I live in Biloxi, MS and was here during Katrina. This is potentially a true story.
A Little Girl
In A Big Storm
Las’ I saw of my mama wuz when she push’t me out tha
upstairs winder. Tha water had come down
our street so fas’ and deep; it wuz right under tha winder and I wuz really
scar’t cuz I knew how deep it had ta be to
reach that winder and I always get scar’t in deep water. Tha wind wuz howlin’ so loud and tha water
sounded like it wuz roarin’, like a lion or a bear, you know, sump’n real big and mean. Mama, she yelled at me ta jus’ let the water
carry me where it will, that if I didn’ fight it, and watch’t where I wuz
goin’, I’d be aw’right and that she’d
catch up with me in a little while. Somethin’
‘bout the way she said she loved me scare’t me even more; then she put this ole
lifejacket on me and tied it real tight.
It stunk real bad; Daddy usta keep it in the bottom of his fishin’ boat
and it smell’t like ole dead fish and
beer.
Right ‘afore she let me go, she kiss’t my hands and shoved
me away from tha house. I started
cryin’; I never been so scare’t in all my life.
The wind and rain wuz so loud, I couldn’t even hear myself cryin’ and
screamin’ for Mama over and over. That
water wuz movin’ so fas’ and turnin’ me ‘round and ‘round till I could hardly
tell which direction I wuz goin’. I
could feel my legs and arms scrapin’ stuff I couldn’t see under tha water and I
tried to pull my knees up but I couldn’t do nothin’ but wrap my arms ‘roun’
Daddy’s ole lifesaver and hug it as tight as I could to my ches’. I felt like a tiny ant in the Mississippi
and I wuz jus’ hopin’ that I would get close to somethin’ I could grab or hold
on to. I couldn’ cry and keep a lookout
for some kinda anchor so I jus’ tried to concentrate on where I wuz goin’ and
hopin’ I didn’ end up too far from home since the phone had quit workin’ sometime
‘afore the water hit and Mama had tol’ me more than once that she would blister
my butt good if she ever caught me hitchhikin’.
At the thought of Mama, I could feel my chest tighten up like it does
when I’m workin’ up a good cry, but I
knew I needed ta pay ‘tention like Mama tol’ me, so I tried ta swallow it down but it jus’ seem ta get stuck in my
throat and I felt like I wuz gonna choke on it.
It seemed like a long time ‘afore everythin’ slowed down
enough for me to really see where I wuz goin’.
I thought I saw the top of Beau
Jon and Martin’s house, they lived a coupla blocks over and it look’t like somebody
wuz on the roof but the water wuz still movin’ fas’ enough ta keep me spinnin’
‘round, so I didn’ see who it wuz. Now I wuz’nt cryin’ for Mama no more; I wuz jus’
cryin’. I wuz ‘memberin’ when I watch’t
The Wizard of Oz las’ Sunday, and Dorothy sees that ole witch ride by outside
the winder. I jus’ knew that if I saw
that ole witch or anythin’ like her, I wuz gonna die, and I didn’t want to
die. No sireee! Las’
Sund’y, Brother Jake wuz goin’ on about hellfire and damnation and stuff like
that and how bad people went to this lake that wuz on fire. I started ‘memberin’ my sins and I knew that
I’d pro’ bly be goin’ for a swim in that ole lakejus’
for the ones I could ‘member.
I wuz startin’ to get tired and tried to close my eyes, but
not seein’ what wuz comin’ wuz worse than seein’ it, so I jus’ started prayin’ like I never did in
Sund’y School. Pleeze, God, don’ let me die, I swear I’ll be good to Jody even when he
tears the head offa my Barbie doll ‘cuz he’s
my brother and I’m ‘posed to love and forgive him no matter what he does
and I won’ sass my Mama no more, and I’ll try as hard as I can to love my Daddy,
even tho everyone says he ain’t worth a plug nickel and he kill’t my lit’l
orange kitten, Dreamsicle, when he
step’t on it one night when he wuz drunk. I wuz jus’ promisin’ God everythin’ I could
think of that him and the Baby Jesus would want me to do when all of a sudd’n,
I felt a tug behin’ me and I could feel that I wuz bein’ pull’t agin’st the way
the water wuz movin’. I couldn’ see
behind me and I jus’ knew it wuz a big ole alligator or a shark or sump’n and I
thought I might fain’ right then for sure, but it wuz only a few minutes an’ I
felt these big ole warm hands wrap ‘roun’ me and pull me up outta the
water. My heart wuz beatin’ to burst and
I jus’ closed my eyes real tight so’s I couldn’ see who wuz gonna kill me or
rape me or any of those horrible things that my cousin Jada tol’ me happens to
girls who are out all alone and can’t get away when really bad men catch ‘em
and tie ‘em up.
