Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere

by Julie T. Lamana

  All I know is, when Daddy turned the hosepipe on full blast, ours was the slipperiest slide ever!

  “Armani, look,” TayTay said. “Uncle T-Bone’s fixin’ to take a slide!” He was always acting like one of the kids—well, since he’d started being happy again. Every time he smiled, that shiny gold tooth flashed for everyone to see. He was handsome, my Uncle T-Bone was.

  Me and TayTay were headed over to do some sliding ourselves when I overheard Georgie ask, “When are you gonna give it to her, Daddy? It can’t stay in that box much longer.”

  Daddy seen me looking. He smiled. Something good was fixin’ to happen—I could feel it. Daddy whispered in Georgie’s ear. Georgie took off running for the house with a big sloppy grin on his face. He stopped to whisper in Mama’s ear. Whatever he said to her made her look over at me, then she started smiling too.

  I was bouncing on my tippy-toes. Georgie ran in the house, letting the screen door slap him in the butt. Mama whispered in Memaw’s ear.

  When my brother came back outside, he was holding the shoe box that my new school shoes had come in. He walked fast over to Daddy and handed him the box.

  “Y’all, come see! We’re gonna give Armani her birthday present!” Georgie jumped up and down like some kind of fool.

  I walked across the yard to where Daddy was standing. We never, not one time, stopped looking at each other. Daddy stood straight and tall with the biggest, most happiest smile in the whole world. Right then, I knew he had to be the most handsome daddy in all of Louisiana.

  “Happy birthday, Armani,” he said. He hugged me and handed me the present.

  As soon as he put that box in my hands, the top popped off! I was so surprised, I about fell over backward. Everyone clapped and took to laughing. Poking out of that tiny box was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

  “A puppy! Oh, Daddy, it’s a puppy!” The box fell from my hands when the puppy jumped up on my shoulder and started licking my face. She licked and licked like I was a big ol’ chicken bone. Her stubby little tail thumped up against my heart. I loved her already.

  “Thank you, Daddy!”

  Mama cleared her throat behind me. “Last time I checked, you had two parents, Armani,” she said, with her head turned to the side. I could tell she was pretending to be put out, ’cause she had a smile up in her eyes.

  I ran over and thanked Mama too. “Oh, Mama, ain’t she just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” That little puppy was wagging and smiling at everybody.

  Memaw patted the puppy on the head. “This dog looks just like a little black cricket, with those beady eyes and long whiskers.”

  “Memaw, that’s a great name!” I said. “Hello, Cricket. Welcome to the Curtis family.” I buried my face in her soft black fur and made a silent promise to her that I’d always love her and keep her safe.

  CHAPTER 8

  “I wanna see puppy, Ah-mani,” Kheelin said.

  “Her name’s Cricket.” I sat the puppy down on the ground and she went to Kheelin right away. She sniffed his little pudgy, barefoot toes, then came running back to me. Cricket ran to each person and sniffed, every time coming to me afterward like she needed to make sure I was still there.

  Everyone was laughing, and I was having the best birthday ever.

  Out of nowhere, a small dead tree branch flew right in front of my face. If I wouldn’t have ducked when I did, that splintered branch would’ve hit me right upside my head.

  That’s when I first noticed how hard the wind was blowing. The same trees that had been swaying and bringing me comfort the day before were looking like giant, dancing, house-crushing monsters. Pin prickles spread across the back of my neck.

  “Goodness gracious,” Memaw said. “Katherine, I think we should take these children inside.”

  Mama looked up at the sky. “Mr. Curtis,” she said, never taking her eyes off the changing sky, “how much longer until that jambalaya’s done?”

  Before Daddy could answer, a paper plate full of chips flew off the table and danced across the yard, getting lost up in Mama’s grapevine.

  Just then, Danisha and Bugger’s gonna-be-stepdaddy, Mr. Charlie, came running into the yard, breathing like he’d run all the way from Mississippi.

  I scooped up Cricket.

  “T-Bone!” Mr. Charlie hollered. He ran over to where Uncle T-Bone was stirring the jambalaya pot.

  “Hey man, what’s up?” my uncle said.

  Mr. Charlie looked around the yard at all of us.

