Remember the saying, “You never truly know someone until you have lived with them.” I always heard it, but never thought anything about it, until now. I remember this moment like it was yesterday. I was in the bathroom combing my hair. I had hair moisturizer in one hand and a pile of gel in the other. My mom came in the bathroom and told me my family members would be staying with us for a few days. At that time, the news wasn’t important to me. The news was for grown-ups. I didn’t know anything about a hurricane, so I was ecstatic to hear they were coming. I only got to see my New Orleans family members three to four times a year, five if I was lucky. Now I could see them everyday for at least a week. But little did I know, I would see them much longer than a “week.”
These “Saints” walked into my home with bags in hand. My mom, dad, and I greeted all ten with hugs and kisses. The afternoon brought happiness, but the nighttime brought chaos. New Orleans people aren’t normal. The halo that was present over every head seemed to turn into two little horns, a total of twenty horns. But then again, they may be more like bats. They sleep during the day, and they are awaken during the night. As my mom, dad, and I were asleep, these animals were walking through the house laughing, giggling, and stomping on the floors with their heavy feet. How rude?
At that time, our computer had dial-up to get on the Internet. So if someone was on the computer, we could not talk on the house phone, or vice versa. And there was always some on the computer. If they weren’t on the computer, they were on the telephone; therefore, we could not get on the computer or telephone. One time, my cousin was on the phone with her boyfriend. She was getting on my nerves, so I turned on the Internet. This caused a loud sound in the telephone. She was mad, but it didn’t bother me. I still think of this “accident” today.
Already, these people were getting ridiculous. But it just kept getting “better.” There were clothes spread across the house, and food left on counters causing ants. There is only one bathroom in our house, and they were always in the bathroom. So many times I couldn’t hold in my urine. I had to get a plastic cup, do my business in the cup. There aren’t many rooms in our home either, so I had to give up my room and sleep with my parents.
There were different people rooming in and out the house. We didn’t know if they were. If I would get mad at one of them, I would tell them to go to their molding home.
This went on for two years, then finally I got some relief. Thank God, these homeless people found them a house in Zachary. A good distance away from our home. But as soon as they left I missed them, and I may have shad a tear or two. I thanked God for the experience I had. I thanked God for Hurricane Katrina. I thanked Him for putting me through that test, which let me know that I should love my family members, but stay as far away from them as I possibly can.