I musta fainted or at least pass’d out cuz when I opened my
eyes, I wuz wrap’t up in a ole blanket and I wuz in a wheelchair layin’ in this
ole lady’s lap. I could tell it wuz inside
and dark and I thought I could hear her singin’ real sof’-like under her
breath. Then I thought she might be
crazy like this movie I watch’t one time
with my cousin Jada ‘bout these people who lock’t up this ole lady in tha attic
and fed her scraps and bones and stuff and she wuz bad-crazy. I tried to wiggle outta her lap, but she
ssshhh’ed me and held me right tight agin’st her and said that I wuz aw’right,
now, and ta jus’ be still and rest since
it look’t like I’d had a pretty rough ride in that ole water and I’d need my
strength later. Sump’n ‘bout her voice
kinda ‘minded me of my ole Grannie Lou; she’s dead now, but she usta sing to me
at night when I’d sleep over sometimes and she would rock me ta sleep in her
big ole rockin’ chair that wuz older than her.
I could tell by her hands with her ole crook’id fingers that
it wuzn’t her that pulled me outta the water and I look’t ‘round to see where I
wuz and who wuz there with us. I could
see this guy leanin’ out this little bitty winder and I couldn’ tell if he wuz pullin’ up somebody else or jus’ hangin’ out
the window like my Mama and my cousin Jada would do when it comes a good loud
thunderstorm. After a few minutes, he
pull’t his head in and turned ‘round to look at us. His face wuz red and his hair was scraggly
and he didn’ have no shirt on, jus’ a ole pair of jeans and some work boots, but he smiled at
me and tol’ me that it wuz sure a lucky thing that he wuz lookin’ out when I
came sailin’ by. That’s what he said,
that I wuz “sailin” by - like some ship in them ole pirate movies that Jody
likes.
He came over and squatted down in front of me and the ole
lady an’ tol’ me that his name was Willy Terrell and that the ole lady holdin’
me wuz his mama, Delilah Terrell, though ever’body called her Miz D. and that I
should too. I felt like it wuz my turn
to say sump’n, but I couldn’ seem ta get my mouth workin’, which sure woulda
surprised a lot of people. He musta
understood, though, cuz he jus’ smiled at me, and tol’ me to res’, there wuz
plenty o’ time for inter’ductions later.
He said that when the storm had pass’d, he’d take me home, wher’ever
that wuz, and for me not ta worry no more.
I woulda thought that I cried all my tears out, but I felt my eyes
stingin’ and I didn’ want them to see me cry like Kenny, Jada’s little boy, who
wuz two and cried all the time, so I jus’ clos’d my eyes real tight and I didn’
even know it when I went ta sleep.
I think my dreams wuz really jus’ ‘memberin’, like my brain
wuz tryin’ to sort it all out so’s I could maybe make some sense of it
later. Daddy had left early yesterday mornin’
ta hep my uncles tie up they shrimp boats in tha back bay, and me ‘n Mama both
knew that he’d be beer-drunk by tha afternoon and would stay wid them on one of
the boats. Jody help’d me put all the
lawn chairs and Kenny’s outside toys in his room, and all the plants in the
front room ‘afore he took off after Daddy. Mama was quiet, which wuz weird ‘cause storms
usually made her eyes sparkly and her and Jada would be kinda giggly-jumpy. My Granny Lou had tol’ me that all tha women
in our fam’ly had this ‘finity for storms and thunder and lightnin’. ‘Cept for me, I always hated ‘em and wanted ta
be under tha covers or hidden somewhere’s durin’ tha really loud ones. Anyways, I heard Mama and Miz Joan from nex’ door
talkin’ ‘bout maybe we should evacu-wate, or somethin’, but Mama said no, that
tha ole house had stood this long, one more storm wuz jus’ one more storm. ‘Round noon-time, the neighborhood wuz real
quiet, folks that didn’t usually take off had loaded up they cars with they kids
and dogs and cats and took off for tha Interstate headed north. I think that wuz when I started ta have this
niggly-wiggly feelin’ in my stomach, but Mama kept me pretty busy so that I
hardly had time to notice it at first.
