Squatting In New Orleans

The Gypsy Bandit

Luke was slender man of average height. He kept his head shaved low, and shopped for clothes at thrift stores. He had spent some time traveling the land, and had seen his fair share of sights. He was roughly twenty four years of age, when he hitch hiked from his cold native land of Wisconsin, to the nice warm state of Louisiana. He had plans to get by in the Big Easy, that dirty little city known as New Orleans.

He made his way to the highway thumbing down eighteen wheelers for a ride. Once outside New Orleans city limits he saw a dead red bird on the side of the road, then a dead turtle. He didn't think much of it until a short distance later he saw another dead red bird, and another dead turtle.

You see Luke was once a pipe carrier for the Oneida tribe, which was known as the turtle clan. There was also a once existing tribe called the Winnebagos who were led by an Indian Chief named Red Bird. Back in Wisconsin was a State park which had a twelve foot tall statue of Red Bird that he visited frequently.

Luke had very little Native blood in him, he was mostly German, and Irish. This didn't stop his love at the time for the Native American culture. He held closely to some of their beliefs, and was a very spiritually minded individual.

After seeing the two dead red birds, and two dead turtles upon the side of the road. It was plain for him to see that the creator was trying to tell him something. Suddenly a voice as if traveling on the wind began to speak. It had told Luke he was entering into unfamiliar territory. A place where they played by a different set of rules than up North.

The voice clearly stated that Luke, was not to put down his guard or he would most definitely fall into the darkness of New Orleans. In this neck of the woods the spiritually minded were all into Voodoo, and the black arts. Both in which Luke knew very little about.

Upon entering the most popular part of the city, a place called The French Quarter Luke was shocked. There he saw starving artists of all kinds, people reading cards, and people telling fortunes through a variety of means. The first person he met was a luciferian gypsy named Bandit.

He was a heavy set grey haired man, who actually thought it was cool to have a little dirt under his finger nails. He carried around with him a slew of books, and read fortunes using a pendulum. Right off the bat his conversation with the man ran deep.

"So you being a luciferian means you worship the devil right?" Luke asks Bandit curious to see what he all believed.

"One could say that I guess, only being a Luciferian is more like the worship of self."

"All magic is tragic I believe worship of the devil or self as you put it is just plain out, and out wrong." "I say this not to offend you or to take a shot at your feelings, I say this due to my own personal convictions that stem from past experiences."

"I'm not offended at all, you got the right to believe as you will, and so do I."

"What about Heaven and Hell, do you believe they exist?"

"Yes I believe they exist, and we're sitting in them as we speak, this may not be to easy for you to grasp but this world we live in is just an illusion to learn from." "One day it to will fade away, what's left after that will be the one true reality of both good and evil."

Luke, and Bandit continued on in conversation while a friend of Bandits, named Wolf approached the two. Wolf had suffered from an accident that caused most of the left side of his body to be paralyzed. He walked with a cane that had a skull on the top of it. He too practiced the black arts.

"I used to play drums for Alice Cooper before my accident." "Now I'm just like the rest of these people around here, I tell fortunes, and collect a disability check to get by." "It's a sad story but at least it's true." Wolf said to Luke, making an attempt to introduce himself.

"I plan on getting a job, but until then I'm not to proud to beg for change." "I'll probably claim one of these benches as my bed tonight." "Then tomorrow I'll find an abandoned building to squat in...that's how I plan to get by." Luke said to the two of them ready to get down to the grit, and the grime.

"Sounds like you plan on staying in The Big Easy for awhile." Wolf said with a grin.

I'm gonna make a go at it, and you better believe I'm gonna have some fun." Luke said grinning back at Wolf.

"Learn to walk slow, take easy steps, and all the more about this city you will know." "Look around take in every sight and sound." "Seldom look up, and often look down... you won't believe all the things you'll find on the ground." Bandit said to Luke with a funny look on his face while making gestures with his hands. It almost appeared as if Bandit may have been kidding around only Luke new to take him serious.

The three of them sat to chat for awhile. Luke told them of his fondness for The Native American culture, and how he held to some of their beliefs. He also told them about the two dead red birds, and two dead turtles.

Luke often collected objects found on the side of the road. Things like rocks, animal bones, and an occasional feather or two. On this trip he found an owl feather for a souvenir. After showing it to Wolf he found he had an appreciation for the same sort of things. Wolf liked the owl feather so much Luke couldn't help but to give it to him.

Nightfall came quick, Bandit, and Wolf packed their things then jumped in a car to head off. For Luke it was now time to go out and discover. There was new turf to conquer with plenty of streets to comb.