“Officials are saying, “Get out of town. This is not the storm to try to ride out people. You must leave now. People who insist on remaining are only placing themselves in danger.” News reporter Jana Carlsbad wrapped up her broadcast.
“What the hell are we still doing here then?” She quipped to her cameraman Buddy who was turning off the equipment.
“Honey, we are making news.” He joked back and gave her a wink.
“Where to next”? Jana asked.
“Well, we definitely need to get to higher ground, but I’m not a native. I think that St. Charles Avenue should be a good vantage point.” The cameraman said distracted as he buckled his leather carrying case to secure his expensive camera.
“Shouldn’t we go to the waterfront? Jana disagreed.
“We can capture the waves jumping up on the shore.” She suggested.
“Everybody will be doing that.” Buddy shrugged sarcastically.
“We’ll find an empty spot. Perhaps across the river by Algiers. We can get the poor person’s perspective.” Jana smiled encouragingly. She headed for the truck.
“Who wants that?” Buddy asked.
“America.” Jana yelled over her shoulder before she got into the car. “America.”
Sugar Doll trotted past the news van without any questions or the usual interest that people normally display. Jana noticed the girl and automatically her reporter’s mind began working. The girl was beautiful and young. She cut an intriguing figure running so alone in hurricane weather. “Where was she going? Would she survive the storm? Who was waiting for her?” These questions would remain with Jana for a lifetime. She just didn’t know it in that moment. She thought of getting a photo of the girl but it was too late and too wet. Jana climbed into the truck, she had work to do.
Bertrand strapped himself in for the ride of his life. The rain was coming down harder now. Visibility on the road was very low. There were many cars coming from the opposite direction. Many people were trying to get out of town and here they were trying to get into the city. They were trying to get into mischief. Kevin seemed unconcerned about the mass exodus they were witnessing. The bridge over Lake Ponchartrain, which seemed sturdy but the water below was choppy and waves lapped at the bridge. It was a long stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
“Hey man, I can swim good and all but I’m scared I won’t be able to fight off these waves.” Bertrand said nervously.
“Don’t look at the water. Just keep your eyes straight ahead. That’s what I’m doing.” Kevin said reassuringly.
“Man we are surrounded by water. How can you act like you don’t see it?” Bertrand began to sweat.
“Calm down man, are we going to do this or not? We ain’t got time for you to be freaking out now. We are an hour away from easy money.” Kevin smiled at him.
“Ain’t no such thing as easy money.” Bertrand countered.
“Are you changing your mind man? I could have let someone else in on this but I chose your big ass because you in trouble. Look we get in and we get out and we spend the money. We ain’t robbing a bank. We robbing a gangster. They ain’t gonna report it to the police. They ain’t gonna do nothing but give us that money.” Kevin adjusted his cap.
“You think they aren’t going to come after us bro?” Bertrand asked, the thought occurring to him for the first time.
“No, they ain’t gonna come after us. We are going to disappear into the hurricane man. It’s like God wants us to have this money. I didn’t plan for the storm but look, here it is.” Kevin pointed at the darkening skies and the purple clouds fat with rain.
“That’s true.” Bertrand conceded.
“It sure is true. You God damned right its true. They are going to think that we are just some desperate niggers from the 9th Ward and they are going to leave us alone. You Dig?” Kevin laughed.
“I can DIG it.” Bertrand laughed at the old expression.
Sugar Doll finally stood in front of the club. Her mother’s place. She’d dreaded going there. There was music playing and people eating. It didn’t match the desertion and desperation she’d just left behind her. She untied her tarp and cast it aside. She walked down the alleyway to the side of the building. She didn’t want to go in the front dressed as she was. As she walked into the kitchen she saw the cooks and dishwasher all huddled around the radio. The announcer was tracking the storm and warning the people of New Orleans to get out.
“Ron, man we need to get the hell out of here. I have to go across the river and get my family. We don’t have a car.” One of the young men said.