It didn’ start ta rain ‘til later that night and you could
really hear tha wind a’blowin’ through tha trees and tha roof gutters. Mama let me sleep on tha couch while she sat
up and play’d solitaire until the power wen’ out. When I woke up it wuz dark like it wuz really
early in the mornin’ but Mama said it was ‘bout ten and tha storm wuz jus’
startin’ to blow in. She fix’d me some
peanut butter and crackers when we saw that water wuz comin’ in tha front
door. We had jus’ push’d towels up
agin’st tha bottom of tha door when we heard this really loud roarin’
sound. Mama look’d out tha winder and I
never seen my Mama look scared, but she did then and started yellin’ at me ta
grab stuff and run upstairs ta her room.
I could see water risin’ up pas’ the winder sill and had jus’ grabbed a
pillow and some blankets when tha front door burst in and water came gushin’ in
like a waterfall that I seen in a movie once.
It knocked me off my feet, but Mama grabbed my arm real tight and pulled
me up the stairs.
She tol’ me ta get up on the bed and stay there, that she
had to go back downstairs to get some stuff and she’d be right back. I wouldn’ even look out the winder while she
wuz gone, jus’ stared at tha picture of the mountains and some deer facin’ her
bed. Soon I heard her runnin’ back up
tha stairs and she wuz carryin’ that ole life jacket and a plastic bag filled
to burstin’. I never did see what wuz in
the bag, she jus’ grabbed me up and started tellin’ me that she loved me and ta
jus’ let the water carry me…
When I woke up this time, it wuz some quieter, but still
raining. Willy musta picked me up and
carried me to tha little cot that I wuz layin’ on. Miz D had rolled her chair over ta the winder
and there wuz no sign of Willy. I got up
and walked over ta the winder. Miz D
looked up at me and her pale blue eyes were filled with tears, only they didn’t
roll down her cheeks - jus’ stayed right on her eyes makin’ ‘em look like they wuz
underwater. She said that Willy had gone
to get somebody to help us out tha house or a ta get a boat but he’d been gone
for a long time and she wuz getting’ worried.
She said he’d jus’ jumped in the water and started swimmin’. This wuz twice in one day that I seen a grown
up bein’ scared like me and it made me feel strange, like the rules of tha
world got changed and I weren’t ready.
Left me thinking bout Tom Sawyer and huck Finn. The speech seemed indicative of the antebellum South. While I am s poet and dont I write prose I still found this appealing thank you.?
This story is hitting on all cylinders. The dialect is well-crafted to be both southern & childlike, used generously, but not to the point where it impedes the brisk pacing of your story. Some of it sounds rambling like a child would be, with well-placed tangents that paint the setting & situation, but again not going on too long as to distract from the forward movement of the telling. I very much enjoyed the sparkling word choices & idioms.
This story is incredible. The pacing really makes it feel like you're looking through the eyes of a child. The serious(ness?) of the writing doesn't take away from the narrator's naivety. The last line wraps it all up brilliantly, leaving behind a lingering question of "how many people will survive?"
Somehow, you were able to show the innocence in a young character without making her seem stupid, quite like Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird.
All of the characters seem so alive and real, even when just referencing what sort of movie they liked.
Thank you for writing this.
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
I'm so glad you enjoyed this. To reference such a great work as To Kill a Mockingbird in a review o.. read moreI'm so glad you enjoyed this. To reference such a great work as To Kill a Mockingbird in a review of my piece is humbling, and I sincerely thank you for that.
Oh my. Oh my. Carol, from line 1 this is very very good. Fast-paced and brilliantly personalised. The diction and eyes/mind of a child are spot on. I also really like all the family references - my guess is you had a little family tree sketched out when you did this! These references deepen our sense in the child's trust and the limits of the world and its values.
Yeah. Oh my!
Stunning.
BRs Nigel
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
Wow, many thanks, Nigel for that review and I'm glad that you liked it. I was afraid the dialect mi.. read moreWow, many thanks, Nigel for that review and I'm glad that you liked it. I was afraid the dialect might be difficult for some readers, and labored over the spelling to get the "sound" right, but I'm glad you think it worked. *laughing* It's exactly how I talked as a child, both the dialect and the long running sentences.
' I tried to wiggle outta her lap, but she ssshhh’ed me and held me right tight agin’st her and said that I wuz aw’right, now, and ta jus’ be still and rest since it look’t like I’d had a pretty rough ride in that ole water and I’d need my strength later. Sump’n ‘bout her voice kinda ‘minded me of my ole Grannie Lou; '
Such a coincidence from this UK reader.. watched final part of a series by a comedian/raconteur who's resident here. Been driving through parts of America following musical stylesAND finally getting to the point.. sorry..., arrived in the South.. his last call, NEW ORLEANS!!, his actual birthplace. So i got to hear the dialect your wonderful post is written in.
