Nancy K. Duplechain - Dark Trilogy 02 - Dark Carnival (2 page)

She
climbed into bed next to me and pulled the top blanket over her legs.  “How
long are you gonna be gone?”

“Don’t
know.  As long as it takes for me to do what I have to do.”

“How
long is that?”

I
half smiled at her.  “I don’t
know
.”

“Can
you come back to visit if it’s going to be a long time?”

I
shrugged.  “Maybe.  I don’t think they can force me to stay there.”

“Can
I go visit?”

“You’d
have to ask Maw Maw Clo that, because she’d be the one bringing you.”

“Uncle
Lucas could bring me and Jon.”

“Well,
maybe so then.”

Lyla
was quiet for a moment and I began to get drowsy.  I loved how she was closer
to me than she was when I first moved back, but all I wanted to do at the
moment was go to sleep.

“Why
aren’t you and Uncle Lucas dating?”

I
groaned.  “Lyla!  I don’t
know
.  Some things are complicated.  I can’t
explain them, but they just are.”  She looked a little hurt when I said that,
and I felt bad right away.  I sighed.  “You’ll understand when you get older.”

“Really?
 Because it doesn’t sound like you understand.”

I
glared at her, but realized she was right.  A thought suddenly occurred to me.  “Hey.
 Wanna do something for me?”

“What?”

I
reached behind my neck and unhooked the latch to the chain I was wearing.  I
took it off my neck, latched it back, and offered my mother’s locket to her.  “Can
you hold onto this for me until I get back?”

She
beamed, cupping her hands to accept the necklace.  I placed it into her hands
and she held it up to the light of the lamp on the nightstand.  She studied the
little heart with the roses etched into the gold.  She opened it and marveled
at the pictures of my parents—her grandparents.   “I’ll take really good care
of it,” she said, eyes glued to the pictures.

“I
know you will.”

“Can
I sleep with you tonight?”

I
sighed again, but was actually flattered that she wanted to spend so much time
with me lately.  “Okay,” I said.  “But if you snore, I’m going to throw you out
the window.”  She giggled for a very long time, even after I turned out the
light.  I had to tell her several times to stop, but I soon caught the giggles,
too.  Nearly an hour must have passed by before we finally fell asleep.

When I awoke, it was
after eight o’clock and Lyla had already gone to school.  I had a quick
breakfast and packed up my car.  I hung around until Lyla came home because she
wanted to hug me goodbye.  By the time I hit the Atchafalya Basin Bridge, that
long stretch of road spanning the bayous of Southeastern Louisiana, it was
nearly five and the rush hour traffic was already getting heavy.  But I just
put on some good music and stayed my course for the Crescent City.

A
s I
drove down I-10 East, I had no idea what awaited me in New Orleans.  I vaguely
remembered Cee Cee’s apartment from when I was little.  But I do remember it
being in the French Quarter, so this trip couldn’t be all bad, though I felt
uneasy about meeting this man who was supposed to train me in the art of the
Traiteur.  I wasn’t exactly comfortable around strangers. 

When
I got on the bridge crossing Lake Pontchartrain, I knew New Orleans was very
near.  I looked out over the vast body of water, seeing the overcast sky
mirrored in its reflection.  It looked like there would be no more sun today,
and I was sure it would be raining by the time I made it to Cee Cee’s.  It was mid
January, and the days were shorter.  Lately there was no bitter cold, and I
felt comfortable enough to walk around during the day without a coat, but long
sleeves were necessary.

I
made my way into the city, meandering through the old streets until I finally
got to the cobblestone-paved Quarter.  I remember taking a tour once and they
said that, because of the soil in the area, they couldn’t make paving material
when they wanted to pave streets.  The city offered ships a bounty to bring in
rock ballast rather than sand.  If I remember right, the first cobblestone
pavement was around Magazine Street in the early nineteenth century.
Regardless, it certainly added to the charm of the area.

There
were several Voodoo shops in the Quarter, but Cee Cee’s apartment was above the
only shop that looked authentic and not tacky.  Her store wasn’t made for
tourists; she was the real deal.  It was Sunday, so her shop would be closed.  I
parked in the alley in the back and got out with my luggage.  I climbed up
the rusted stairwell to an equally rusted wrought iron balcony on the second
floor and knocked on the little green door, just as the first soft timpani of
thunder rolled across the darkened sky.

The
door opened and there stood Cee Cee in a bright yellow house dress and a huge
smile across her face, stretching her smooth, dark skin.  She was
sixty-two years old, but looked at least fifteen years younger.  Before I
could put down my bags, she gave me a strong, crushing hug.  She was a big
woman with an even bigger heart.

“Come
in, my baby!” she said as she ushered me in, grabbing one of my suitcases.
 I stepped into her apartment, taking quick notice of the sky lighting
overhead.  Despite the growing darkness outside, the natural light that remained
shone down upon an old floral-print sofa and a cherry wood coffee table.  The
aroma of mustard greens was abundant in the small apartment, and it smelled
good, like home-cooking should.

“How
was your trip in?” 

“It
was nice.  I made pretty good time with the traffic.”

