Flashback .. Fast Forward

Hurricane Betsy Just Wouldn't Quit

shortly after we'd met .. Patty and her family moved away

Arlis couldn't cut the oilfield work

he has been an auto bodyman his entire life

a job offer arrived .. we moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana

my step-grandparents managed a hotel there

Arlis's parents .. Henry Richard and Mabel were a hoot

they'd take us down to the basement gameroom

ping pong .. darts .. card table .. pinball .. billiards

thank goodness we'd something to do that summer

the basement floor and walls were made of red clay

a large swimming pool with an 18 and 25 foot diving board

we'd swim half of the day .. dive half of the night

cajun people really never sleep much .. they party

one friday evening near about dark

a girl came over and took my hand .. pulling me

she said, hurry .. come on .. we're having a seance

i'd no idea what she was talking about

I recall the excitement in the air

someone turned out all of the pool lights

everyone made a large circle .. joined hands

one by one .. they chanted things I didn't understand

it was kind of spooky .. I was definitely uncomfortable

my step-grandparents showed up .. said what the hell

next thing I knew they'd turned the pool lights back on

the circle of people let go of hands .. i'd an eerie feeling

sitting on the edge of the pool with Rhonda .. she'd invited me

we were talking when i'd felt an itch on my leg

I swatted before I saw a damn brown spider biting me

didn't think much about it until later on that night

I became sick .. my stomach hurt .. my eyes felt swollen

didn't tell a soul .. I was scared of my parents

next morning I couldn't get out of bed .. I tried

i'd clammy cold sweats .. chills all over my body

two days of that .. I still wouldn't tell anyone

they knew I was already dying from a heart condition

I was given cold medicine .. hot soup I couldn't eat

third day came around .. mom was really worried

I was delirious by then .. passing out .. couldn't speak

my tongue felt like a thick board in my mouth

felt so helpless .. wishing I would've told someone

I knew I was dying .. didn't know what to do

Arlis and my brothers stood over me .. everyone was there

i'd a notebook and pencil nearby .. under my pillow

couldn't reach my leg to show them my spider bite wound

drew a picture of a spider .. drew my leg .. marked an x

mom went into a panic .. threw back my blankets

she nearly passed out when she saw the large odd colored growth

screamed at Arlis to boil water .. she located a sewing needle

heated the point .. burst the black and purple poison filled bubble

gobs of gooey .. ungodly colored poison stuff

kept oozing out of my leg .. I passed out again

if that wasn't enough .. hurricane betsy came storming in

I woke in the early a.m. .. a large oak tree had crashed through

it lay by my head near the couch .. Arlis snatched me up

rushed me to the stationwagon .. through two feet of water

snakes were in the living room .. alligators in the streets

wind .. lightning .. thunder .. rain .. hail .. snakes .. alligators

hurricane betsy just wouldn't quit

Copyright @ July 2014

StandingBear