Mardi Gras Enigma, New Orleans

VooDoo

She wore a colorful turbine on her head, she was so pretty! I couldn't really see her body well because it was darkish outside, she was almost translucent! She walked toward me almost majestically. I trembled, she looked like all those paintings in the French Quarter. She was similar to the lady on that show, my mind ran all over the place as she grabbed both of my hands. "What do you believe, Dorean?" "I believe in God. But, I have seen so much just in the past few days, the things I thought I knew were wrong, things I thought didn't exist, do. I believe in truth and the heart. I believe in the magic of human nature!" I screamed out to her shaking harder than before.

"Ahhh. Gurl that's the last of the proof I needed... you saved Mama Layhatte... she's a new ally and three total strangers. Be careful of strangers Dorean... but it's time you learn who you are... you are the one who must save us all and who must show the entire world how to stop its destruction starting with this hurricane."

I sighed, put my head down, watching a tiny frog land on my boot. "Thank you for saving me from Papa Legba! But, I have been saying this since I got here, Ma'am. I am no one important. A simple girl from Georgia, raised in South Carolina. Unsure of pretty much everything in my future at the moment. I believe I've been confused with a girl with much more wealth and influence. Everyone has the wrong girl, they have my husband. It's not me! I have nothing, why is that Papa guy after me? Is this some elaborate game and I am just a fool? Can I click my heels three times and return home yet?"

"Nothing is as it seems for you, it's time you see! You let me handle Papa... the storm is brewing and growing closer, time grows short for New Orleans... a pale gurl but not a gurl, a woman with a childlike enthusiasm, long fair hair and eyes of ice blue... you are her... kindness to strangers, even those who were meant to harm you, you did not run... you saved people, you didn't know and barely knew...you are her! You are ready... but to bring the fight in you, you have to have the will to fight... know who you are gurl..." She smiled, placed an antique silver key in my hand. She walked away only to look back at me and threw a tiny brown bag at my feet. It blew up into stars, I fell backward into the bayou... but it wasn't gross muddy water it turned into light blue ocean water...

As I fell under the tranquil, blue water... I somehow caught a breath, among thousands of seahorses...caramel, blue and greens ones dancing all around me, circling me... I could hear music playing, what is happening... is this what you see Alice? When you fall down the real rabbit hole? I could hear that song White Rabbit playing loudly in my ears. I have to be stoned out of my mind, someone had to drug me somehow...as I struggled to focus, a giant seahorse swam toward me... he had a bottle with paper inside it, hanging on a rope around his neck, I can't hold my breath much longer...

He inched closer to me, putting the bottle that lay around his neck in my face, I jerked it from him popping the rope, he nodded his head to me, as if in approval... I must be dying, I'm now gasping for air...that song keeps ringing in my ear... if you go chasing rabbits and you know you're going to fall. Tell' em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you a call... go ask Alice... I think she'll know...when logic and proportion... and the white knight is talking backwards and the red queen is on your head. Remember what the door mouse said, feed your head! Feed your head! Go ask Alice I think she'll know... it was skipping on those parts. I can't breathe, I looked down at the bottle in my hand. I tapped on the glass, it broke in my hand... I was thrown up in the air out of the water...

And just like Alice, I was back where I started...in my bed...inside my hotel room. I sat there... listening, scared to move.... but letting in lots of air...I could hear the jazz band playing downstairs. I used only my eyes, glancing over at the clock saying it was 11:37 pm but the date on the clock was three days later than when I left to find Mama ... what is happening, my stomach growled louder than those gators... I sat up slowly and looked down at my hand, there...gripped in the same hand was the bottle that was around the seahorse's neck! What had I done for three days... had I imagined it all? I felt for the necklace, the sapphire cross was still around my neck, I still had the two bracelets on my wrist. I sat up and pulled the cork from the bottle, flipped it upside down, out came a small tea-stained colored paper...

I pulled it open, as my anxiety went to an all-time high. I read the bottom first because I am ADD, I have no patience for waiting for such things... this little document was signed by William LaMarino Sr... Was that my great-great-grandfather? Surely, not! This is all too convenient... who was the woman in the bayou who like the good fairy sent me home or back to my hotel room or was that all just an illusion? This small document read, "I leave all my worldly possessions, Doubloon Inc., the marina, and the house on Royal Street to the oldest granddaughter of the firstborn son throughout my entire family line. Women need to know their worth, use it wisely." Handwritten? Amazing my phone still lodged in my bra and not wet? In fact, I wasn't even damp from my little swim in the ocean? I called my Aunt... as soon as she answered, I asked specifically and frantically... "Is my great, great grandfather's name for certain William LaMarino Sr.?" My Aunt didn't respond immediately, she sighed.... "your mother is going to kill me. But, yes your father is the firstborn son and you are the firstborn granddaughter. But, your great, great Uncle Ethan stole the document years ago... so it's only hearsay about the New Orleans fortune... the documents were hidden so that a woman could never have more wealth than a man... but again it's just rumors... no one even knows what happen to Ethan... or your grandfather's original will... it's an old folktale in our family. Almost Anastasia type folklore... his fortune would be worth a lot. It's a fun story, but I have never seen a ton to prove it's true."

I sat there quietly and then I asked, "just how much would that of been worth if it were true?" My Aunt sighed again, "I don't know millions.... hell, billions.... billions upon billions but, his will was never found...." "Thanks, Auntie...I have to go...." "wait, we never told you because you had this crazy obsession with New Orleans. We didn't want you to get in trouble or run into people who would try to hurt you." "Ok fine thank you, love you!" Seahorses all these seahorses, good or bad they have to mean something! I pulled up the old search engine while plugging in my phone to charge it. I searched for seahorses meanings, if they are used in other countries, and there in black and white... the Italian word for Marino is SEAHORSE! The seahorses have been trying to tell me who I am and so was Marie! That was Marie the only person special enough to scare away Papa! Omg, I'm an idiot! Why has my family never talked about it? A knock came to the door and I damn sure am not going to answer it! The knocking stopped, as I peeked at the door from my room... an envelope was pushed under the door... Krewe of ALLA ball tonight... duh Dorean...

How am I supposed to go anywhere with my husband kidnapped, not a clue where he is, or Mama or Toussaint.... but wait what does this note say... I opened the envelope, it read Due to unfortunate circumstances the ball has been moved to The Cavalluccio Marino Club off of St.Charles Street.... mmmm hmmm unforeseen circumstances... I bet their golden toilets, that my dear Great Uncle Ethan would be the criminal mastermind behind this change of location. I will also bet he has held the fortune back from my family this whole time. Now, I'm just pissed! I'm being harassed by my own family, however, if it were him... wouldn't he be like over a hundred and fifty years old or so... I am not really good with math but his ass would be old! Not only has he stalked me, he did a deal with Papa Legba to take me out and kidnap my husband! If I go...I can make him tell me where my husband is, as long as my husband is safe. I will write the fortune over to him legally and all this nonsense will be over... he can have everything! He won't have to hide in the shadows anymore, there's no amount of money worth all this misery and drama. It's the only trade I will make for this fortune that has been hidden from me and my family for years!