When I sat back and looked at the world, I saw. My world wasn’t that different from the world my family knew. I lived on Moss Island, where they had lived. Yeah, I did build a new house out here. I made my living from what the bayou gave me. I created the house that my wife and I had designed; we wanted a home that would withstand the worst hurricane and be standing after the storm passed.
When I was a kid, I’d take my pirogue and go to Pop Guidry’s store on River Road and get me a Moon Pie and an RC. Today, I’d take one of my rusted-out Jeeps and go to Pop Guidry’s to make groceries and catch up on all the news in the community. If anyone wanted to know anything going on in our community, all they had to do was just sit down outside Pop’s store. You’d hear all the news from the community in five minutes. Ahh, yes, the joys of a small community; everybody thinks they know everything about your business. For whatever reason, one warm spring afternoon, I decided I needed to go to Pop’s for groceries and who knows what else. I’d sit a spell with my neighbors, enjoy a barley pop with foam on top, and catch up on all the latest gossip. The big news was the conviction of the Moutons women. The mother and daughter were going on the auction block as a pair at the Friday slave auction in New Orleans. The mother had a reputation of being a hellcat; she had a mop of fiery red hair to match her temper. A local wit said she had red hair to warn everybody to stay away. She might be easy to look at, but lord, she does have a stinger like a scorpion. The daughter was too damm smart for her own good, and she had a mouth that would make an old sailor blush. Like her momma, she was easy to look at too.
They had gotten into it with their new neighbor, who had just moved in a day or two before; words flew back and forth along with a fist or two. Public Safety became involved; the result was that both the mother and daughter went to court and ended up enslaved for ten years on a host of charges. I knew about what had happened, and as usual, I kept my opinions to myself.
Down here in the bayou, people help their neighbors. People heard the newcomers bragging that they had gotten rid of his noisy neighbors. Well, folks didn’t see his actions as very neighborly. Since the plague passed, people have left our community for many reasons. I sure hated to see two more leave. While having a reputation as being sharp-tongued, the Mouton women were all great cooks. Great cooks are always in short supply.
I started wondering what I could do. The short answer was I could buy the pair. I’d need to get a slave owner’s permit, but that was a quick, simple online class and pay the fee. I knew I could win the auction. Hell, the auction didn’t get a pair of attractive female slaves very often, so this sale would see buyers and agents from everywhere. Slave agents were looking to pick up a pair of pretty slaves who would become a rich man’s toy and add to a harem. Folks came to see the Moutons and even bid on them, but before they came up for sale, all the other scheduled sales would occur first. The auction of the Mouton women opened with bids that rapidly drove up the price for the pair. When the bidding began to lag, I jumped in with my bid of fifty thousand more than the last bid. Someone countered with an offer of ten thousand more. I didn’t want to play games, so I countered with an added fifty thousand. That silenced the auction, and I got them.
Saturday morning and I was at the Slave Processing Center, which was part of the old Parish Prison in New Orleans. After going through the formalities of getting my new slaves, I looked them over, standing together as naked as a pair of jaybirds. I handed them both a string bag that held hospital scrubs and sandals to wear. The expression I got was total amazement; they could wear clothes and didn’t have to be slave naked out in public? When we got in the parking lot, I looked at my two new charges and then told them. Ladies, we need to get two things done now. First, I’m going to stop at the Mart Mart around the corner, and you two are going to get clothes to wear. Then you can change out of those hospital scrubs that you don’t look attractive wearing. You’ll need at least two weeks’ worth of clothes, and I don’t know what other things you’ll need, but get those too. Second, we all need to get a bite to eat. Unless, of course, you aren’t hungry, that is.
My suggestions resulted in a pair of big smiles and nodding heads. The two attacked the store like a raiding party from an advancing army. They had two shopping carts filled with hell; I don’t know what they had picked up. As we headed out of the store, I looked at them and shook my head, then asked if they wanted to change in the middle of the parking lot or did they want to pick out something and go back in the store and change. Never had I seen two women move faster than they did. Three minutes later, two seriously hot little cuties came bounding out of the store and ran up to me, covering me with hugs and kisses. The thought crossed my mind I’d fuck them both out here in the middle of the parking lot.
After our adventure at the Mart Mart, I headed towards one of my favorite places to get a late breakfast in the city, the Grill on St. Charles. When we pulled up, both of my girls were keenly aware of their new necklaces and status. I assured them that they would be very welcome at the Grill. I knew the folks behind the Grill and whoever came in with me was an immediate friend of the house. The Grill was packed on Saturdays, so we waited and then waited some more. My two sweet petite companions were very on edge; the best word was self-conscious. When we got our seats at the counter, my favorite waiter came up and looked my companions in the eye and said that they were welcome here. The Grill always needed attractive women to counterbalance those odd, ugly, smelly Cajuns that wandered in off the street. I explained to my companions that this was Charles, one of the worst liars in the world. Charles blew up and said, ladies watch out; this guy has been known to try and stiff beautiful women, like you two, with his bill.
The result was a volley of giggles as I shook my head. Charles? Can we order now? Don’t you have any other customers to harass? Give the young lady a hamburger but make it a double meat burger. And her mom will have the same thing I’m having. And Charles, ask them not to be stingy with the French Fries like they have been. Oh, and we will all have a chocolate freeze. A few minutes later, Charles was back with our Chocolate freezes. He reappeared with a massive hamburger for little Miss Mouse; alongside that was a ginormous basket of fries. Her eyes damm near popped out of her head when she saw everything in front of her. Next came two chili cheese omelets with fries on the side; the fries were swimming in chili too. As we finished our lunch, Charles came back with a slice of warmed pecan pie, a piece of apple with a monster scoop of ice cream on the side, and a slice of chocolate chiffon pie. Miss Mouse was eying the chocolate pie, so she got it, and mom was looking at the pecan pie, so she got it, and I had to settle for the apple pie and ice cream. I had no idea where that little girl could put all that food. As we started to get up and leave, I put two twenty-dollar bills on the counter and started to walk out. Mom tapped me on the shoulder and asked softly, what about the bill? I smiled, don’t worry about it; I’m one of the owners of this hash house.