  “Don’t y’all know what’s goin’ on out there?” He pointed with his thumb toward our fence. Spit flew out of his mouth every time he said something. His eyes got narrow, like little slits, and he started shaking his head back and forth.

  “Charlie, calm down,” Daddy said, stepping closer to the man.

  Mama walked over with Kheelin planted on her hip. “Are you hungry, Charlie? Armani, get Mr. Charlie a plate.”

  Mr. Charlie mumbled, “No, ma’am, I won’t be stayin’.” He kept fidgeting with the dirty ball cap on his head. “I need to get on back to my place. They’re all waitin’ on me so we can head out.” He turned away from Mama and looked real hard at Daddy and Uncle T-Bone.

  I scooched all quiet to the other side of the big tree.

  “Ain’t y’all got no sense?” Mr. Charlie whisper-spit at Daddy, looking over his shoulder at us kids. In a lower, not so spitty voice, he said, “Look, man, I ain’t tryin’ to scare y’all, but the mayor’s tellin’ everyone to get out of N’awlins. Ain’t y’all been watchin’ the news?”

  Like the weather was trying to help make the man’s point, the wind gushed through the yard, causing half our slide to blow and flap and make slapping sounds. I held Cricket a little tighter.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I seen Memaw and Mama gathering up the little ones and shooin’ them inside. Miss was standing off by herself, smoking a cigarette, trying to hold on to her tangerine hat.

  TayTay turned off the hosepipe and stood over by the screen door. She waved her hand for me to come on. I gave her the I’ll-be-there-ina-minute signal. Little Cricket’s nose was all snuggled up against me.

  Daddy took hold of Mr. Charlie’s elbow and led him to the other side of the jambalaya pot. I put all my focus on my ears.

  “Slow down, Charlie, and tell me what’s happening.” Daddy’s voice was calm, but his words came out in a hurry.

  Mr. Charlie took a deep breath. “About an hour ago, Mayor Nagin came on the TV and ordered an evacuation of the entire city.”

  My stomach twitched and tightened up. I seen Georgie. I could tell by the way his mouth was hanging open that he’d heard the evacuation word too.

  “They’re tellin’ everyone to leave. The hurricane’s a cat five, bro! Y’all best get them kids outta the Nines. There ain’t much time!” Mr. Charlie was talking fast and spit was flying all over the place. I could barely keep up. Something bad was happening—something really bad.

  “Category five?” Daddy asked. “Are you sure, Charlie? A category five would wipe New Orleans off the map!”

  I started to breathe faster. The trees started to bend further.

  “Man,” Uncle T-Bone said, shaking his head from side to side. “This happens every time! They tell us it’s gonna be the big one and it turns out to be nothin’ but a storm. It don’t do nothin’ but cause confusion, and cost money I ain’t got. You know what I’m sayin’?”

  I felt a tug on the back of my shirt. Sealy was standing there behind me. The girl was wearing a bathing suit with that silly book sack strapped to her back.

  Her whole body was shivering, and her teeth were chattering, even though it was about two hundred degrees outside. I wanted to yell at her to get on in the house with Mama, but I didn’t want Daddy to know I was listening in on his conversation. I took hold of her hand instead.

  Uncle T-Bone put his head down and walked in a tight circle, kicking at the ground. He stopped and looked at Mr. Charlie. “E-vac-u-ation. You mean to tell me they
expect everybody to evacuate the city? You gotta be kiddin’ me. I’m so sick of this bureaucratic crap, man.” He went back to walking in the tiny circle, the whole time shaking his head and kicking grass.

  I gave Sealy’s hand a squeeze and snuggled Cricket up under my chin.

  “That’s what I’m sayin’, T,” Mr. Charlie said. “It don’t look good, man. I’m serious, y’all need to get them kids somewheres safe.”

  “I can’t.” Daddy was rubbing his head with his eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t have room for Katherine and all the kids in my truck. And I’ve got Mama Jean to think about.”

  “Look, man,” Uncle T-Bone said. “We can load up my car too. You know I ain’t gonna leave you hangin’, bro.”

