Nostalji ki fé rékòt
Shwal djab-yé dan Bèl Rivyè
Navé in famiy ki té linmin kouri péshé é jwé dan lanatir. Yé té gin in kamp dan Bèl Rivyè. Popa-la té konnin gouvèné tou yé koté lévé-la, mé li toujou gin traka pou wa lari kan ça fé brouyad. Ènn matin printem dan lavan jou, famiy-la té kité yê kamp pou kouri péshé dan Lachafalaya. Ça fé brouyad, konm dabitid. Apré kèk minit…
Tap t tap t tap t tap t tap t tap
Shar-la té komensé roulé enho ti kayou-yé. Bon, çé in ti shinmin.
Da plap da plap da plap da plap
Toukèkènn dédan té gaddé ènn-a-lòt, byin tærbolizé. Kayou-yé pa sipozé ét dou konm ça, non.
Plap t krk ta plap t krk ta plap t krk
Shar-la té ékrazé kayou-layé konm yé té lékay. Toudinkou brouyad té tournin nwa é lari té vini lis lis. Popa-la té alimé lalimmyè briyan é déprésé pédal-la. Tou yé té byin pœr. Piti-layé té komensé brayé. Kayou-layé té soté dan lè é frapé fnèt-layé. Pi lá… shar-la glisé dan bariyè métal enho lévé-la.
In son envlopé shar-la. Ça vini bokou fòr – jiska li fé mal.
ssssss. sssSSS. SSSSSS.
Yé kouvrí yê zoréy.
* * *
Famiy-la t’ê manjé patasa é sakalé frit dan yê kamp kan popa-la té désidé rakonté in listwa apré komen li té konnin jwé ak shwal djab-yé. Kan li té piti, sô moman a li té montré li komen fé sochènn joujou: prenn in difil, maré in shwal djab pi mét in bwat zalimèt o bout pou fé in sharèt!
Tap t tap t tap t tap t tap t tap
In piti té kité latab pou kouri wa ki çé té dèriyè dan sipriyè.
Devil Horses on Belle River
There was a family who loved to go fishing and play in nature. They had a camp on Belle River. The dad would drive all of them to the levee, but he always had trouble seeing the road when it was foggy. One spring morning before daybreak, the family left their camp to go fishing in the Atchafalaya. It was foggy, as usual. After just a few minutes…
Tap t tap t tap t tap t tap t tap
The car started rolling over little pebbles. Okay, it’s a small road.
Duh plop duh plop duh plop duh plop
Everyone inside looked at one another, very confused. Pebbles aren’t supposed to be soft like that, no.
Plop t crk ta plop t crk ta plop t crk
The car crushed the pebbles like they were carapaces. All of a sudden, the fog turned black and the road became slick slick. The dad turned on the brights and pressed the gas. They were all so afraid. The kids started to cry. The pebbles jumped in the air and smacked the windows. And then… the car slid right into a metal barrier on the levee.
A sound enveloped the car. It got so loud – so loud it hurt.
ssssss. sssSSS. SSSSSS.
They covered their ears tightly.
* * *
The family was eating bream and sakalé in their camp when the dad decided to share a story about how he used to play with devil horses. When he was little, his momma showed him how to make his own toy: take some string, tie it around a devil horse, and then attach a matchbox to the end to make a chariot!
Tap t tap t tap t tap t tap t tap
One of the kids left the table to go see what that was out back in the cypress swamp.
Private collection.
Çé sèlmen posib fé kopi apré tèks é pòrtré si lartis-la donné pèmisyon ékri.
No text or images from this site may be reproduced without express written permission of the artist.