Bayou Pétain (Currently Re-Editing)

Hunting for Real

Teta stood at the back door for a while, looking out over the land. The woods were calling her, and the fresh Autumn weather inspired her to take Fiyah by the hand and go for a brisk walk. Her intuition led her to a path deep in the woods. Fiyah was naturally at home in the outdoors, but even he had to admit that this day was made for them to find this path. Teta could feel a familiar feeling, and went farther. Fiyah's sense of smell uncannily picked up on the scent of a deer, and his insides lit up at the urge to chase it. But he looked at his beautiful, pregnant wife and sensed she was feeling something else.
Teta stopped in front of a huge oak tree, and pointed at the base. Fiyah bent down and dug into the earth until he felt something, then pulled it out. It was a small velvet bag that had been tied with twine. They looked at each other in amazement.
Inside the bag was a handful of old, gold coins, crystal tips, lodestones, powders, and a bunch of shells. Teta thought this to be rare treasure and put it in her apron pocket as she and Fiyah walked on.
They traveled far into the woods before deciding to get back. When they walked into the house, a warm, comforting feeling enveloped them. The twins moved gleefully and made their presence known. Fiyah could sense them, and at once knelt in front of his wife, putting his ear to her belly. "I can hear their heartbeats!", he exclaimed, happily. Teta was so moved, tears of joy filled her eyes and spilt down her face. She never thought she would see the day where she was a wife and mother. The twins demanded to be fed and she went into the kitchen and began pulling out pots and pans. Fiyah marvelled at her authority and ease in the kitchen. His wife was always cooking him and his grandparents delicious dishes. " You hungry, my love?", she asked. Fiyah came in close behind her, his arms going around her. "I love you, baby! You make me so happy!" Teta smiled and enjoyed the close kisses to her neck.
Soon, the whole house was swimming in delicious aromas of baked macaroni and cheese, fresh hot bread, and chopped beef in barbecue sauce. She had even prepared a nice potato salad to go with it. Fiyah poured them each a glass of lemon tea after he set the table. They sat down together and gave thanks for their meal and all their blessings. Teta surprised Fiyah as well as herself by eating some of the meat. That was the twins doing. She laughed aloud and rubbed her belly, knowing the lives inside of her would be her purpose for living now, along with her Fiyah.
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Hadrien cooked lunch for him and Victorine. He wanted to make her something special, and had went to the grocery store to stock up on groceries. While in the frozen department, he ran into Merlynne. She looked like a deer in the headlights at first, but then she regained her composure and spoke. "Hadrien! You look well! Fatherhood looks good on you!", she said. Before he could speak, she added, " I'm really sorry for what I did!", then hauled ass out of there and headed to the beverages department. Hadrien stood, silent. He watched her walk away, then shook himself out of it, and refocused on what type of ice cream Victorine would like.
He noticed Merlynne in line when he had finished picking out things, and found a cashier far from where she was. He did not need any enticements from Merlynne. But try as he did, he couldn't help but to watch her as she left the store with her purchases. He noticed she carried a six pack of beer and wondered if she'd be drinking them alone. He decided it wasn't his business, and happily paid for his items. Victorine and Kalan was waiting on him, and he had to get back to them.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn on the cob was what he made for them. Victorine was touched by Hadrien's gesture, and gave him a big hug and kissed him sweetly. Hadrien held little Kalan as they sat down to eat, and kept looking at how perfect she was. "Thank you, Victorine, for giving us a chance.", he said. It was enough to make her cry, because she thought back to how she almost went for an abortion. She would have lost all this, she realized. She touched Hadrien's hand and smiled.
Suddenly, she caught a flashback of Derek L. , living person, and the zombie version. She would have messed her life up, all because she thought Kalan was his baby. She was dumb for what she had did; carrying on with Derek like she didn't have any sense. She thought she was losing Hadrien to Teta, and she wanted to hurt him, but she only hurt herself. She suddenly felt sick and had to run to the bathroom.