“They have probably already left. Don’t worry about them. The sheriff will get them out. We are on higher ground here. The Quarter ain’t in no danger.” Ron said, “Now ya’ll get back to work or Miss Mona will have all of our asses.” He waved to everyone. They turned to see Sugar Doll standing there.
“Why if I never, this here is Miss Mona’s daughter.” Ron said loudly.
Sugar Doll didn’t recognize any of these men. She just waved and walked past them.
“I didn’t know that Miss Mona had a daughter but she sure do look like her.” The younger man said. “She sure do look like the best of her!”
“She got a picture of her on her desk.” Ron supplied.
Sugar Doll left the men to talk as she entered the club. She was relieved to see Remy and Tony sitting at the bar. They didn’t see her.
She walked up behind Remy and tapped his shoulder.
He turned around and let out a whoop when he saw her.
“Now, what are you doing here? I thought that you were still down in the country stranded or something. Did Bertrand come to get you after all?” Remy asked.
“No, I haven’t seen Bertrand in a while. I don’t know what happened to him.” Sugar Doll answered.
“What about Big Ma?” Remy asked concerned.
“Pastor Han picked her up. They sent the sheriff for me and then I ran into some old high school buddies but I left them at the Superdome to come here.” Sugar Doll caught him up on her adventures. Now that they were spoken aloud they didn’t seem so harrowing.
“You mean to tell me that you walked all the way from the Superdome by yourself?” Remy asked angrily.
“That was dangerous kid.” Tony chimed in as he sat there sipping his scotch.
“No one bothered me. Everyone is trying to get out of town, everyone but ya’ll.”
“We’ve got time kid. Hurricanes are the only type of natural disaster in which you have loads of time to pack up and get out. I’m packed already but I’m not leaving until they tell me I have to leave.” Tony said confidently.
Remy stood and offered Sugar Doll his seat.
“I’m going on in a minute. I’m glad that you are here Sugar.” Remy kissed her cheek and prepared to go onstage.
“You’d better go and tell your mother you are here. She’s got the New Orleans police on the lookout and she will beat down the parish to get to you. She’s upstairs in her room.” Tony offered.
Sugar Doll followed the walkway along the bar and went up the stairs to her mother’s private rooms. She’d only been there once before but she remembered the room and the curving stairway. She knocked timidly on the door. She walked in to see her mother pacing back and forth on the phone but obviously talking to herself.
“These damned circuits, what in the hell is going on here?” She slammed down the phone for the fifth time but this time when she looked up Sugar Doll stood before her.
Uncharacteristically she ran to her and grabbed her into her arms. “Oh honey, you are safe. Where is your grandmother?” Mona asked.
“Pastor Han picked her up this morning. There wasn’t enough room for me so Big Ma sent the sheriff. He brought me to Belle Chasse and then I saw Patrice so we came up to the Superdome but it’s hot and disgusting in there so I came up to the Quarters.
“How?” Mona asked.
“I walked.” Sugar Doll answered.
“You wal
ked that distance by yourself?” Mona was set to reprimand her but was too happy to do so. She settled down and gave Sugar Doll another hug.
“We still have to leave. After the show tonight we are going to close down and go up to Baton Rouge or Alexandria. Well away from the storm. Did you bring any clothes with you?”
“I left them all in Patrice’s car but they are here in the Quarters.” Sugar Doll said.
“No matter, we are about the same size, you can borrow some of my clothes.” Mona was happy to being playing mother again.
“Your friend is singing tonight. Why don’t you accompany him?” Mona suggested.
It seemed that Mona was getting her wish after all. Sugar Doll just decided to go with the flow.
“Why not? I’m here now.” She conceded.
Mona gave a shriek of delight. She went to her closet and pulled out a beautiful gown for her daughter to wear.
