Page 55 of Ruby (Landry 1)
An Unexpected
Friend
.
Annie Gray was so excited about arriving in
New Orleans during the Mardi Gras, she talked incessantly during the remainder of the trip. I sat with my knees together, my hands nervously twisting on my lap, but I was grateful for the conversation. Listening to her descriptions of previous Mardi Gras celebrations she had attended, I had little time to feel sorry for myself and worry about what would happen to me the moment I stepped off the bus. For the time being at least, I could ignore the troubled thoughts crowded into the darkest corners of my brain.
Annie came from New Iberia, but she had been to New Orleans at least a half-dozen times to visit her aunt, who she said was a cabaret singer in a famous nightclub in the French Quarter. Annie said she was going to live with her aunt in New Orleans from now on.
"I'm going to be a singer, too," she bragged. "My aunt is getting me my first audition in a nightclub on Bourbon Street. You know about the French Quarter, don'tcha, honey?" she asked.
"I know it's the oldest section of the city and there is a lot of music, and people have parties there all the time," I told her.
"That's right, honey, and it has the best restaurants and many nice shops and loads and loads of antique and art galleries."
&nb
sp; "Art galleries?"
"Uh-huh."
"Did you ever hear of Dominique's?"
She shrugged.
"I wouldn't know one from the other. Why?" "I have some of my artwork displayed there," I
said proudly.
"Really? Well, ain't that somethin'? You're an
artist." She looked impressed. "And you say you ain't
ever been to New Orleans before?"
I shook my head.
"Oh," she squealed, and squeezed my hand.
"You're in for a bundle of fun. You've got to tell me
where you'll be and I'll send you an invitation to come
hear me sing as soon as I get hired, okay?"
"I don't know where I'll be yet," I had to
confess. That slowed down her flood of excitement. She pulled herself back in her seat and scrutinized me
with a curious smile on her face.
"What do you mean? I thought you said you're
going to visit relatives," she said.
"I am. . . I . . . just don't know their address." I
