Dali, Willie and I stopped in Holly Springs Mississippi and camped in Wall Doxey State Park. It was dark when we arrived, but our Park Ranger, Jefferson Davis sweetly recommended that we talk to the secretary in the morning because they had funds to help those of us who were displaced by the hurricane. Once our camp site fee was waived, I was anxious to get on the road. It felt strange to turn off I-55 at Hammond to head to Baton Rouge, but I had to see Sam first. I had talked to Gaynell to let her know we were on our way to Kelly's in Baton Rouge but we were unable to connect in person. My friend Carol Miles and her family opened their home to us in Covington, so once I hugged and kissed my Sammie Cat (Kelly too of course) we were on our way. That next morning, Friday, October 6, we drove into New Orleans for the first time. I had worked on the Northshore for 3 years so I know the Causeway well. There's a point in the dark where you are able to see the lights of New Orleans from the Causeway-this time there were none. I cried. I went straight to my brother Tom's, because he was going to go to the house with me for the first time.
Gaynell told me that it had been vandalized, so I called the NOPD to sweep the house before we went in. They were there in 15 minutes and I was very grateful. Tom and I took the 2 plastic Adirondack chairs I brought from Mom's and put them out in the middle of the triangle to wait for my Allstate insurance adjuster. He came and we were able to adjust for both my Flood and Homeowners that day (or so we thought). While we were there the electric came back on and the water was already working, so I knew I could come back and begin to do what I needed to do with my home of 25 years. Driving back and forth between Covington became difficult and pretty soon I decided that I wanted to stay home. I got Gaynell on the phone to see if she wanted to come and stay with me since I had water and electric, and she said yes. We made plans for Wednesday, October 11. I had hoped to get into New Orleans before dark, but there was a hitch in the schedule so with Willie stuffed to the gills and Gaynell's brothers following behind-we pulled into the drive at Columbus Street. I was never so happy to have 3 functioning street lights...and one right in front of my house! It was a rough first night for all of us. We were feeling our way. Dali and Sam were with me though, and Gaynell had Stone, Bernard and Trixie attached to the fallen cinder blocks out in the yard. I felt safe when we arrived, but I hadn't been through everything that Gaynell had faced during that week in New Orleans before she was able to evacuate. We began the next morning by clearing out the yard together. As you can see from the photo above, it became our haven and hang out as long as the weather was good. Stone, Trixie and Bernard guarded us well. We were proud and excited to be among the first 65,000 or so people who had come back.
I don't know what I would have done without my friend Gaynell. We were able to help and support each other through all those early days. She knows it all. Gaynell has her own story to tell about that week that she spent before she could evacuate from New Orleans. It isn't my story to share. But all I have to do is look at my little Sammie Cat who was with Gaynell, Trixie, Stone and Bernard in a commandeered canoe and I am grateful each survived the storm.
Although this is a wrap on my Ms. Williams of More, I have more of our storm stories of survival to share. Gaynell and I remain very close even though I'm in France. Willie lives with her now. She'll call from her parents', who are still in Baton Rouge, and I'll call her back. We sometimes talk for hours. I always say: " l love you Gaynell" when I go to get off the phone. And I know I will hear: "And I love you...MORE!" Her birthday is at the end of this month-so Happy Birthday to My Ms. Williams of MORE!
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