The music downstairs began to play. Sugar Doll could hear wisps of Remy’s voice floating up through the vent. She suddenly felt excited. She heard the storm outside but it was warm here. The storm was no longer within her but without and she felt at peace. Everything was as it should be.
Tony left the kid by the stage and went off to call Marsalas about the game. The game was just a front for the money laundering that he used the club for but it was a good time and the fellas enjoyed it. They even played sometimes into the night. It was profitable and entertaining. The hurricane had preempted their plans a bit so that not all of the major players were able to come into town but it was still going to be lucrative. The club was packed. He heard some of the customers say that this may be their last chance to eat a good meal at a fancy restaurant in the Quarters. Remy had pulled in a younger crowd and no one looked like they were really paying attention to the storm outside.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a young man coming up to the stage that ya’ll all are familiar with and he is something else.” The crowd clapped and yelled loudly. .
“Mr. Remy Gaudeaux”! The announcer stood clapping. Remy mounted the stage and shook his hand vigorously. As the announcer left the stage he grabbed the microphone.
“Ya’ll ready to whip up a hurricane?” Remy shouted to the already lively crowd.
“Yeah!” They responded. “Down home blues, Down home blues…” Remy began to croon and people began dancing between the tables.
The rain was hitting the building hard. The huge glass windows of the dinner club reflected the strong winds which were brewing outside. The rain was pelting sideways. A few customers close to the windows looked a little scared but then New Orleans was famous for summer storms and the Quarter was never really affected. A camera crew stood outside. Jana Carlsbad had heard the music as they were packing up and decided to direct the crew to this area.
“Can you believe people are partying? This is a Category 5 hurricane. What is wrong with these people?” Jana asked.
“Honey this is New Orleans. These people been through storms before cher.” Randy the crew member was unpacking his gear. Buddy had left them after they’d shot the last footage.
“Well let’s get some footage of this and then get the hell out of here. The storm is going to hit ground tomorrow morning.” Jana said.
“Can I help ya’ll?” The hostess asked practically barring the way into the club.
“Yes, I am Jana Carlsbad for News Scene 8 and I need to speak to the owner. I would like to shoot some footage of your little hurricane party.” Jana extended her hand but the hostess ignored it. She picked up the phone to call Mona’s private rooms. Mona picked up on the first ring. She’d been expecting the police to come and close them down.
“Miss Mona, there is a news crew here who wants to shoot some footage of your club.” The hostess related.
Mona’s heart soared. This could be very good for the club. “Let them in baby, I’ll be down in a minute.” Mona smiled at this unexpected opportunity.
“Sugar Doll, hurry up girl, you are going to be on the news!” Mona turned and patted powder on her face and straightened her wig.
There were some in the crowd who recognized Jana. She smiled and waved. “Continue having fun.”
The crowd obliged. Remy was really swinging now. Sugar Doll entered the side door dressed in a beautiful floor length red gown with the back cut out and a red long scarf which draped around her neck. The look of the innocent girl was gone. She was beautiful and resplendent. The crowd closest to her let out an appreciative sigh. Remy turned to see her standing there. He stopped singing and beckoned her to the stage. Everybody put your hands together for “Sugar Doll”! The crowd went wild. Most of them didn’t even know who this lovely woman was but they could tell that they were in for a treat.
“Roll camera.” Jana said in the background.
“In the final moments of the evacuation we came upon this popular restaurant, Mona’s. As you can see behind me the crowd seems unconcerned with the waves which are lapping at the Riverwalk less than a mile away. We are in the famous French Quarters and even though I am told this is not a hurricane party, it would be hard to think of it as anything else.” Jana smiled and signaled the cameraman to film Sugar Doll and Remy onstage and the crowd’s reactions.
Mona descended the steps and introduced herself to the reporter.
“Miss Mona, aren’t you afraid of endangering the good folks who have come to your establishment on such a night?” Jana asked just as the cameraman swung the camera back to her.
