Bluebird and Robin

The start of a beautiful adventure

a little red VW a little black book and two lovers

I had just purchased my first car. It was a VW square back. It had a bored out Porsche pancake engine with a speed clutch and a twin differential. I did not look like much but it could beat out anyone from red-light to red-light on the straightaway. On winding back roads which I knew by heart, I could get traction on both wheels going in to and coming out of curves. Nobody could catch me. However my favorite pastime was to see how far I could drive down highway 90 before I got stopped at a red-light, where I would turnaround and go home.

Usually I would be sopped in Gulfport or The Pass. If I made to the Pass I would stop at a place called Pirates Cove and have a po-boy with a Barqs.

This was the where, is said, Jean Lafitte or Captain Kidd had buried a treasure there. Many strange things happened there, especially when there was a foggy full moon. That night it was so foggy you could not see the full moon and could barely see the stoplights. That night there was absolutely no traffic. I stopped at Pirate’s Cove just to have a Barqs before continuing. Thinking I might make it to Waveland before catching a light. At the bar there were two gentlemen, both with red hair. One was very heavy set in a strange leather vest of some biking club the other very slim was in an odd vest and black leather sport coat of an oriental style not common in this area.^ I heard the heavy set one say, so I have broken the rule and must give up my book. The smaller one said, Yes, Your chosen replacement has just arrived. You are free to go now. Your life will be returned to normal. Please go now. As the biker left he looked at me and said “ Be carful of what you are about to agree to. Be sure you know what you are about to get in to. There will be no backing out with out a price to pay.” The smaller gentleman approached me. He handed me a calling card of a strange paper. The gentleman told me to continue to New Orleans and take a room in the quarter give this card to the lady at the desk then stroll down Royal Street, be sure to visit the market. As promised I was not stopped by a red light. Once in the quarter I began looking for a place to park. This was a long time ago when you were allowed to park on both sides of the street. I was only able to find one parking spot. It was in front of a small hotel. I entered the hotel presented the card to the woman at the desk. She was dressed in a similar manor as to the gentleman I met at Pirates Cove. She said to me, Yes we were told you were coming. Your room has yet to be readied. Here is your key, now please take a stroll down Royal street to the market by the river, here there will be a booth, a tent were one is waiting for you.

Royal Street was almost empty aside from a Cajun band wandering about the streets that night. The singer had a strong Cajun accent all were wearing red suspenders. The band was composed of Cajun fiddles, an accordion and some one playing spoons and the triangle were most notable in the band. ^ They were playing a number of tunes. I recognized a few, “Lizzette la Douce” and “Cajun Crawl”, “La Danse de la Vie” others like “Hip et TI-Yeaux”. When I got to the market I could hear them in the distance playing “Blues a Bebe”. When I entered the market it began to hear gypsy violin in the distance playing “Sous le Ciel de Paris the songstress was singing in French. I could not see the band. I assumed the band was in a café on the edge of the market, near the old mint as I move through the empty market the music changed to “La Mer” and “Les Yeux Noirs”. I never saw the musicians. The market was empty except for the tent at the far end.

This was at a time when the French market was still a produce market. Early morning the farmers would still bring their produce from the farms up river and to be sold to the restaurants in the quarter. The market was just becoming the bazar it is today. The streets still paved granite blocks, which had been ballast from sea sailing schooners. The sewers were made of hollowed out cypress trees that often backup and added the odder of raw sewage to the quarter. This market place was at all not all the market you see today. ^ As I wandered through the market there was the odor of an old produce market, fruit, vegetables, fish, oysters and shrimp, mixed in the smell of ripe sewage. There were the empty produce baskets and stalks of sugar cane laid about. Overhead the large ceiling fans still warbling about with their dimmed lights. This night there was the dense fog. Often I had watch the fog come rolling down the river and envelope the quarter. The fog and cold air that comes off the river on moon lit nights. This night the termites were swarming so thick as to darken the streetlights and storefront signs. I approached the tent I could see it was stocked with various papers, pens, inks and other writing tools and supplies from far way lands. ^ There were many types of paper attached to the top and the brim of the tent. I saw sheets of hand laid linen, papyrus cotton rag and uncut parchment, card stock of polished and unpolished. Some papers had carefully positioned pressed leaves and flowers. On a table inside the tent there was a selection of brushes and stylus made of bone, antler, and steel. There was even a collection of quills from the feathers of many different birds. Further inside the tent there were inks of many colors some made of ground minerals others of natural pigments. In the back of the tent there was a sign that read

Journals cut while you wait.

