Tarnished Gold (Landry 5)

nothing without you."

He kissed me and held me, and before we dressed to leave our secret place, we made love again. Afterward we returned to the pirogue and Pierre took me close to my shack home, but far enough away to leave me off unnoticed. We kissed and held each

other.

"I will return as soon as I can," he said. "I'll get

word to you and you will find me there, waiting. Let

every day become an hour, every hour become a

minute, so I can see you sooner," he said, and kissed

me again before pushing off. I watched him pole

away, my apparition, my dream lover, until he was

gone behind a bend.

It did feel more like an illusion than an actual

event. I had to pinch myself to convince myself I was

living this and not asleep on some rock conjuring the

images. I walked on air, my heart full of contentment,

but as I drew closer to the shack, I heard Mama and

Daddy arguing about money. I paused by the window

and listened.

She claimed he had gambled away what he had,

and he swore it all went to expenses. He wanted her to

give him what she had put aside, but she refused. "I ain't helping you pay your new gambling

debt, Jack. Gabriel and I worked hard for the little

we've put away, and we ain't watching it get washed down some ditch, along with everything else you

own."

"Ahh. You listen to me," Daddy said in a deep,

threatening voice.

Suddenly Mama wailed and then I heard her cry

for Saint Medad. She followed that with a string of

gibberish only she understood, and a moment later,

Daddy came rushing out of the house, his hair wild,

his face flushed, his eyes bulging with fear. He