The Water's Princess

Dellora Dawn Layroux A small bell rang from above the door as I entered the little café on the Bayou. The sign outside had Big Momma's written in bold purple print against a soft yellow background. There were little alligators and crayfish painted around the letters. As cute as the obviously homemade sign was, it was the smell that had drawn me in. I absolutely love Cajun food. Coming back to Louisiana was the best decision I'd made since leaving Oklahoma. Walking up the dirt path to the little houseboat-style café on the water had been pleasant. While most humans dislike the heat, it had never bothered me. The air was humid and heavy. The sounds of the swamp this close to dusk were like a lullaby, absolutely peaceful. The sounds in the little cafe were what you would expect from a typical family restaurant. Soft, but with laughter in the air combining happily with the scents of BBQ and gumbo. "Sit where you like, be with you in just a minute," a plump older woman with dark brown hair and several streaks of gray said to me as I looked around the homey space. I chose a small, dark brown table that looked clean near the kitchen doors where the smells of divine southern cooking were coming from. After dropping her large metal serving tray at the order pickup counter, the waitress made her way back to me quickly. "What can I get you to drink?" she asked, placing a well-worn menu in front of me on the table. It was wrapped in clear plastic and the edges and back were a dark brown. I looked briefly at the menu to make sure there was alcohol here. Of course there is, I thought with a smile. "I'll have a bloody Mary, spicy please," I said with a smile. Her mouth quirked with a small smile and she left the table. I looked at the menu and was not disappointed. I sighed in happy contentment and knew that I would be here for a while. Selecting my favorites was easy. Before I knew it, the pale yellow apron and soft blue skirt of the grandmotherly waitress popped back into sight. "Do ya know what you'll be wantin' yet?" she asked as she set a tall glass of bloody Mary in front of me. I picked it up and took a large sip, savoring the feel of the tomato juice spiked with spice and spirits. I loved the way the celery tickled my nose with every sip. "Absolutely! To start, I'll have the appetizer platter with extra fried okra. The gator tail po boy, spicy. A rack of ribs, they smell so good I just can't pass 'em up. 2 lbs of crayfish with the fixins, spicy also. Oh, and a large gumbo and a large jambalaya, spicy. Then I'll take an order of crab stuffed peppers. An order of venison stew with honey biscuits. An 8 piece mixed fried chicken. And a country fried steak with fries and extra gravy." "We're gonna need to move you to a larger table for this order. Will your party be here soon?" she asked while finishing jotting down the order. I glanced at my drink knowing this could turn frustrating quickly. "No party, just me. I don't mind a bigger table, though I'd hate to keep other guests from using it if they need it." I picked up my glass and looked at her, trying to gauge if she was about to get angry with me. "If this is all for you, we'll bring your food out in the order it finishes cooking. We can always pull over another table if need be." Her willingness to accommodate me was somewhat surprising, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise. Most humans balk at my appetite. I eat enough to feed a large human family, or a dragon. But then again, all the Drien have large appetites. "Thank you, that sounds like a great plan." "We'll have your platter brought out in a few minutes." She said while moving to the order window to place the green ticket on the metal order wheel. Sipping the bloody Mary was a simple yet pleasurable way to pass the time while I listened to the sounds of the small restaurant. The sounds of cooking were being masked by the sounds of eating, talking and gentle laughter. The walls of the café were real wood. There were framed pictures of what seemed to be the family who owned this place absolutely everywhere. Above the photos where smiling people were posing with a hunt or a catch, there was taxidermy. Deer and hog heads stared blankly into the room as though they couldn't care less what we were doing. Small alligators were posed whole with open mouths as if waiting for their dinner as well. Some of the alligators were just a huge head with a slightly open mouth. Everywhere I looked I saw more and more that made me like this family. There were hand-painted carvings of mushrooms and fairies. And when you look at the wooden walls you can see that they were decorated with carvings and wood burning. Scenes of the woods and the swamp were everywhere. Frogs and snakes could be found lurking along the edges of the wooden photo frames. A lot of time and love was put into this café. The only odd thing were the teapots everywhere. Small, beautifully decorated shelves were in random places with random teapots. No two teapots were the same. Maybe Big Momma is a collector. "Order Up!" I heard a deep voice holler from behind the pickup counter. The waitress came from another table to pick up her metal tray that was heavily laden with food. "Alrighty, an appetizer platter with extra fried okra and a bowl of venison stew are first up. You enjoy hun, I'll be back here shortly with more for ya. Gimme a holler if you need anything before I get back." I leaned over the huge platter of fried okra, hush puppies, fried shrimp, and fried green tomatoes and inhaled deeply of the intoxicating aroma. I popped a couple pieces of okra in my mouth and leaned over the huge bowl of stew. The contents smelled strongly of pepper and the color proved this place made their own roux. I picked up the spoon and scooped a bite with a huge chunk of venison and carrots. The meat was so tender yet still so full of flavor. Before I knew it, I'd devoured nearly all the food when she came with the next round. "Crab stuffed peppers and a rack of ribs," she said smiling. She removed the now empty bowl and platter to her serving tray after depositing two more huge plates. In no time she was back and we were trading off plates again. This time it was the gumbo and the po boy. "This