boys’ playing cards rather excitedly. “Man you cheat!” One argued but his smile betrayed him.
“Naw man, c’mon now!” the other young boy exclaimed. Elise stopped to look at the game. “Ya’ll both cheat!” She giggled flirting. The boys looked up playfully. One was a deep brown complexion. He smiled beautifully at Elise.
“You want to play?” He asked.
“No I don’t play with strangers.” Elise stopped flattered by the offer.
“My name’s Tommy, what’s yours and your friend’s?” He cast longing eyes up at Sugar Doll. Elise understood the look and her smile immediately faded.
“I’m Elise, her name is Sugar Doll.” Her giggling gone she stepped to the side almost pushing Sugar Doll in front of her large body as though she wanted to hide.
“Well hello Sugar Doll!” Tommy exclaimed in a growling voice. His friend stood up by his side.
“I’m Bobby Joe” the darker skinned boy stammered. They both were about 15 years old more or less. Little boys in her eyes but then she did look young for twenty-one.
Sugar Doll smiled at them but turned to Elise, “Listen, I’ve got to go, my mother’s place is in the French Quarters. I think I’ll ride the storm out there.”
Elise immediately brightened. “Okay” she turned toward the boys to continue their conversation but their smiles had turned into concern.
“C’mon girl” Tommy said exasperated. “It’s dangerous out there, that storm ain’t no joke.” Bobby Joe chimed in also expressing concern. They looked at each other amazed that they’d spoken in unison. They returned their attention to Sugar Doll not giving in to their usual high fives or joking.
“If she want to go, let her go.” Elise spoke up defensively.
“Damn girl, I thought she was your friend! A hurricane ain’t nothing to play with!” Tommy exclaimed.
Elise cringed, “My name is Elise!” She looked as though she were going to cry. Patrice arrived walking up the stairs. “What’s taking ya’ll so damned long? I’m trying to save us a spot.”
“Sugar Doll wants to go back to the Quarters,” Elise spat out. Sugar Doll began descending the stairs calmly. Patrice grabbed her arm, “Girl you crazy, you saw the weather out there. It’s probably gotten worse.”
“I’ll be all right.” Sugar Doll said feeling a bit unsure of her resolve but more determined to go than ever. She needed to see Remy, to hold him. She opened her cell phone and rang him.
“This is Remy, leave a message dahling.” His heavy drawl crawled through the phone and touched her. She could feel his kiss on her lips. “Remy, I’m at the Superdome; I want to come to Mona’s to ride out the hurricane. Call me when you get this message. Oh and break a leg!” Sugar Doll hung up and tried to smile but she looked up at the ceiling and saw rain dripping through the roof.
As she continued to descend she felt a warm hand grab her shoulder, “Girl don’t go out there. It could be dangerous too. The city is emptying out and all that’s left is the worst sorts ofpeople who are looking to rob and steal and who knows what all else?”
Tommy pleaded with Sugar Doll. “If you were my sister I wouldn’t let you go.” Tommy’s eyes were kind.
She turned full around to see a repentant Elise, Patrice, Tommy and Bobby Joe all looking like a makeshift choir. It made her smile.
“I’ll be all right; my boyfriend is in the Quarter. He is going to meet me.” She waved goodbye and trotted off leaving the choir of friends staring helplessly after her.
As she waded through the mass of humanity who were all vying to get a place in the stadium she felt that she had made the right decision. Something wasn’t right. People seemed too desperate and too unprepared. As she stepped under the awning of the dome the force of the rain hit her. It was strong but she was determined. She spotted an old tarp that looked like it had been blown against the building. She grabbed it and wrapped it around her
“Naw man, c’mon now!” the other young boy exclaimed. Elise stopped to look at the game. “Ya’ll both cheat!” She giggled flirting. The boys looked up playfully. One was a deep brown complexion. He smiled beautifully at Elise.
“You want to play?” He asked.
“No I don’t play with strangers.” Elise stopped flattered by the offer.
“My name’s Tommy, what’s yours and your friend’s?” He cast longing eyes up at Sugar Doll. Elise understood the look and her smile immediately faded.
“I’m Elise, her name is Sugar Doll.” Her giggling gone she stepped to the side almost pushing Sugar Doll in front of her large body as though she wanted to hide.
“Well hello Sugar Doll!” Tommy exclaimed in a growling voice. His friend stood up by his side.
“I’m Bobby Joe” the darker skinned boy stammered. They both were about 15 years old more or less. Little boys in her eyes but then she did look young for twenty-one.
Sugar Doll smiled at them but turned to Elise, “Listen, I’ve got to go, my mother’s place is in the French Quarters. I think I’ll ride the storm out there.”
Elise immediately brightened. “Okay” she turned toward the boys to continue their conversation but their smiles had turned into concern.
“C’mon girl” Tommy said exasperated. “It’s dangerous out there, that storm ain’t no joke.” Bobby Joe chimed in also expressing concern. They looked at each other amazed that they’d spoken in unison. They returned their attention to Sugar Doll not giving in to their usual high fives or joking.
“If she want to go, let her go.” Elise spoke up defensively.
“Damn girl, I thought she was your friend! A hurricane ain’t nothing to play with!” Tommy exclaimed.
Elise cringed, “My name is Elise!” She looked as though she were going to cry. Patrice arrived walking up the stairs. “What’s taking ya’ll so damned long? I’m trying to save us a spot.”
“Sugar Doll wants to go back to the Quarters,” Elise spat out. Sugar Doll began descending the stairs calmly. Patrice grabbed her arm, “Girl you crazy, you saw the weather out there. It’s probably gotten worse.”
“I’ll be all right.” Sugar Doll said feeling a bit unsure of her resolve but more determined to go than ever. She needed to see Remy, to hold him. She opened her cell phone and rang him.
“This is Remy, leave a message dahling.” His heavy drawl crawled through the phone and touched her. She could feel his kiss on her lips. “Remy, I’m at the Superdome; I want to come to Mona’s to ride out the hurricane. Call me when you get this message. Oh and break a leg!” Sugar Doll hung up and tried to smile but she looked up at the ceiling and saw rain dripping through the roof.
As she continued to descend she felt a warm hand grab her shoulder, “Girl don’t go out there. It could be dangerous too. The city is emptying out and all that’s left is the worst sorts ofpeople who are looking to rob and steal and who knows what all else?”
Tommy pleaded with Sugar Doll. “If you were my sister I wouldn’t let you go.” Tommy’s eyes were kind.
She turned full around to see a repentant Elise, Patrice, Tommy and Bobby Joe all looking like a makeshift choir. It made her smile.
“I’ll be all right; my boyfriend is in the Quarter. He is going to meet me.” She waved goodbye and trotted off leaving the choir of friends staring helplessly after her.
As she waded through the mass of humanity who were all vying to get a place in the stadium she felt that she had made the right decision. Something wasn’t right. People seemed too desperate and too unprepared. As she stepped under the awning of the dome the force of the rain hit her. It was strong but she was determined. She spotted an old tarp that looked like it had been blown against the building. She grabbed it and wrapped it around her
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