Plaquemines Parish : Summer 06
Momma D
Hugs all around! Smiles ~ tears ~ laughter ~ stories ~ but always hugs. The Y Café is buzzing with voices, laughter and music ~ there are folks at the laundry ~ others in the internet tent ~ standing in groups here, standing in the line that waves through the front door and out into the parking lot ~ a group of fishermen gathering on the porch, tables are full of volunteers and residents ~ all integrated and eating together with much conversation ~ Luke helping a woman get her electric hooked up, Matt and Sammy making plans to repair a vehicle, a resident discussing with Andy the need to have his trailer dry-walled and painted, a group of residents gathering in the back discussing their loss and new ideas for rebuilding, Nicole has someone in Calm with a cold or cut, Mike is with Leonard ~ both laughing and probably at something Mike has just said ~ him and his flip flops and huge smiling face, Laura and Miles are taking a group of fresh wide eyed volunteers on their orientation tour, Cool Hand sharing with a group of excited folks the news about an upcoming band coming to play @ The Y Café, Alex, Bill, Paula and Laura Lamb working the serving line, bantering back and forth with each other and the folks in line, Amelia washing the hair dye out of an elderly female resident’s hair and both laughing that contagious laugh of Amelia’s ~ Nick and Bill always together and both teasing the volunteers about lunch ~ Eric ~ his huge voice, smile & presence ~ always with his ideas of how he would have made whatever is being served ~ Ms Catherine looking around for scrabble participants ~ that smile of hers ~ those eyes that lit up at the promise of a game after lunch ~ Peggy, always prepared with her “to go” dishes ~ Arie & James, their shirts all wet from doing dishes ~ Pat, Tad and Opie taking a break, are playing with some young teens ~ some are entertaining themselves with the rubble ~ Opie makes a makeshift surf board out of a piece of pipe and board ~ they take turns seeing who can stay on the longest ~ everyone so wet from the sweat!! The Y Café is alive! For a short time no one is dwelling on their FEMA trailer (or lack of); or the mice that chewed through their tent last night, or the heat or the bugs or lack of sleep ~ we are all just enjoying each other ~ helping each other. This exact same moment of time was repeated everyday …. everyday for such a long time ~ and a lot of times a resident worked in the kitchen or distribution or helped clean up. We were family; you see ~ all of us.
photo by Katherine Pangaro
Sometimes now when I walk through this very empty place I can still hear you all ~ the laughter and the music ~ see your faces ~ smell you, too, and I can’t help but smile ~ I smile from the inside out. What a gift EC was ~ to the residents and the volunteers ~ what an unbelievable amazing gift!
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