CRAZY LIFE

Chapter 38

Saturday came quickly. Tim was feeling better. Back to his old self again.

They had to get to town early, even before sun up. Kelsey would be cooking at the Teche Festival. So everyone went to help her set up.

Several people was already in town setting up their own spaces for cooking. Hattie had opened the restaurant, serving free breakfast to feed the ones who were there early.

Adam and Chris was so excited. They had never experienced anything like this before. The last time they just sort of stumbled across it.

As the sun's rays slowly began to creep through the Cypress trees, more and more people begins to show up. The smell of Cajun food was thick in the air.

Tim proudly holds Adam's hand as they walk through the crowd. Most of the people were friendly and even chatted with the couple but there were some that actually turned their backs to them. Adam could feel himself get angry but it didn't seem to bother Tim at all. He was probably use to it.

Cajun music began to fill the early morning hours as more of the older Cajuns arrived with instruments.

There were stands set up selling home-made crafts, jerky of every kind from deer to alligator. Joe Ben even had a table set up selling his moonshine.

"Well, hello dar (there), boys." He greets them with a toothless smile as they walk by.

"Morning to ya, Joe Ben." Tim smiles. "You plan on getting rich today?"

"Oh yea, you know deez (these) folks loves ole Joe Ben's shine." He laughs.

"Well, everyone knows that your's is the best around." Tim chuckles as he drapes an arm around Adam's shoulder, pulling him close to his side. Adam snaked his arm around Tim's waist.

"I know dat's right." The old man laughs. "You know I'm proud of you boys. Not hiding da fact dat ya love each other. Even wit some of doz (those) dirty looks y'all been gettin. Be proud, boys."

"Thanks, Joe. If you only knew how much that means to us." Tim says as he shakes the Cajun's hand. "It's been rough, but at least now I don't have to go it alone." He smiles at Adam.

They say good-bye to Joe Ben and continues to walk through the crowd. They had lost sight of their brothers and their girlfriends the minute the crowd started to get thicker. Everyone went in different directions.

"Timothy Foust, you and that handsome boyfriend of yours, get over here." Hattie calls out from a table she had set up to sell jerky. "I just made a fresh batch of gator jerky and I know how much you love it."

"Well, Heck yea." Tim laughs. 

She had samples of different kinds of jerky laid out and Adam was trying every one.

"This one is really good." Adam says trying a piece of jerky. "I'm almost afraid to ask but what kind is this?"

"That's buffalo." She says as she fixes up Tim a bag of gator jerky.

"Buffalo? How in the world do you have buffalo in the swamp?" Adam chuckles.

"I have the meat shipped in, Sweetie." Hattie laughs.

"Oh." Adam laughs. "The gator is good but I like the buffalo better."

"Just give us a bag of each then." Tim smiles as he pulls out his wallet.

"Now you just put that away. This is on the house." Hattie smiles as she hands each of them a bag.

"Hattie, Thank you. But I don't mind paying for it." Tim says. "You can't make no money by giving it away."