The Love That Outlasted The Storms

Thursday, Lakefront Park, East End After Lorina settles down, James puts his arm around her shoulder for comfort. She now recognizes him. “I’ll be right back,” he tells her. He goes to his Ferarri, opens the jockey box, and takes out a box of tissues. He comes back and starts wiping the tears from under her eyes and says compassionately, “Just relax, sweety, I’ve got my cell phone with me. I’m gonna call the Police." “No, No. No, Pleeeease don’t call them,” she pleads, still sobbing while putting her arms around him, and leaning her head softly on his chest. “O.K., O.K., We’ll just take you to the hospital then.” “No, James, I just want to go home.” “Then I’ll drive you home,” he tells her. “No, I can drive myself. believe me, I’m alright. But call me tomorrow; you still got my phone number don’t you?” “Of course sugar, you don’t think I’d lose your number,not in a million years,” he says giving her a quick wink. “But I do insist on following you home for your own safety.” While James was following Lorina to her house, thousands of thoughts went racing through his mind. Why did she want to let the gorilla man go and why didn’t she want me to call the police? I should have kept that 38, maybe I could have dropped it off at the lab and got finger prints. Oh well, even geniuses’ make mistakes or did I let my ego override my good judgment! Who’s the man that cowered behind the gorilla mask? His first name starts with a “J”, but there are thousands of men who live in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area whose first name starts with the letter “J”. But, perhaps, only one who has a large ring with the inscription “Loyola” on his left ring finger, and gaits with a limp in his left leg. Or, perhaps she recognized me and was trying to say my name. But, I swear, she was saying “Ja” with the phonetic “a” as in “cat.” But people also emit that same sound when they are startled and gasping for air. Or, perhaps she was trying to say a prayer starting it with Jesus or Jehovah. FLASHBACK Friday, August, 1998 St. Bernards Parish, Benjies Disco As they grasped each other’s hands and he slid his hand behind her back and she placed her hand over his shoulder, she had a feeling for him that she had never felt before. “Lorina, would you like to go upstairs and talk for awhile. I know little about you and you know little about me. ‘Looks like they’ve got a stairway over there that leads to a loft.” “Yes they do Jimmy, and they’ve got a couple of sofas and chairs that sit facing this lovely fire place,” she whispered softly in his ear as they headed that way holding hands. It seemed innocent to Jimmy and Lorena. Even though it would be romantic, they were just going to talk. It was not romantic, however, to Kelsey; he was deadly serious. Kelsey slammed down his fist, and wound through the dancers-not to his spot at the bar, but over to where Johnny was standing, supporting a pillar with his left shoulder. He put his face directly into Johnny’s face-only four inches separated their lips from each other. “Hey Johnny, what’s happening brah?” ”Same old thing. “Who’s that sorry piece of trash you drug in here. Ya know we don’t like that type comin' inhere.” The jovial grin on Johhny's lips drooped down to a worried frown. “Awe, Kelsey, he’s my friend. I work with him. He’s just out to have a little fun. He aint causin no one no trouble.” “Aint causin no trouble, he’s trying’ to hit up on my old lady!” “He aint your old lady. You guys broke up long time ago.” “You got that wrong brah, we just had a few disagreements, that’s all. We’s gonna get back together, I know we is, you just wait and see.” “Kelsey, Kelsey, my friend Kelsey, ya gotta get over it man.” “Hey, I’ll never get over it.” “You ses ya work with that white trash. Well, I’ll tell you what, you’d better work on getting that sorry piece of trash out of here or me and my boys will escort him for ya; got my drift?” “Alright; don’t want no trouble Jag.” Kelsey walked back to his bar spot; his laser once again is zoomed in and focused. Johnny paced back and forth with one hand over his lips after Kelsey left. Then Kelsey walked over to the three bouncers who were big enough to be the defensive line for the Saints football team. He pulled out three tightly rolled one-hundred dollar bills from the lapel of his leather vest, and handed a bill to each bouncer. The bills were wound tightly together with a red rubber band. A small, I’m guessing one-half square inch, clear plastic bag filled with pure Colombian cocaine was wrapped around each one. This is Kelsey's unigue style for paying for small favors. Benjies always hires NOPD police officers for bouncers. It was a great Detail (police slang for second job). One of the bouncers came over toward where Jimmy and Lorina were going to sit and half way up the stairs where he had a good view of them. “James, look there’s an empty sofa over it's right in front of the fire place.” She said excitedly. She could smell the burning wood and see the glowing orange embers from the fire place reflecting in Jimmy’s gorgeous blue eyes while they werechatting. As soon as the music stopped, Johnny rushed up the loft stairs and past the bouncer over to where Lorina and James were sitting and chatting. “Come on James, we have to get out of here,” Johnny says frantically yanking on Jimmy’s shirt sleeve. “I can’t, can’t you see I’ve got a lady that needs entertaining.” “Jimmy, this is serious, believe me, we’ve got to get out of here…. right now!” Johnny says loudly and worriedly, his jugular petruding out of his neck. “O.K.O.K., but let me get this gorgeous young lady’s telephone number first,” Jimmy says loud enough for Lorina to hear. “Can I have your telephone number my love, my taxi’s here and I have to leave?” “Sure, but I don’t have a pencil and paper.” “That’s alright, just say it. I never forget numbers.” 567-9903, he murmurs then stuffs the number into his long term memory “Come on, let’s go… follow me,” Johnny demands leading James down the stairs. “Where you guys going in such a hurry?” the bouncer standing in the stairway asks. “This guy’s got diarrhea and if I don’t get him to a restroom fast, he’s going to go all over his pants.” Johnny said emphatically to the burley bouncer. Instead of going in the restrooms, however, Johnny opens the door to the storage room, takes Jimmy inside, shuts the door and locks it. “Those three thugs just left with Kelsey and are headed to the back; ‘looks like they’re tailin’ after Jimmy,” Lorina says her face turning pale and putting the her fingers of her left hand against her bottom lip. All three girls are really getting scared. “Do you think we should we call the police?” Julie asks more as a suggestion than a question. Martha responds, “Honey child, THEY ARE THE POLICE!” TROUBLE IS A BREWIN’ AND THE KETTLE’S BOIlING OVER! Friday, August, 2001 Jimmy and Lorina Praying “Sure, go ahead, Jimmy,” Lorina says twisting her hands around and gripping Jimmy’s hand for support. “Our gracious heavenly father, Lorina and I come together to thank you for the many blessings we have in our lives, and sending Jesus down to this earth to sacrifice his life for our sins. Lorina and I are not perfect. We have made many grievous sins in our lives. But we know that you are an understanding God. Please, we ask you to forgive us of our sins. We are willing to make a commitment to you that we will strive to keep your word and make you our Lord and Savior. You are the guiding light that we will follow in this World of darkness. We place you first, above everything else, in our lives; in Jesus name, Amen,”