Monsters

by Fred Prout

I have created a monster.

Actually a whole cell block of monsters.

Rita and I had over forty years of adventures. Each one had multiple stories associated with it. I find that it has become very difficult trying to share our stories with you, because as soon as I start writing one, the others start banging on the bars insisting they be the one to get out.

I’ve been trying to decide where to go next. After several false starts, I got some help and inspiration from the most unlikely source.

Joleen

Joleen is the wizard who runs the amazing kitchen at Linus Oakes. (I’m no dummy). Every month the ice cream flavor is rotated for variety. In February she tried to see if we actually paid attention so the flavor of the month was Boudreaux Cherry. I don’t know how many of us caught it, but when I saw it, Lafayette,Louisiana started yelling “ME ME ME !

Soooo, Lafayette, we are here.

Jean Lafitte state park provides many different types of entertainment. The one that stands out was a re-enactment of a Cajun wedding from a hundred years ago. Basic story line: nice Cajun girl getting married to a guy her mother called a good for nothing. Among other things.

This was all performed outside with the audience of one hundred plus standing and watching. I guess we stood out as tourists, because before the show started a middle aged lady leaned over and asked if we would be able to understand the dialogue as it was all in Cajun patois. She introduced herself as Eileen Dover ( of course not) and explained what we would be watching. We didn’t understand a word but the actions spoke loudly.

At the intermission, she excused herself to make a phone call. When she returned she was excited as she had just become a grandma for the first time. We wished each other well as she left to see little Pierre, or whatever.

We stopped at the cafeteria for a bowl of gumbo. Real Gumbo. Make your eyes and nose water gumbo. As part of the entertainment an elderly man was playing Cajun music on a fiddle. As we both loved music, we were very generous with our applause.

As he started walking by us we told him how much we were enjoying his music.
He was more than happy to sit and join us. His name was Marcel Thibedeaux and along with the cousins Fonteneaux were the basis for the song Jambalaya. Apparently Hank Williams spent time with the families when he wrote the song.

Before leaving us for the next set, Marcel said “ I show you someting you never see dis before “ and opened his wallet and pulled out a drivers license. For a Sherman tank. That was his job in the army. Driving a Sherman tank. He was right. I never see dat before.

The next day Rita was looking through the local paper, and saw that the Martin Accordion factory was giving tours. So I called and although they had no tours right then, we were more than welcome to come by. So we did.

The shop was in back of their house, and the instruments were all special order so sit, have some iced tea and we’ll talk. Before long, several cousins and in laws stopped by with various instruments, and we had a three hour concert with our visit with some of the nicest people on earth.

It seems that most people come to look at the sights and leave.They were delighted to be a part of our life and let us be part of theirs

Lafayette, we were there.
—
Fred and Rita