THE PASSAGE

First Kiss

Chapter 8

By the time we approach Pop's camp, I can see the party has already started. I spot people hanging out on the pier, deck, and porch. A large pot sits atop a propane burner on the deck, making a sound similar to a jet engine. The smell of Cajun seasoning already fills the air. Once Pop lands the boat at the pier, everyone comes over at once to greet us.

"Old man, what you tink you doing with dat young girl?" I assume the man speaking is Pop's friend, Boudreau.

Pop looks at me and whispers, "Don believe anything Boudreau say. He full of it."

I smile, then nod.

Boudreau asks, "What you tell dat girl?"

I look at him and say, "Pop says you full of it."

Everyone laughs. A girl about my age lets out a "woo-hoo."

Toby comes up to the boat, and I toss him the rope.

"How'd you two do?"

"I caught two big buckets full of crawfish," I say.

"I think you two went buy dat from Pierre," says Boudreau.

"He da one go buy his crawfish from Pierre, cause he don know how to catch any," says Pop.

After Toby secures the boat, he extends his hand out for me as I carefully stand up and accept it to steady myself. I grab onto a post with my other hand and make my way onto the pier. Pop hands the two buckets of crawfish to Toby before climbing out.

Putting his arm around me, Pop says, "I want to introduce this pretty young girl here to everybody. I only meet her today ma self, but already she feel like a daughter to me.

Pop glances at me, then he points to Boudreau. "This here dat old fart, Boudreau, I tell you about. And dis Boudreau' daughter, Grace. Dis Boudreau' granddaughter, Abby, and her husband, Phil. And dis pretty girl I have ma arm around here is Jamie. She come all da way from New York to be wit us. Let's all show her what a crawfish boil is like."

Pop winks at me and whispers, "Remember what I tell you we do when we get back."

I nod and glance at everyone. "It's nice to meet all of you. I have had so much fun today. I think I am going to go inside and clean up a little from catching those crawfish."

"I go clean up too. It's a lotta work out dare in da swamp catching dose crawfish, you know," says Pop.

Boudreau says, "Me and Phil, we get dose crawfish washed." He turns to the two ladies. "Abby, you and Grace get da sausage and potato ready to put in da pot."

Pop winks at me and whispers, "See, I told you."

Toby steps up to us. "Old man, it's about time you give me my girl back."

"Well, I dunno bout dat. I think she have mo fun wit me. But you go up dare wit her and make sure her bathroom got everything she need. And you behave yourself. I go clean up."

Toby puts his arm around me as we watch Pop walk up the pier towards the camp.

"I think Pop has taken a liking to you," says Toby.

"Oh Toby, he's so cool. You are so lucky."

"He has a one of a kind personality, doesn't he?"

"Earlier, he insisted that I stay over for the evening."

"That right? You didn't mention what originally brought you to New Orleans, did you?"

"No. It's so strange, but he already knows."