Sugar Doll's Hurricane Blues (19 page)

The Young family huddled around a makeshift fire their father had made for them. Mai Young still averted the eyes of her husband who was now staring at her intently. He knew that she considered him a failure and that this final insult would probably end their twenty-five year marriage. He remembered the first day he had come to America. He remembered working like a dog and being called a yellow nigger. He remembered Mai’s face on their wedding day. He would have wept but he didn’t want Mai to see his pain. The wind outside was fierce and the water was rising. They had already climbed to the second floor of the old school. A loud boom cracked the air with electricity and then as he looked up he saw the building collapsing. A gush of water flattened the roof and the Young family died where they sat in a circle.

Chapter Fifteen

There was a crackling sound. Sugar Doll listened intently. The wind was still howling but now there was something more. Remy lay asleep next to her. She got up gently in search of the sound. As she walked into the living room she felt a shiver even though it was quite warm. She saw the little radio on the counter where Remy had left it. She tried to adjust the dial to a coherent station but still just the crackling noise emitted from it. She put it down and wondered if there was still electricity. She went to the refrigerator. It was still cold but the power was off.

“Katrina made landfall at approximately 7 a.m. this morning.” The radio began to transmit the information. Sugar Doll turned toward it like she would a welcome friend. They had survived the hurricane. “A levee was breached. We are still investigating but widespread flooding is expected. Wait a minute this just in; a large section of the vital 17
^th
Street Canal levee where it connects to the brand new “hurricane proof” Old Hammond Highway Bridge gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina’s fiercest winds were well north of it.” Sugar Doll ran back to the bedroom where Remy still lay sleeping.

“Remy! Remy!” Sugar Doll pushed him. “Wake up!” Sugar Doll noticed the curl of a smile that always sent her heart aflutter.

“What dahling?” Remy drawled as he pulled her toward him. He was rethinking not making love to her this morning.

“The hurricane made landfall this morning.” Sugar Doll said flushed.

“What time is it now?” Remy asked.

“I don’t know, the power’s out. You left your transistor radio on though. Remy reached for his watch on the side of the bed. It was two o’clock in the afternoon. He sat bolt upright all thoughts of making love leaving him.

“I’ve got to go outside to see how things turned out.” He got up grabbing his shirt on a nearby chair. The windows were still boarded up but the sound of rain was still evident.

“Don’t go Remy, it could be dangerous.” Sugar Doll begged.

“I won’t go far; I just want to look outdoors. Obviously we didn’t get too much damage here in the Quarters.” He gave her an ‘I told you so look.’ “I’ll be right back Sugar.”

He ambled for the door. Sugar Doll stood up, “I’m coming with you.” She stated.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Let me do a look see and if it’s okay then I’ll come back to get you I promise.” He kissed her quickly but pushed her away. Sugar Doll accepted his decision but regretted doing that the moment he walked out of the door.

Remy expected to see some debris and tree branches but he didn’t expect to see so much glass laying around. The sun was
shining through the light rain. “The devil must be beating his wife.” Remy repeated the old saying. He stepped out onto the curb to look at his apartment building. Some of the moldings had fallen and the sheetrock portion of the building was chipped but it was still standing. Remy looked up to his apartment windows and saw that most of the glass windows had been broken in the high winds. The boards had protected them. He turned around to look up the street and saw some other people already outside cleaning. There was water but very little. The cars on the street were covered with dead leaves. Remy walked down Tchopatulis street looking into different buildings. He heard music at the end of the street. He ran down to the street corner and there was Bernie’s open for business.

“C’mon inside and get yourself a beer before they get hot.” Bernie called out to Remy. He was tempted but then he thought of Sugar Doll alone and afraid in the apartment. He waved and shouted, “I’m coming back. Let me get my girlfriend!” Remy smiled his charming smile and ran back up to the apartment. He ran back up the short distance he had traveled and up the three flights of stairs with relative ease. When he walked in the door he saw Sugar Doll standing with her back to him. She looked vulnerable. His joi de vive immediately came crashing down and he went to hold her from behind. Her shoulders tensed. “It’s all right Sugar. Bernie’s is even selling beer right now.”

Sugar Doll swung around, “It’s not all right. People are stranded, hundreds have died and my hometown is gone Remy, gone!” Sugar Doll cried into his shoulder.

“No baby, you are wrong. I’ve just been outside. It’s a bad storm for sure but it’s not that bad.” Remy shrugged trying to comfort Sugar Doll.