  “T-Bone, George—look, y’all don’t understand.” Mr. Charlie shook his head. “The mayor can say ‘Leave N’awlins’ all he wants. Y’all won’t never get out of the city now. It’s too late.” The man sounded pitiful, standing there, shaking his big ol’ hanging head, talking in circles, looking at the ground.

  Daddy nudged Mr. Charlie’s head up real gentle-like, so he could see the man’s face. “Charlie, what do you mean, it’s too late?”

  “There ain’t no leavin’ N’awlins, George. Nobody can get outta the city. Not nobody. Ever since the mayor ordered the evacuation, there ain’t nothin’ but wall-to-wall cars on the interstate.” The longer Mr. Charlie talked, the higher his voice got. “I talked to a buddy of mine from Gentilly ’bout thirty minutes ago. He left at ten o’clock this mornin’ an’ sat still so long, he ’bout ran outta gas. The interstate’s deadlocked, man. He turned his car around an’ came back. The only ones who made it out is the ones who left yesterday. The smart ones left Friday.”

  A gasp came from the bushes. There was Georgie with his hand over his mouth and his eyes all bugged out. I knew he was thinking about the Babineauxes by the way he looked at me. My heartbeat was pounding up in my head.

  No one said a word. Daddy stared up where the dark clouds raced across the sky.

  “They waited too long to tell us this time,” Mr. Charlie said, and let out a long sigh.

  “Why did you say you’re leaving, Charlie, if no one can leave?” Daddy sounded tired.

  “Oh, I’m leavin’ all right. I ain’t gonna be caught with my pants down. I’m takin’ my ol’ lady an’ the kids an’ gettin’ somewhere safe while I can. We ain’t stayin’ down here in the Lower Nines, man. Do y’all know what’s gonna happen if them levees break?”

  Daddy cleared his throat. His eyes were heavy. “I still don’t understand where you’re going.”

  “To the Super Dome, bro!” Lots of spit went flying. “They’re calling it the Refuge of Last Resort. Can you believe that?” He nervous-laughed. “Radio says anyone who can’t get outta the city can come hang out there till the storm passes. My ol’ lady packed us some food an’ drinks. She figured it’d be best to stay at the Dome, ya know—just to be safe—with the kids an’ all.” Mr. Charlie shook Daddy’s hand. “Look, man, I best be goin’.”

  He gave Uncle T-Bone a handshake-hug and patted him on the back. “Don’t stay here, T. It ain’t gonna be good, man. Seriously. Go to the Dome.” Then the man left as quick as he’d come.

  Nobody moved or said a word. We all stayed put, pondering on what Mr. Charlie had just said.

  The ol’ screen door slammed shut. Khayla hurried into the yard, all but tripping over her own clumsy feet. “The lights runned out, Daddy! The lights runned out!”

  “Oh, no,” Daddy said. “I think we just lost power.”

  CHAPTER 9

  It didn’t take but a minute for it to get so hot and thick and sticky up inside the house, the floors were even sweating.

  Georgie kept pestering Mama for one of the bottles of water stacked across the table, but Mama said no, they was for later—for just in case. So we were all stuck sipping on boring faucet water and the sweet tea, but it didn’t taste right without ice. Mama wasn’t letting nobody open the fridge for nothing, ’cause we’d let out all the cold air. I guess we were saving that for just in case too.

  The wind was banging the screen door like a drum while Daddy told us how he remembered having hurricane parties when he was a kid.

  The uneasy feeling up inside me was as constant as the sounds of slapping and creaking in the air.

  Georgie announced that Mama was fixin’ to bring out my birthday cake. Everybody gathered in the living room. Sealy giggled and ran over to switch the lights off. The surprised look on her face when she remembered there wasn’t no power made us all laugh.

  I set Cricket in her shoe box bed, and she went right to sleep. I stood with my hands folded behind my back, bouncing on my tippy-toes.

  Mama came into the room carrying my cake. She looked extra pretty, smiling big behind the glow of my ten birthday candles. She was wearing a new lime-green colored dress that she’d made special just for my party. The color of the dress showed off the flecks of gold in her eyes.

