s flood all over again in the twenty first century. Not one house on this bay escaped flooding. Poor Katy was one of four survivors. Anyway, Steve managed to get Katy tied to an oak tree near the bay doors at the back of the house. That was the last time she saw of her husband and kids.” “Sweet Jesus, I can’t believe I didn’t know about this, I would have been back long before now.” “We’ll go see her if you want. I’m not promising she’ll recognize you.” That stopped in front of Palmetto Oaks and got out of the car. Three of original ten Georgian columns that graced the front porch were still there. What once one of the most beautiful houses on Mobile bay was gone. So many happy memories of Palmetto Oaks flashed through Jody’s head. She sat down on the steps that she raced up when she was a teenager. “Can I borrow your handkerchief, this is all so sad. I had no idea. I can’t stand it. Where’s Katy now?” “She lives in a trailer.” “ What? Where?” “In the back of her brother’s house.” “Let’s go see her.” “Now? She’s probably already in bed, town gossip is that she stays high on prescription meds. Why don’t we wait until in the morning?” “I just can’t believe I didn’t know about this.” “It is not really news one wants to share. Anyone who survived tries to forget that night. Come on girlfriend; take me back to Cat’s Meow. Suddenly, the party is over. Poor Katy, I feel so selfish. Me, whining about Floyd. At least I still have the crazy old loon.” The women drove back in silence. Jody was unprepared for Katy’s story. Shawna leaned over and kissed Jody’s cheek. “Call me tomorrow, I love you girl.” Jody took the back roads to interstate ten and pulled in to the Holiday Inn around midnight. She peeled off her clothes, closed her eyes and saw Katy. She saw her as she was in college, a woman with a heart of gold, so full of life and joy. Nothing but kind words ever escaped her lips. She loved everybody and everybody loved her. If there was ever a beautiful red head in this town, she was it. She had southern belle creamy white skin, a smattering of freckles and blue eyes that seem to smile. Jody fluffed her pillow. She tossed a good part of the night before she fell asleep. The following morning, Jody had a quick breakfast. She loaded her camera equipment, and overnight bag then started out for Bayou La Batry again. She stopped at a crossroad and snapped a couple of photos. She didn’t think the photos would work in the assignment. But it was mid March, wild azaleas were already showing their fancy pink and white skirts. They reminded her of antebellum dresses, bouffant full and prissy. Grape color wisteria climbed rail thin pine trees like lovers determined to kiss the top of the trees and drape over the other side. She smelled honeysuckle soaking the air. She drove on to bank to meet up with Shawna. The bank was busy. Friday afternoon paychecks were deposited just in time for a Wal-Mart run. Jodi circled the bank twice before she found a place to park. She didn’t have much hope of snatching Shawna for lunch, especially after viewing the parking lot. The man who held the door open for her still had his shrimp boots and weather gear on. Jodi smiled and thanked him. As a child, she thought these men were the captains of the sea. Big fearless Gods who left at dawn and returned at dusk. Shawna glanced over a lady’s shoulder and saw Jodi. She hurried over.”It is not looking good here, girlfriend. I can meet you later.” “I surmised that from the parking lot. I’m going to scoot around town, take some photos, and interview a couple of shrimpers. If I get through in time, I gong to find Katy.” “Sure, but let me warn you, she’s not the same person.” “ I can handle it, I want to see her. Where does she live?” Shawna was interrupted by an assistant before she could answer Jodi, “Tell Mr. Gollote that I will call back in five minutes.” She turned to Jodi, “Go across the drawbridge till the road splits, stay to the left. The second street on the right is Azalea Trace. Katy’s brother’s house is four houses down on the left. Look for a pink stucco house that looks like it should be in Palm Beach.” It took four more hours to complete her assignment and have enough material for the Bayou La Batry article. She had a hard time staying focused. All she could think about was Katy. Jodi drove across the draw bridge for the fifth time that day. Azalea Trace was in the oldest part of town. Homes built in the twenties had several facelifts to acquire a tasteful sense of more elegant times. The wide Verandas afforded expansive views of the harbor. She couldn’t imagine a Fema trailer anywhere in this neighborhood. The trailer sat behind the house, maybe ten yards from the bay. A gigantic oak shaded the trailer to provide a canopy with a pretty little sitting area dotted with pot palms and benches. Jodi saw Katy sitting on the bench. She seemed to be talking, but she was totally alone. When she heard Jodi call her name, Katy lowered her sunglasses and looked directly at her. “I’m not talking to another mental health counselor so if my do-gooder brother Sam sent you, you can just turn around and get back in your car. I don’t need your help, go back to where you came from. Nobody’s home.” Katy took a sip of ice tea then opened a magazine in her lap. “So, the way I am hearing this is you don’t want to see the girl who shared the secret of your first kiss.” Jodi hoped she would remember. “Who are you, and who sent you?” “It’s me Jodi Bently, your best friend at Alabama State, remember, Shawna told me where to find you.” “Shawna who?” Katy got up and started walking towards Jodi.” The minute passed. “Oh my God, Jodi Bently!” “In the flesh.” Jodi laughed and hugged Katy, “ for a minute there, I was afraid that you weren’t going to recognize me.” “Steve told me you were coming. Everybody thinks he drowned in the storm, he didn’t, he lives with the kids now. I see them every day, They need me. Let me get you some sweet tea, darling.” Jodi sat down on the bench, she pulled up every thought she could muster to define Katy’s conversation. Survivors of extreme circumstances often credit the help of deceased family members, angels, or the voice of God to keep their sanity. Katy was lucky in that sense, she had always been an intuitive soul searcher. Now more than ever, it was a matter of survival and nothing else. She had to believe.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 11:54:45 +0000
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