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LIFE

Atchafalaya Voices

Linda Connolly Tribe
Special to the Advertiser

The Streets of Lafayette

Growing up in the 1940s and ’50s, we walked everywhere we went. If a kindly neighbor or relative offered us a ride, we gladly accepted. Otherwise we counted on our two feet for transportation. The party consisted of my mother Mildred, my brother Pat, my sister Connie, and me.

My father worked away from home, so on weekend afternoons we would walk to visit with my mother’s maternal uncle Willie Olivier and his family, then we would cross Lamar and visit with Willie’s sister Ita. The conversation was usually in French and since the children could not understand what they said, we knew to find a porch on which to rest.

After leaving the Oliviers’ we would walk about one-half block past Petro’s store to the Talbots’. This was porch visiting and did not last long. On our way another three blocks brought us to my mother’s paternal aunt Celeste and her family. The early afternoon drifted into dusk. With the adults inside passing around many stories, the children played outside. Our ghost or monster stories were usually made up to scare the smaller children; in the process, the older children were scared as well.

Night fell and we knew it was time to go home. With my mother in charge, we knew we would be protected. The street lights glowed as we passed each one. Eerie figures seemed to jump out at us as we remembered the scary stories told at Aunt Celeste’s house. The more scared we were, the closer we got to our mother. We moved together like an eight-legged centipede.

We passed Saloom’s dress shop and Ashy’s store and turned onto Oak Avenue. Broussard’s Cleaners and Landry Glass shop was on the right. Up another block we saw Dugas’ Masonry and Nolan’s Machine Shop on the left.

The whole time we walked, maybe five cars passed us up. The sidewalks were free of people, making walking easier. On we trudged until we spotted Roosevelt street and we knew we soon would be safely home. On the left was Mrs. Boulanger’s house and on the right the Heberts. Turning onto Cleveland we saw the Verot and Ellerbee’s houses.

Our house looked so inviting and we gladly secured ourselves for the night. The streets from inside the house looking out did not seem as ominous now we were safely home.

Now my mother would have to contend with the nightmares we would be having due to the passing around of ghost stories.

Linda Connolly Tribe, of Broussard, is a grandmother of four and a great-grandmother of two who documents memories of her late parent’s lives.

Atchafalaya Voices shares original works from local writers. Submit entries to news@theadvertiser.com or 1100 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA 70506. Submissions, limited to 400 words, must be typed. Include an autobiographical note, contact name and phone number with submissions. Have questions? Call 289-6358