Victorine looked into the mirror then splashed some water in her face. " Are you okay?", asked Hadrien, who was standing at the door, holding the baby. "Yeah! I'll be out in a minute!", Victorine called, still staring at herself.
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Merlynne had invited Jackie over to her spot. That last night in the bar, she had noticed how tense Jackie was whenever Patricia Ann had came around. Merlynne wanted to get to know Jackie away from the club.
She didn't know what to expect. Merlynne wasn't bisexual, last time she checked, but the whole ordeal with Hadrien was enough to make her switch teams. She wondered what Jackie would say to that. Still in all, Merlynne wanted to make a good impression. She had bought a six pack of beer for them to get loose.
After changing into a comfortable pair of sweat pants and a tank top that flaunted her natural breasts, Merlynne waited, sitting on pins and needles. After a while, there was a knock on the door and Merlynne answered to find Jackie standing there, looking sexy in a masculine way, holding a couple of bags. Merlynne graciously welcomed her into her home. "Come in!", she bubbled. Jackie handed her a bag of Popeye's Fried Chicken and asked where she should put the bottle of Hennessey she brought. Merlynne smiled at her for remembering her drink of choice, then told her to put it on the coffee table.
The two sat down on the couch and got comfortable. Jackie still was under suspicion as to why Merlynne had invited her over. She looked over Merlynne's body and liked the way she looked in sweats. She wanted to say something but thought against it. They dug into the large box of chicken while watching ROOTS. The crispy chicken, mashed potatoes, Cajun rice, and fries hit the spot. Merlynne had brought Jackie a beer and they enjoyed their time together.
Jackie thought of what to say to Merlynne as they watched the movie. " So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this invitation?", she asked. Merlynne looked at her, then smiled. "I just thought it would be nice to get to know you, away from the club. We can't really talk like we want, and I know that you be busy. So, I just wanted to get to know you.", she said. Jackie smiled, her fang golds gleaming. "Merlynne, I'm sure you already know that I'm a stud, and I have to say...you're very attractive. You inviting me here makes me think that you're interested...", she said, nervously. Merlynne took a deep breath and said, " I think you're attractive too! I just don't want you to think that I'm only doing this because of the trouble I told you about!" "What are you trying to do, exactly?", asked Jackie. " I mean, I think this is cool, us getting to know each other. I'm not gonna be all up on you right away, because I know you are still hurting. It takes a while to get over someone you had feelings for.", she said, with a distant look in her eyes.
Merlynne noticed, and hoped she wasn't going to get cursed out for asking, but she asked, "Jackie, are you and that woman at the club together or something?" Jackie took a gulp of beer and swallowed. "Patricia Ann is a good friend of mine. I been attracted to her for a long time. But honestly, ever since I saw you, she's all but disappeared to me.", she confessed. Merlynne asked if they had ever slept together, and Jackie admitted that they had. The confession didn't affect Merlynne like she thought it would have; it made her bolder. " So, about us", she said, giving Jackie a pair of bedroom eyes. Merlynne really wanted to try a new relationship with someone different. Someone who wouldn't treat her like a piece of ass.
Jackie was picking up on all of the vibes Merlynne was sending. She couldn't deny the attraction brewing between them, but she didn't want to move too fast. Jackie knew Patricia Ann would cause problems, just for the way she dismissed her the other day. She cared for her, but something was missing. Merlynne might be a different change of pace for her. Jackie was well known, and many of the ladies wanted a chance to get in her favor, but like so many times before, she would come across a bitch that wanted to play, and Jackie didn't have time for that. She had businesses to run and kids to raise. Eventually, she wanted to find that special someone to settle down with and have a life.
