Dionysia

3

Hearing a steamboat clatter from the Mississippi, Denny awoke, spotting rain droplets on his windowsill. He leaned over his bed, turning off his phone's alarm for the morning. The time was 6:00 AM, an hour before Denny's first shift at Blazen Materials began.

Shouldn't be late on my first day, he thought, stretching his arms and legs before getting out of bed. Pa would be disappointed.

Denny had been hired as a general laborer several weeks ago after his last interview was good enough to be considered. To be fair, he didn't need many credentials to be appointed for the job, even without a high school diploma. Ultimately, it was his services in working with heavy boating equipment at Martin & Sons that impressed his interviewer, landing him the position.

Still, it didn't mean that he was excited about it.

I should be grateful, he figured, yawning and hopping into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Being that it was Monday the 26th, starting the last week of September, many homes in Westwego were beginning to have power again. This was because the Martin ranch was closer to River Rd, where the original electric lines ran to the power plant. It was one of the few fortunate events to come from Ida's aftermath, where power had been reinstated to the ranch and life could finally flow normally again.

As Denny turned the shower handle, he felt the warm water bounce off his skin, washing its accumulated sweat. Temperatures were still fairly hot, even with air conditioning, which didn't fare well for Denny's nightmares. He tried to remember what it meant, as all of them were similar to the strange hallucination he experienced at Carter's house. They were consistent in showing grape wine, which Denny usually produced from his blood.

Perhaps my mind's trying to tell me somethin', he pondered, scrubbing himself from head to toe. How about givin' it to me straight instead of this symbolic shit?

Ya know what? Go fuck yourself!

He was confident that today sparked a new future, where hope for the Martins would grow slowly but surely. First, they would start living as a family again, without dwelling on the past. Then, Louis would be able to reopen his marina in time, and Denny would work there again. But rebuilding it was going to take some time, so he had to stick with his Blazen Materials job for now. Even though the days would be repetitive, he'd be able to support his family wholeheartedly.

That's rite, Denny realized, turning off the faucet, I should think about the family first, and then my own life. Makin' money for dem is the best thing for my mental health too. I'll feel better bout myself knowin' I helped out pa, ma, and lil' Manny and Percy.

Denny trudged out of the shower, changing into a plain green shirt and jeans, acceptable enough for general labor. His work vest and tools were stored in the facility breakroom, inside of the labor yard and recycling space. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd been doing on his first day, but Denny was ready nonetheless.

He walked out of the bathroom, seeing a plate of fresh jambalaya on the kitchen table. Aurelia was sifting eggs, hash browns, shrimp, and sossidge near the oven when she noticed Denny walk in.

"Mornin', dear," said his mother, "Because it's your first day at your new job, I made ya your favorite jambalaya, with extra green bell peppers, just how ya like it!"

"Ya didn't hafta, ma," Denny replied, grabbing the silverware and sitting down. "You should get some more sleep, been workin' too hard."

"Nonsense," Aurelia stated, "Jamas, (You eat), before it gets cold!"

Denny obeyed, delving into his jambalaya while chatting with his mother about work for the day. He certainly was grateful for her, motivating him with his favorite of her food. Even so, the bleak skies outside affected Denny's mood. Recollections of past events swirled through his head, as he finished the last of his jambalaya.