"Finally, I was able to get my father interested
in some hunting trips. We traveled to the bayou to
hunt duck and geese and contracted with your
grandpere Jack to guide us, That was how I met
Gabrielle."
"I know," I said.
"You have to understand how dark and dreary
my life seemed to me during those days. My
handsome, charming brother's wonderful future had
been violently ended, my mother had died, my wife
couldn't have children, and my father was slipping
away day by day.
"Suddenly. . . I'll never forget that moment . . . I
turned while unloading our car by the dock, and I saw
Gabrielle strolling along the bank of the canal. The
breeze lifted her hair and made it float around her,
hair as dark red as yours. She wore this angelic smile.
My heart stopped and then my blood pounded so
close to the surface, I felt my cheeks turn crimson. "A rice bird lighted on her shoulder and when
she extended her arm, it pranced down to her hand
before flying off. I still hear that silver laugh of hers,
that childlike, wonderful laugh that was carried in the
breeze to my ears.
"Who is that?' I asked your grandfather. "Just my daughter,' he said.
"Just his daughter? I thought, a goddess who
seemed to emerge from the bayou. Just his daughter? "I couldn't help myself, you see. I was never so
smitten. Every chance I had to be with her, near her,
speak to her, I took. And soon, she was doing the
same thing--looking forward to being with me, "I couldn't hide my feeling from my father, but
he didn't stand in my way. In fact, I'm sure he was