is so delicious!" I exclaimed to the smiling waitress. "I'm glad you are enjoying it! These recipes were my mother's, God rest her soul," the waitress said with pride. I scooped up the po boy and took a huge bite. My moans of sheer delight made her laugh and scoop up my empty glass. "Refill?" "MmHmm," I shook my head enthusiastically to encourage her to do so. She laughed again and turned to go make the drink. I was more than half finished with the po boy and starting on the gumbo when she returned. "I don't know how you hold all that food, but I'm sure glad you enjoy it," she said while setting the sweating glass back in front of me. I tried to smile at her, but my mouth was too full, which made her laugh. "Be back soon hun." I continued to work my way through my order, plate after bowl after plate. The last trip back she was with another woman who resembled her and was carrying a commercial baking sheet. The new woman set the baking sheet on the table and my waitress flipped the pot she'd carried upside down onto the sheet. "2 lbs of crawdads with the fixins," she said with a smile. I immediately began to dig into the steaming pile of crayfish. Popping off a head I sucked the spicy juice out of it and began peeling the tail. This is the life! About halfway through my crayfish, the waitress returned and refilled my drink. I continued to devour the bounty in front of me. When I had cleared the baking sheet I was well and truly full. Then the waitress returned with another plate. It was the smallest plate I'd received so far, but it was still large. On it was an absolutely massive slice of what looked like carrot cake. My eyes got huge as she sat the cake in front of me and cleared the remainder of my dishes. I smiled gratefully and began to dig into the cake. It was moist and full of flavor. It was the best dam cake I'd ever eaten. It was so good I very nearly licked the plate for the last of the crumbs. When the waitress came back she was all smiles. "I appreciate the cake so much!" I said when she reached my table. "I always forget to order desert, but you totally had my back." "Well, with an appetite like yours, I assumed you might be able to handle a slice of cake. It's my own recipe," she told me with pride. Her face was free of makeup, yet she was utterly beautiful. My kind tend to see whats inside a person. Good people always seem so beautiful. But bad people? They were always ugly. I was here for a whole 100 years before I figured that out. Back home, those who appeared ugly to me, I would avoid. I knew now it was like an early warning system that was built into us. My siblings had confirmed as much when I ran into them now and then. "Any chance you have pecan pie?" I asked her with a huge smile. Her face lit up and she left for a couple of moments. When she returned, she had a quarter of an oversized pie on a plate for me. "This is momma's recipe," she said, handing the slice over. I took a big bite and my eyes rolled back into my head in pure bliss. "Yeah, I thought you might like that. You enjoy and I'll circle back with your bill." This pie was absolutely heavenly. Usually I eat quickly, but I was satiated and decided to take my time and savor each bite. Before I knew it, it was already gone. The little café had nearly emptied of its patrons and I could hear a banjo being picked outside. Pulling $300 out of my wallet, I left it under the edge of the plate to cover my bill and leave a tip. Once outside, I saw a group of people who all looked at home on the wooden porch of the cafe. Lounging in rocking chairs, most of them had their shoes off and an instrument in hand. "May I?" gesturing toward an empty chair, I asked the group in general. "That's Momma's chair. Come on over here," said a younger man with a couple spoons in his hands. I smiled gratefully and took the empty chair he offered. His black hair was just over his ears up top, and nearly touching his shoulders on bottom. Something about his kindness touched me. He'd been willing to give up his seat to a total stranger and sit on the porch. Without an obvious cue, an older man with white hair who was balding on top began to pick a banjo. He had a few simple tattoos on his pale skin that had faded with time. His nails were a bit long and his fingers were stained with tobacco residue. He had one single tooth in the front of his smile and kindness radiated from him in waves. As he played, a younger version of him joined in on a guitar. This man was only beginning to bald on top, the rest of his hair was just past his shoulders. It was the color of wheat at dusk. The dark-haired man who'd given up his seat for me began to play his spoons and a lively tempo picked up. Several of the others who were gathered began to clap their hands. Before long, the waitress came out the front door and began singing a gospel song. Her voice was full of love and joy as she sang along with the beat. She took the chair that had been reserved for 'Momma'. I was surprised that I actually knew this song. Most of the churches in the south hold revivals outdoors where people can hear you from several blocks away. The music always drew me to them. I wasn't so sure that their God wasn't one of the beings from back home, but I loved the music anyhow. I opened my mouth to join in. "I'll..... Fly away.." the woman looked at me as I sang with her. Her eyes were full of tenderness and kindness. She made me miss my mother quite a bit with that look. Missing mother was no excuse for allowing my power to slip out, but it happened before I could stop myself. One by one, the gathered group looked at me with eyes of astonishment. As I realized what was happening, I closed my mouth and smiled at everyone. "Well, goodnight!" I trotted off the porch and moved quickly to the swamp waters where I could easily slip away before they regained their senses enough to follow or question me. Stashing my clothing and belongings quickly into a waterproof bag took more time than actually getting into the water. Slipping into the murky waters, I felt my skin slip to make room for my scales. The warm waters of the Bayou were the perfect end to a perfect day. I really enjoyed this little hole in the wall restaurant. Maybe I'll come back for breakfast...