Merlynne moved in closer to Jackie, who was deep in thought. She put her beer and chicken down and looked at Merlynne, who was obviously initiating something. She looked into her eyes, and then it happened. Merlynne kissed Jackie tenderly, afraid to come off as too eager. Jackie enjoyed the feel of Merlynne's soft lips and took the liberty of sliding her tongue into Merlynne's mouth. They embraced each other and kissed placidly, taking their time. When Jackie felt Merlynne's breasts brushing up against her, she took advantage and squeezed a nipple between her fingertips. Merlynne straddled Jackie and kissed her vigorously, as Jackie grabbed her round buttocks. Their kissing was getting deep, and Merlynne was going with it. She was about to come out of her tank top when Jackie's phone started ringing, breaking the spell.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave. There's a problem at the bar with the plumbing, and I need to get there to see what needs to be done.", said Jackie, reluctantly. " Damn, baby, it was getting good, too! Shit!" Merlynne stood and walked Jackie to the door. They hugged each other and Jackie gave Merlynne one last kiss. "Come see me by the bar if you ain't busy tonight!" Merlynne smiled then watched as Jackie thugged out to her truck and left. She took a deep breath, then closed her door and went back inside to relive what just happened.
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Big Nainan's house felt empty since Victorine and Hadrien had moved out, but Jeraina Faye and Celestine made it a home. She loved the fact that Celestine was so handy, and he made her feel safe. Jeraina Faye, even though she felt it at times, never showed fear, and after all of the incidents with Derek L., she began to get jitterish at the smallest things.
It was turning into a beautiful Autumn, and the yard needing tending in the back. Celestine would get to work, cutting the grass and raking the leaves. One day while working, he came upon a foul looking object in the corner of the yard. He went to get Jeraina Faye so she could inspect it herself and when she saw what it was, Celestine could see the anger in her eyes.
" Son of a bitch!", she hissed, heat permeating from her. "Them no good muthafuckers think they can play with me?" Celestine looked at her carefully while Jeraina Faye studied the moss, feathers, string, bones, and dog feces all bound together with wax. She marched like a soldier to the tool shed and got out the shovel, then scooped up the vile discovery and walked to the edge of their property and tossed the shit into the bayou, cursing. " You wanna come for me?", she asked out loud. "Then come on!"
Celestine took the shovel from her and walked her back to the house, where they went inside. Jeraina Faye sat at the kitchen table while Celestine poured them each a cup of hot coffee. "You know who did this?", he asked. Jeraina Faye took a sip, then nodded her head. " I interrupted a trick for the wedding, sent by Eveangeline. Could be her rusty ass trying to challenge me. Or maybe it's that lil yella heifer you used to be with!", she teased, trying to lighten the mood. Celestine looked at her seriously, then smiled when he saw her jest. "What woman wouldn't want to harm me over a fine, sexy man like you?", she asked, standing up. She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, then kissed him tenderly. Celestine enjoyed her kiss, then scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom.
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   Hadrien held little Kalan and rocked her tenderly. She was a month and a half now, and getting fatter and cuter. Mrs. Cecile had said that he would spoil her from constantly holding her, but she was his little angel, and he didn't mind spoiling Kalan. Victorine didn't hold her that much, and Hadrien wondered if she had the birthing blues. Mrs. Cecile had told him that sometimes after a woman gave birth, she would go through a depression or an anxiety. He hoped Victorine wasn't dealing with these demons alone. He wished she would open up to him.
    They still hadn't made love yet, and he knew the time would come where he would initiate this, because he missed his wife and wanted to be inside her again. But the way Victorine would harden when he went near her these days concerned him. He didn't want a repeat performance from their past, so he gave her space and time to herself by caring for the baby himself.
   Victorine knew she wasn't feeling herself, but at the same time, she knew something would have to shake. She would watch Hadrien and Kalan and soon developed a jealousy of their bond. Sometimes when she would go near Kalan, the baby would cry, until Hadrien would pick her up and soothe her. Then it was all smiles and giggles from the both of them. She felt left out. She wanted to be a good mother, but at the same time, she longed for some getaway time for herself. She wanted to do things again. And most of all, she wanted to maintain her shape, because she loved the curves she had.