Just then the voice of Louisiana’s governor Kathleen Blanco rang out from the radio, “Several hundred people have been rescued from rooftops and buildings. If you are with family or in a shelter please stay where you are. Keep safe. If you have tap water please boil it before drinking. We are in a state of emergency and it is important that we all keep calm. Hurricane Katrina has been downgraded to a tropical storm but there are many who need our help.” Remy walked over to the radio to turn it off.

“Leave it on Remy.” Sugar Doll demanded.

“It’s lies Sugar.” Remy explained.

“No it’s not. Bertrand is out there, Mona, my friends. We have to help. We have to do something.” Sugar Doll shored up her strength and looked resolved. She walked toward the door. “You heard the governor, if you are in a safe place stay where you are. There is no electricity. I have bottled water and food here. There is glass all over the place downstairs and I’m sure it’s worse away from the Quarter. We are 5 feet above sea level Sugar. I knew we would be safe but now with everything that’s out there it’s best to stay put and wait.” Remy reasoned.

“Wait? For what? Wait for help when we are young and can help ourselves? I want to go to the Superdome and find Mona. I want to help my friends Patrice and Elise. I want to get out of this small room.” Sugar Doll opened the door and ran down the stairs.

Big Ma paced in her hotel room. She knew that something terrible had happened. The rain was coming down in buckets now. The weather system which had devastated her hometown
was now finally making its way up to Baton Rouge. She felt an emptiness that only implied a death as far as she was concerned. She didn’t feel a fear for Sugar Doll but Bertrand’s image left a heaviness in her heart. She called Reverend Han’s room. “Pastor, I need you to pray for Bertrand. He’s in trouble.”

“Now sister, we have been praying for everyone and everything. There is no need to worry about the young people. It is the old and infirm I’m worried about now.” Reverend Han couldn’t help smiling into the phone. Sister Jones was always concerned about her family and a more loving lady one rarely met. He knew that this small comfort wouldn’t stop her but it wouldn’t stop him from trying to convince her that he knew what he was talking about in the first place. The television kept showing that their Parish was obliterated. He was happy that they had landed in Alexandria instead of staying in that sinful city New Orleans.

“I feel that something is wrong and I don’t know what to do about it.” Big Ma cried which was unlike her.

“I know how you feel Sister Jones, but we must be strong hearted. Weeping endures for the night but then joy comes in the morning.” He smiled at his favorite comfort phrase.

“Thank you Pastor.” Big Ma hung up the phone but the feeling of dread and worry simply would not leave her. She got on her knees to pray again.

Sugar Doll didn’t really know what she was doing but she headed out to the street and just as Remy said there was broken glass everywhere. Remy was close on her heels and took her arm. Sugar, there are some places that need boats to travel to
in the first place. We need to find what we can to help but first we must be prepared ourselves. The Superdome has over 2000 people there and we will have too much difficulty locating just a few people. I’m more than sure that they don’t have anything set up yet. We need to take a wait and see attitude. Please Sugar. Please.” Remy tried to reason with Sugar Doll but her mind was made up and she just kept walking even though she didn’t have a particular direction.

“Okay, if you insist. Let’s see where we can get a boat to go over to the areas we need to make it. They walked toward Canal Street. As they neared the street there were palm trees strewn all over the place. There were police officers on every corner sitting in wait for any looters. One such officer intercepted them. “Where ya’ll think ya’ll going?” He asked.

“We are going to the Superdome.” Sugar Doll said as strongly as she could.

“The Superdome? Ya’ll survived the hurricane and you want to try to go to the Superdome? Ya’ll are crazy. You may not pass. Please return to your residence. Things are going to get worse before they get better and I can guarantee that a pretty girl like yourself won’t last long on these streets. Go home ma’am and sir keep an eye on her. There are rampant murders and rapes going on right now as we speak. This is not a time for anyone to be out of doors. Consider this a warning.” The officer turned them around physically.

Remy was in agreement so he didn’t argue. He grabbed Sugar Doll by the shoulder and led her in the direction of his apartment. She seemed to give in but then turned in a different direction.

“Where are you going Sugar Doll? You heard the officer. This is not the time to go out aimlessly looking around. Let’s
wait till things settle and then we can search for you momma and your friends. Please Sugar Doll.” Remy pleaded with her. She turned reluctantly around but realized that he was right and that she was being bullheaded. They walked slowly back to his apartment. The radio was still playing on his kitchen counter. It was scratchy and sounded as though two stations had crossed each other. Kathleen Blanco’s voice droned on about the need for people to keep their sanity and to wait for help to arrive. Day one of Hurricane Katrina was a nightmare.