“Well, these folks just want to have a good time. We haven’t been asked by the sheriff’s office to leave nor have we heard any evacuation sirens. I’ve been watching the news and that hasn’t occurred yet.” Mona said confidently.
“Actually there have been calls for mandatory evacuations.” Jana corrected her.
“Well, most of these customers are regulars and they know the city. Some folks wait until the last possible moment to avoid traffic. I do that myself. We will be closed and boarded by midnight tonight.” Mona smiled.
“There you have it. New Orleans, the land that time forgot. A little happiness in a desperate time. This is Jana Carlsbad reporting.” The camera light stopped blinking.
“Let’s go fellas. Traffic or not, I’m getting out of here.” Jana headed for the door and Randy picked up his case and followed her. His things were atthe station.
Chapter Twelve
Bertrand and Kevin drove slowly through the Quarter. There were smatterings of people but it was eerily quiet.
“Hey man do you think that they will still do this tonight?” Bertrand asked.
“Yeah, they are crooks man, they got to get their money together and what better time to do it than when the cops are busy evacuating the parishes? Kevin smiled.
“That’s true. Like us, they is shady.” Bertrand quipped.
“We wait here until we see them arriving. I’ve staked out this spot. They won’t see us but we sure can see them.” Kevin smiled. He pulled out a flask with whiskey in it and took a swig. He handed it over to Bertrand who also took a swig.
Moments later, Tony came out of the side door. He glanced around and waved at someone who was not in their line of vision. A car pulled forward and someone got out of the car. The umbrella hid their identity.
Kevin elbowed Bertrand and the two waited and watched. Tony came out a total of five times. A half hour past with silence between the two men.
“What do we do now?” Bertrand asked.
“We wait.” Kevin answered.
Sugar Doll couldn’t believe the crowd and the harmony which she and Remy experienced together. After the set people started to leave. The storm outside had become undeniably wild and dangerous.
“Ladies and gentlemen, for your own safety we here at Mona’s want to thank you for coming out but it’s time now to pay respect to another lady, Hurricane Katrina. Ya’ll be careful. You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here. Have a good evening and a safe trip out of New Orleans proper. We’ll be here
when you come back!” The crowd clapped at this pronouncement and began to gather their things. The staff had already gone home or to storm shelters. The streets were filled with water and rain, which scattered past at a high rate of velocity.
“What are you going to do Remy?” Sugar Doll asked concerned.
“Well I’m gonna walk over to my apartments and pick up some things and then I’m going to head on up to Gonzales by my brother. Do you want to come with me?” Remy asked.
“Yes.” Sugar Doll answered immediately. “Let me go and change.” She kissed him on the cheek and headed for the stairs.
“You aren’t going with that boy. You are coming with us where I can keep an eye on you. Your grandmother wouldn’t like it.” Mona said as she packed her bags.
“Well, I’m a grown woman and I can do what I want to do. I’ll call you when I get there, it’s right outside of your house in Baton Rouge anyway. I don’t want to upset you but I want to go with him.” Sugar Doll said.
Tony approached, “Let her go Mona. He’s a good kid. He cares about her and will take good care of her. Let her go.” He put his hand on her shoulder.
“Oh all right, but you’d better call me as soon as you get to where you are going and remember that even though the circuits are busy you can keep trying until you get through. Go pack up some of my clothes to wear. I’ll see you in a few days.” Mona smiled. She was happy that her daughter was actually responding to her so she didn’t want to ruin the moment by insisting.
“Just like us.” Tony said.
“Oh God I hope not.” Mona said
The trees blew wildly back and forth in the increasing wind and rain. Remy looked up the staircase to see Sugar Doll descending with case in hand. His blue eyes flashed with desire. Warmth spread through Sugar Doll’s body and their eyes met. She reached for his hand and they walked out into the pouring rain. The rain no longer felt cold and intimidating to Sugar Doll. It now felt warm and sensual.
Sugar Doll's Hurricane Blues Page 9