“Ain’t
that nice!  Come, I’ll show you to your room.”  I followed her through the
small living room.  In one tiny corner, there was a makeshift altar set up
against the wall.  It was an old wooden crate draped with white linen.  There
were two white candles at the back of the altar surface.  Hanging on the wall,
in between the candles, was a small framed replica of a Renaissance Virgin
Mary.  In the middle of the altar was an incense burner and, to the right of
that, a bowl of water.  To the left of the burner was a dish of what looked
like salt.

Cee
Cee led me down the short hallway which had three doors that led to two bedrooms
and a bathroom.  She opened the door on the left.  “I hope it’ll be okay.  This
one used to belong to my sister Lornette and me when we were growing
up.”

“Oh,
no.  It’s fine.  I appreciate you putting me up while I’m here.”

“No,
thank
you
!” she said as she turned on the light. We entered the
small bedroom.  “Believe me, I’ll enjoy the company!”  She put
my suitcase on the floor near the doorway.  I put my other suitcase on top of
the bed.  “I’ll just let you get settled.  Come meet me when you’re done.  I
have some supper waiting for you.”  She started to leave.

“Oh,
wait!” I said, as I reached for the suitcase on the bed.  I quickly
unzipped it and took out a small plastic container.  I handed it to Cee Cee.  “This
is from Maw Maw.  She made you some divinity candy.”

Cee
Cee took the container from me with a grin on her face.  “Oh, my!  She
didn’t have to do that!” she said, delighted.

“I
think she’s under the impression that I can be stubborn and hard to handle at
times and wanted to butter you up,” I teased.

“Hmm.
 You must be really hard-headed because this candy hard to make,” she
teased back.  “Unpack and we’ll have supper when you ready.”  

“Okay.
 I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.  Thanks.”

Still
smiling, she left my temporary bedroom, closing the door behind her.  I took in
my new surroundings.  It was a very small room; the bed and one small dresser
took up the bulk of it.  A tiny nightstand with a skinny lamp on top stood in
the corner, on the left side of the bed.  The bed spread was kelly green with
tulips embroidered on it.  Over the bed was a tiny window.  The wallpaper,
white with black fleur-de-lis, had peeled in several places.  I remembered the
bathroom had similar wallpaper, but that one was a red background with
gold fleur-de-lis.  Despite the obvious age of the room, I could tell Cee Cee
took special care to clean it before I came.   

I
unpacked a couple of things, but was too hungry and impatient to finish.  I
joined Cee Cee in the kitchen in time to see her draining the greens.

“Can
I help with anything?” I asked.

“You
can get the meatloaf out the oven if you don’t mind.”

I
spied a whimsical alligator pot holder and used that to pull the loaf from the
oven and set it down on top of the stove near a dish of cornbread I hadn’t
noticed before.  It all looked so delicious, and my stomach was growling in
seconds.

“You
didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me,” I said, a little
embarrassed.

“Hush!
 Having you here is a real treat.  It gives me an excuse to cook for someone
again.”  She said this with a little sadness at the end.  I remembered
Clothilde telling me that Cee Cee’s husband died several years ago.  When I had
asked her how, she shrugged it off, like there was a lot to the story, and she
didn’t want to discuss it any further.

“Well,
thank you.”  I smiled shyly at her. 

The
meal was even better than it looked.  Just when I thought I couldn’t eat
another bite, Cee Cee brought out pecan pie for dessert.  She was embarrassed
to admit to me that it was store-bought, but from one of the best bakeries in
town, not a supermarket.  I assured her that it was fine and I would have been
upset if she had lifted another finger for me.  We ate and laughed.  She was a
well of quips and witty stories of her life in New Orleans.  She mentioned
Clothilde several times and always with great admiration.

I
went to bed a couple of hours after supper.  I thought I would sleep well on a
full stomach, but I tossed and turned too much.  I thought it was sleeping in a
different bed that had me doing this, but it was a steadily building uneasy
feeling about what would happen tomorrow.  I was going to meet a total stranger
who would explain to me the art of the Traiteur, and I didn’t know if I would
be able to keep up.  I had only learned of my role as a paladin a few months
ago.  How was I supposed to battle Les Foncés, the Dark Ones? 

My
mind raced with thoughts of destiny and responsibility until sleep finally came
about an hour-and-a-half after my head hit the pillow.  I dreamed of my mother.
 She was in a boat on Lake Martin, back in Acadiana.  She was trying to tell me
something but I couldn’t hear her over the sound of the strong wind that made
the water ripple and the Spanish moss dance around the trees.  

When
I woke up, I felt very rested and peaceful.  The little clock on the nightstand
told me it was almost nine.  There was a gentle rain tapping at the window over
my head, and the sun was mostly out.  A few birds were singing, and it had all
the promise of a wonderful day ahead.  But I still couldn’t shake those nerves
about meeting my new trainer.

When I got up, Cee Cee
wasn’t there, but she had left a note for me in the kitchen on the
refrigerator.  It was held up with a magnet in the shape of a crawfish:

DOWNSTAIRS IN THE SHOP.  MUFFINS ON THE STOVE.  TEA IN THE ICEBOX.