Personally I found this pretty easy to read... because i read it aloud.. was like listening to a radio play..The voices were real and not at all discombobulating! You've done a great job in adding the language to your story. As to the story, how very upsetting, how full of atmosphere, reality, tears and strained smiles.. amazing characters.. and all. Really reached my tears and a few small smiles too.
Will come back, read again.plus recommend. You certainly know how to lure and keep a reader. Great, great words.
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
Lordy! What a review! I'm glad that you could read this easily, some are struggling, but then not .. read moreLordy! What a review! I'm glad that you could read this easily, some are struggling, but then not all writing is for everyone, eh? As I told other reviewers, this was my speech and manner of speaking (long running sentences) as a child, the difficulty was in the writing/typing of the words, not the dialogue itself. I will be trying to continue this story soon, and I appreciate your recommendations. Daaanng! My ego has gotten a pretty good bump offa this here piece. The Cafe has been kind to me on this one.
7 Years Ago
And so it should be... anyone who turns away, doesn't have the intelligence or imagination to see th.. read moreAnd so it should be... anyone who turns away, doesn't have the intelligence or imagination to see the work involved. I think it's wonderful..and i know best. Laughing, sorry..naughty me. xx
Must away, my dogs are home today.. yayyy.. and brother visiting, must garb my face and heart in even more smiles.. x
The southern twang and the way in which this story was written really made it feel like it was seen from a child's point of view. The storm really felt powerful and frightening.
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
Thank you, Clifford for reading this. The dialect is an issue with some readers and I get their fru.. read moreThank you, Clifford for reading this. The dialect is an issue with some readers and I get their frustration, however, I read this aloud to ensure that the speech was the same one that I employed as a child and still hear children speak today, down here in Biloxi, MS. Katrina was frightening and this area (MS coast) lost in excess of 1,000 people, to include many children who were caught up in the surge of water from the Gulf. I hope to finish this, one day, this story of Miz D and the child who is yet unnamed.
Good attempt at getting the dialect, but I think it's a bit over the top, almost a caricature. It's getting in the way of the story. You might want to dial it back about half.
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
I appreciate your review, however, as a child who spoke that dialect, I can assure you it is written.. read moreI appreciate your review, however, as a child who spoke that dialect, I can assure you it is written like it was spoken. I agree that many readers will be distracted, especially those not familiar with a Deep South manner of speaking, but, again, I have worked hard to present the speech as it is spoken. There will be many who will not enjoy this story because the dialect is difficult to read, and it may be that this story is better as an "oral" tale.
Love this your choice of language rang true I could almost feel I was there great work
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
Thank you, Juliespenhere. I enjoyed writing this and only the typing/writing of the dialect was har.. read moreThank you, Juliespenhere. I enjoyed writing this and only the typing/writing of the dialect was hard, not the dialogue itself as it was my "native" tongue and manner of speech as a child.
A wonderful piece of writing on two counts.. First the dialect and childlike dialogue set the scene so realistically as observed through a child's eyes, Then the fear, action and pathos descriptions brought the true horror of the situation that had occurred on so many occasions throughout so many countries. Even the most sophisticated human resources are puny in the face of nature.
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
I so appreciate your reading this. Yes, I am still a child in many ways - and I hope I never lose h.. read moreI so appreciate your reading this. Yes, I am still a child in many ways - and I hope I never lose her! The actual writing of the words in dialect was difficult, but the words themselves came so easily as I put myself in that story. I remember speaking in running sentences that never had periods - or even commas - I had so much to say!
I enjoyed reading this childhood story. You drew the reader in very well. We can be pretty helpless in the face of nature. Let's hope global warming does not make it worse.
Posted 7 Years Ago
7 Years Ago
Lordy! I hope the same. This coastline could not endure another devastating storm like Katrina. I.. read moreLordy! I hope the same. This coastline could not endure another devastating storm like Katrina. It devastated this area and it is only now coming back. Thanks for reading this little fictional foray into what it might have been like for some who were actually caught in the storm surge.
I'm very cynical, jaded, just this side of bitter and the only reason I haven't crossed that line is a good man loves me. I am extremely empathetic, but seldom sympathetic. I can be a ferociously lo.. more..