On the back row there where samples of precut journals. The bindings where of the many material you may chose from. They were of made in many colors and sizes. Some were very old and well thumbed others where very old and untouched some were new and freshly stitched.

As I looked over the notebook there was one that stood out it seemed to be in a frame of sorts on the table. I picked it up examine it further. The gentleman in the tent touched my arm and said ah, you have made an excellent choice only you can’t choose it, and it must choose you. It is a very rare notebook in deed. Now let me tell you about the features, then you can tell me if you accept the terms and responsibilities that come with this book You will have one week with the book to make your decision if to keep it or return it.^ First you will notice the binding it is like very few others in the world. This black book is a living creature given life by the description you will write inside. It changes colors according to the replies it write for you. It may be blue, yellow, green according to what has been written inside. If it should be red you must drop what eve you are doing and follow the instruction immediately and precisely with special attention to the date and time. No matter how terrible despicable it may seem you must do it else you will lose everything the notebook has provided leaving you with only a dream of what you have lost. I know this to be true. The gentleman then wrote something the book in the same text as on the card I had been given. He closed the book and handed it to me. I opened the book and saw what he had written was in English. It was written, Please think of something you greatly desire, close lock and unlock me. Then unlock and write your question starting with ‘Where can I find . . .’

I wrote the question. Where can I find a small treasure? I the closed the black book it soon turned silver. I the opened the book saw these directions. Walk out the tent, look for a wooden vegetable crate underneath a small lacquered black dragon inside there will be a small black bag filled with Chinese trade tokens. Trade tokens are of no value, no value but to a coin collector. You will then sell the coins to a collector. Which can be found on Royal St for the small fortune you are seeking. So I followed the directions and found the crate with a black dragon on top and the black bag filled with silver Chinese trade tokens.

The Gentleman then said, “There will always be a black dragon with fiery red eyes to be found with you answer.” So, I accepted the little black notebook and the black jacket that accompanied the book. I returned to my room, oddly there were no cars in the quarter save my little red VW. In my room, I wrote this question. Where can I find the woman that would be willing to accept me as her mate. I closed the little black book, It changed to yellow. In the notebook, It was written, tomorrow night take the streetcar to Audubon Park, follow the left path to the far end of the park where you will find a pavilion on the pond.

There you will find the a little back dragon and the love you seek. I followed the directions from the black notebook taking the streetcar to Audubon Park and strolled down the jogging path to the far end of the park. There sure enough was the pavilion, a bandstand by the pond spoken of in the notebook. I saw young woman with light red hair and skin that glowed in the moonlight. The little black dragon was at her feet. She was wearing just a slip, dancing a ballet on the bandstand to the music of a gypsy waltz played by a band I know not where in that the park was closed for the night and no one was around. It was the same music I had heard in the French market. As I moved closer the tempo quicken and the angel began to waltz. As she passed by me by she had her back to me when suddenly the turn about and took me into her waltz. She said, “ Hi, I'm Bluebird, and who are you?” She was leading in the waltz, I fumbled about and said, "I’m Robin” not knowing how or why I said that but it seem a fitting name for a companion of someone called Bluebird.

As we danced she explained to me, her father was the importer of rare and fine writing instruments I had met the in the French market. Her uncle was the man I had met a Pirates Cove, that she said her little red notebook had told her to meet someone at the pavilion of the 1889 cotton expo at midnight and say her name was Bluebird. She then said her real name was Sonya. I said my real name was Hazie. Not true but close, in that I was feeling very fuzzy in the brain. The waltz ended She then said, It is very late, I invite you to stay at my place. It is near here, on the edge of the park between the park and the Zoo.

Her apartment had once been a dance studio with facing mirrors. It was sparsely furnished, just a pile of pillows between the mirrors and a very small kitchen in one corner.