  Mama real careful placed my beautiful double-decker birthday cake right on top of the two milk crates stacked in the middle of the living room. I don’t much care for pink and other foo-foo colors, so Mama decorated my cake with buttermilk icing in every shade of blue under the sun. It was more beautiful than anything that had ever come out of my mama’s kitchen. I was glowing right along with all them candles.

  “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you . . .” I stood next to the flickering candlelight and looked at all the people I loved—even Georgie—singing loud and happy as they could for me.

  Kheelin was walking in a slow circle, doing his best to sing the birthday song. Khayla was still eating jambalaya. Poor thing was trying her best, but the rice fell off her spoon every time she lifted it to her mouth. The sight of it made me giggle.

  Sealy was sitting on Daddy’s lap, swinging her legs to the beat of the song—the two of them grinning like possums. Out the big window behind them, the trees were even dancing to the rhythm of my birthday song.

  Miss rested her oversized backside on Uncle T-Bone’s skinny knee. He sat in one of the metal folding chairs, just a-flashing that silly gold tooth, trying to watch the presentation of my birthday cake over the top of his girlfriend’s gigantic tangerine hat. Georgie stood as close as he could to Miss without actually touching her, his usual goofy grin stretched across his face.

  Mama looked at me with eyes soft and sweet as butter and her cheeks full of rose color. She had her arms around TayTay’s shoulders. It might’ve been ’cause of the way things looked in the warm candlelight, or maybe it was her happy shining through. Either way, TayTay looked extra beautiful sitting there wrapped in Mama’s love.

  Cricket had tipped out of her box and was running full speed off in the corner, chasing her own fuzzy black tail. Even my sweet puppy was celebrating.

  Then I seen Memaw. She was smiling from ear to ear, singing the birthday song louder than everyone, holding up the I love you sign. I smiled and gave her the sign back. My heart all but exploded with all the love I was feeling.

  The song ended. I squeezed my eyes shut and made my secret birthday wish. I used my wish on TayTay. Right then, I couldn’t think of one single thing to wish for except for her wish to come true—even though she’d made her wish on a clover.

  I opened my eyes and blew out my candles. At the exact same time, a loud toot came from over where Khayla was sitting. The room got quiet. Cricket stopped running in circles. The puppy tilted her little head and made a tiny whine.

  “Oops,” Khayla said, and reached her hand back to grab her bottom.

  Georgie went into hysterics. “Oh no she didn’t!” He waved his hand in front of his nose like there was actually a bad smell.

  “Khayla, say ‘Excuse me,’ ” Mama said.

  “ ’Cuse me,” Khayla said, and kept on eating.

  “Shush!” Memaw said, and stomped her foot. She finally found whatever station it was that she’d been looking for on the battery-operated radio, but th
e man’s voice kept cutting in and out, like he had the hiccups.

  Daddy got up from the table where he was staring at the tracking chart again. He went over and fiddled with the radio’s antenna till the sound came in clear. Memaw planted herself back in her chair.

  Me and Sealy were playing a clapping game. TayTay hummed along, smiling big with her mouth full of my birthday cake.

  “Hey,” Uncle T-Bone said, holding his cell phone and nodding in Daddy’s direction. “Alvin just called. Says he just found out about the storm.” My uncle rolled his eyes and glanced at Tay. “He’s been drinkin’, there ain’t no doubt about that, George. Says he’s on his way over to pick up his daughter.”

  Daddy shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “All right.” He looked over at Georgie. “Son, why don’t you and T-Bone come help me wash this pot outside before the weather gets any worse.”

  Georgie jumped up, “Sure, Daddy.”

  A quiet fell over the room, like we were all just sitting there while the seconds ticked by, waiting for him to come. Mama and Memaw stared at the radio, listening. I had never noticed till that minute how much they looked alike. They had the same curve to their noses, the same high cheeks, and the same exact worried eyebrows—eyebrows that looked like frowns hanging over their eyes. But it was Mama’s hand that caught my attention.

  Her hand was rubbing on Memaw’s shoulder and I could see Mama giving little squeezes. Every time lightning flashed and lit up the room, or a clap of thunder rumbled somewhere off in the distance, Mama’d give a shoulder-squeeze, and Memaw’d let out a heavy sigh and reach up to pat the back of Mama’s hand. This went on for a good while.