In New Orleans

In New Orleans, it never snowed. There was just rain, and lots of it. When it rained, lightning lit the sky and water flooded the streets. But, it was happy rain. It used to wash my problems away. So you can imagine how I felt when I saw snow for the first time in my life. Within five minutes, the whole neighborhood was having a snowball fight and it was pretty fun until some kid, got conked in the head with a chunk of hail and passed out. Yeah, the crowd thinned out pretty fast after that.

In New Orleans, everyone was family. I had saved my friend Iben from a bully, and my friend Kieshan saved me from a stampede of girls that was chasing after the popular guys. So after Hurricane Katrina wrenched us apart, we came back for one day, my Great-Grandma's funeral. I cried, and mum cried, and my grandma, Na, and Uncle Pat and Uncle Drew cried, and even total strangers cried, all for Granny, who had finally let loose her grip and floated away, like a little blue balloon, flying, flying, flying away, 'till you couldn't see her anymore.

In New Orleans, Na used to take me fishing by the levee. But not with fishing rods, uh-uh not me. I prefer to catch fish with a peanut butter jar and a head full of wit. Mum smiled when I said that. I loved when she smiled. Her grin is like a contagious little wave of happiness.

In New Orleans, there are lizards and snakes too.  One time by the levee, I was about to start fishing, and Na was sitting in the shade, when I realized I needed to go to the John.  I looked left and right, but all that was there was grass and boulders. So I went in the bushes. We've all done it before. Now imagine my surprise when a water moccasin, all big and long and black with narrow little taupe eyes slithers up from under the bush and looks straight into my eyes, real hard. She looked at me and I looked back, flabbergasted. Then we must have reached a truce, cause she turned away from me and slithered down, down, into the river.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love New Orleans, and no matter how much I move, it'll always be my home.