Seeing the word
icebox
made me smile.  Clothilde still said icebox instead of fridge, too.  I
guessed Cee Cee’s generation would be the last to use that word. I opened
the icebox and grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea, just like Clothilde makes.  I
poured myself a glass and grabbed a blueberry muffin.  When I was done
with both, I took a shower, got dressed and went downstairs to Cee Cee’s shop.

Everyone
called the store “Cee Cee’s,” even though it had no name on
the door or the window.  The only writing to be seen was the street
number, 1023, over the door.

I
came in through the back door that opened to the alleyway.  When I walked in, I
saw there were numerous jars, mostly recycled—everything from pickle jars to
baby food jars that seemed old enough that I could have been fed from them.  There
were herbs and other mysterious dry ingredients lining shelves that were bolted
to the walls.  There was a thin layer of dust everywhere and a small, rusted
sink by a little, grimy window.  Against one of the walls was an old set of
washing and drying machines with an empty laundry basket on top of the dryer.  The
washer was currently occupied with today’s laundry.

I
walked into the front of the store.  The main room looked much like the store
room, but with less dust and a lot more shelves.  I saw Cee Cee at the front
counter, watching a little black and white TV that rested on a wooden stool.  From
what I heard, it sounded like she was watching the
Judge Mathis Show
.  She
laughed loudly at something the judge said.  She looked up when she saw me
enter.

“Well
good mornin’ to ya!” she said with a big grin.

“Morning.
 Thanks for the muffins and tea.”

“Aw,
I make those just about every morning.  Don’t thank me for that.  Did you sleep
good?”

“Not
at first, but when I did get to sleep, I woke up feeling great.”  Cee Cee
held her head high and smiled to herself.  “What did you do?” I
teased.

“Nothin’.”

I
eyeballed her.

“I
heard you mumbling in your sleep.  I tip-toed in your room and put a little
something under your pillow to relax you.”

“What
did you put?  What was it?”

“Don’t
worry about that.  It worked and that’s all that matters.”

“Tell
me it isn’t something that used to be an animal.”

She
chuckled.  “No, my baby!  We don’t sacrifice animals in New Orleans Voodoo.  At
least we haven’t for many years now.”

I
breathed a sigh of relief.

“Miles
is out running errands right now, but he should be home soon.  Then you can go
over to his house.”

“Miles?
 Clothilde never told me his name.” 

Cee
Cee saw that I was a bit nervous.  “Don’t worry, honey.  He a nice man.  Have
his ways, though.  But don’t let that make you worry about it.  He’ll be good
to you.  He’s the best one to teach you.  That’s why Clothilde sent you to
him.”  But Cee Cee sounded a little uncertain at this last part.

“Would
you have sent me to him?”

She
paused as she carefully thought her words through.  “I think Clothilde
made the right decision,” she said slowly, and then changed the subject again.  “Now!
It’s your first full day in New Orleans.  You haven’t been here in a long time.
 We should go get some beignets at Café Du Monde’s.”

“I
just ate a muffin.  I couldn’t—”

“Well,
I want some, and I’m going to make you eat at least one.  You look too skinny
as it is,” she teased, smiling.

“What
about the store?”

“That’s
all right.  Nobody ever come in here before noon anyway.  If they need
somethin’, they know where to find me.  If they don’t know where to find me,
then they can just wait.”

She
got up and turned off the TV.  At that moment, the hanging bell over the front
door jingled and someone stepped in.  She was young, maybe in her mid-twenties.
 She was dark-skinned and gorgeous and wore a short, navy blue jacket
over a kelly green dress that showed off her long brown legs.  Around her
neck was a Tiger’s Eye pendant hanging from a silver chain, and she carried a
periwinkle blue Boho style bag on her shoulder.  Her dark blue eyes shot
straight to me, suspicious.  I noticed Cee Cee brace herself and, without yet a
word spoken, there was already tension in the room.

“Who’s
she?” said the young woman, looking me up and down, but addressing Cee
Cee.

“I
told you Miss Clothilde’s granddaughter was coming to stay with me for awhile.  This
is Leigh Benoit.  Leigh?  This is my niece Ruby,” she said, trying to sound
cheerful.

“Nice
to meet you,” I said, but didn’t extend my hand to shake.  Something told
me she wouldn’t have accepted anyway.

Ruby
nodded in my direction, accepting my existence, and then turned to Cee Cee.  “I
need some zoorie,” she told her.

“More?”

“Yes,
more!  Do you have any?”

“I
have some in the back.”

Ruby
walked with a huff to the store room.  I looked at Cee Cee with questioning
eyes.  “She’s a good girl.  Just have a chip on her shoulder
sometime,” she whispered to me.

“Looks
like a big chip,” I whispered back.

“I
need a little brick dust, too,” called Ruby from the store room.

“Help
y’self,” Cee Cee called back.

Ruby
stepped back into the main part of the store where we were.  “Already
did,” she said.  She looked at me again and then back at Cee Cee.  “Miles
should be back at his house now.  I guess you could send her over.”