    One day, while all three of them were sitting outside on the porch, Dreeky pulled up in a bad new deep purple Mercedes with huge chrome rims. Some of the neighbors' eyes stretched to see who was pulling up in such a fancy car. This would be Dreeky's first visit to their new home, and he had brought gifts.
   Victorine noticed how eager her neighbors were to see something, so she stood and pranced while doing a little dance to go meet Dreeky by the car. Dreeky stepped out looking fabulous and fierce, huge, loaded bags threatening to spill over. Victorine grabbed a bag from him then hugged him tightly, bringing unnecessary noise for the neighbors. Hadrien stood with the baby and Dreeky hugged him, then fawned over Kalan. "Let's go inside, Dreeky! Victorine cooked some catfish!", exclaimed Hadrien happily. He was glad to see Dreeky. Maybe this would pep Victorine up.
  When they went inside, Victorine sorted through all of the lovely baby clothes, accessories, and toys Dreeky brought Kalan. And Hadrien was touched that Dreeky and Cesaire had thought of them too, from the generous gifts they bought. Dreeky took the baby from Hadrien as he went into the kitchen to fix Dreeky a plate.
  " Look at you, Mrs. Thing! You looking blue!", he noticed. "I just haven't been myself lately", said Victorine as she watched her baby bond with yet another person who wasn't her. "Well, I might have something to change all that!", exclaimed Dreeky as he dug into his bag and pulled out an envelope. Victorine wondered why Dreeky was peeping over her shoulder to make sure Hadrien wasn't coming before he gave it to her. " What's this?", she asked , looking down at it. "Open it up!", urged Dreeky. Victorine opened the lavish envelope to find a wedding invitation inside. Dreeky couldn't wait. " Remember NewNew, Cookie's stylist off of Empire? Well, she is getting married in California and wants US to be there!!She sent first class tickets and everything! You gotta come with us!", he gushed. Victorine almost shot up like a rocket. "A celebrity wedding in California! Oh my God, Dreeky! This is...wait, what about August? How could I ever face him after how he dissed me?" , asked Victorine. "Don't you worry about him! So , can you come?", he persisted.
    The wheels in Victorine's brain were turning, and just then, Hadrien walked in with a plate of fried catfish, potato salad, and baked beans and a drink. Dreeky stood with Kalan, handing her to Victorine, who was too busy scheming to realize that the baby hadn't started crying yet. She held her absently, rocking a little, then said, " Hadrien, Dreeky has wonderful news! He is showing his line in a top notch fashion show in California, and he asked if I would go with him!", she boldly lied as Dreeky looked from his plate of food to Hadrien's face. Hadrien raised his eyebrows, then thought that maybe this trip alone, away from him and the baby, would be healthy for Victorine, so he encouraged her to go. Victorine put the baby in her carrier and hugged Hadrien tightly. The feel of her body aroused him, but he composed himself in front of Dreeky, who for some reason looked guilty about something. "I'm gonna take this food to go, okay? It smells delicious." Victorine took the plate to go wrap in the kitchen. Hadrien picked up little Kalan who had begun to cry. Dreeky praised her, and Hadrien tried to figure out what was behind Dreeky's eyes. Victorine walked in with the food and bubbly walked Dreeky to his car. "That is a beautiful car!", she said. " Thanks honey! Cesaire bought this for me, so I gave the truck to my parents! Lord knows they could use it! ", he said. Hadrien was about to comment when a truck passing by caught his eye. There, sitting in the passenger's seat was Merlynne. She looked surprised to see them all outside. Then it all came back to him....Merlynne lived just a few blocks away. A stone's throw. How could he not have remembered that? She looked at Hadrien, Victorine, and Dreeky with a frown, then turned and said something to the driver of the truck. Victorine stood proud and rolled her eyes.
  " The bitch lives near here?", she asked. Hadrien looked at little Kalan, then turned his gaze to the sky.
    Victorine felt herself go into Pétain mode. It would be on now, and the hunt was real.