Ten Years After

Photo by Yarnspinnnerrrr

Decroix took his St. Joseph’s Day handkerchief from his hip pocket and wiped out the brim of the blue Borsolino he used to only wear for parades.

There was a lot of that down here.  Used to.

We used to go up to Luchan’s for boudin, used to get us some drinks at Jimmy White’s Sports and Games. Used to have me a house, a car.

Decroix tipped his chair back and looked out at the vacant lots of what used to be a fine neighborhood, the long black line of high-water still visible on some of the remaining ruins.

Friday Fictioneers

Early in the morning on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. The storm’s aftermath was catastrophic. Levee breaches led to massive flooding in the poor wards of New Orleans where many of the city’s musicians and laborers lived. The neighborhoods were razed to make way for new development, pricing out many of the people who had lived there for generations. It will come as no surprise that the African American community was the hardest hit.
   
 

19 comments

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  1. Iain Kelly

    A poignant scene, well rendered. Incidentally, there is a snooker player called Jimmy White in the UK, who I think still plays on the tour. Not sure he ever set up a bar in New Orleans though!

  2. Alicia Jamtaas

    Ah, those “used to be’s” can come up and bite you in the butt. Thank goodness I haven’t experienced one ~ earthquake, hurricane, tornado wise. Well captured.

  3. Lynn Love

    Your writing is so vivid, the references and language used so spot on, I knew this was about New Orleans and Katrina before I reached the end of the story. You just choose the right words! Very well written Josh

Don't just stand there.