Chapter 10 Let the Good Times Roll

Marie woke with a smile. It was a glorious fall day. "Today is my eighteenth birthday!" Marie thought aloud and stretched her arms wide. She got up and looked in the full length mirror. "I wonder if I look any different?" she said still talking to herself. No, I'm still about five feet four inches, black long hair, blue eyes, small build, but something looks and feels different. She thought. "I'm more grown up now...I can see it."

Marie had gotten the best present she could have asked for...a letter from her mother. It was written in perfect French, the only language her mother could read. Everything was going okay at home. Her mother had gotten the money that Marie had sent every month. Her brother Armon and the other children had sent their love and 'Happy Birthdays' and told her they missed her. She missed home very much, too. But she knew she would not be going home anytime soon. She needed to keep earning money until Armon was old enough to help the family.

The work had not been hard. Parties every afternoon and often way into the late night hours. Madame Gigi had been right about her gentlemen callers most of them were true gentlemen and were always polite to her. Oh, there were a few exceptions when 'the General' got a little too drunk on his Tennessee Whiskey and grabbed her and gave her a big kiss. Madame Gigi quickly handled that situation and told him in no uncertain terms that I was not for hire, yet. Miss Gigi had the best musicians in New Orleans come nightly and play their jazz and blues music. There had been dancing, singing, jokes, and general good times every night. The girls all seemed to accept her, too. That is except Susanna 'the Georgia Peach'. She was so prissy and thought she was too good to associate with Marie. Nell and Alice had become her close confidants and with them she could be herself. Madame Gigi had worked hard the past few months teaching Marie proper English, etiquette, how to dress, and everything she needed to know to be a proper lady. Her Cajun speech patterns were almost gone except she had kept the melodious sound to her voice. Miss Gigi didn't want her to lose that. It seemed the gentlemen found it quite alluring.

"Good morning, Miss Moselle!" Marie briskly entered the kitchen to find Miss Moselle, Mose, Fay the day housekeeper all sitting at the morning meal. "What a wonderful day."

"Yes Miss Marie, it shore is. I just loves October." Miss Moselle pretended she didn't know it was Marie's birthday.

"Yes, October is my favorite month. The leaves are so pretty on all the old oaks. The air is cooler. I especially love October 10th." Marie hinted.

No use, everyone at the table just kept eating and pretending to not know anything.

"Sit down girl and I'll git your breakfast." Miss Moselle got up from the table and directly she came up from behind Marie with a small white and yellow cake.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!" Everyone at the table and Miss Moselle yelled.

"Oh my, I am so surprised! I didn't know you knew it was my birthday but I was hoping someone would remember." Marie smiled from ear to ear.

Miss Moselle whispered in Marie's ear,"Now girl I'm not supposed to tell you but later tonight Miss Gigi and the girls have a big cake for you and a special party. You don't tell 'em that I told you. You come back here after lunch and we'll eat some of dis little cake I baked just special for you."

Marie nodded and began her breakfast smiling like the 'Cheshire Cat' in 'Alice in Wonderland.'

Later in the afternoon, Marie couldn't wait to taste the cake Miss Moselle had baked for her. She arrived a little early in the kitchen and found Miss Moselle sitting at the old table drinking her dark roast Community Coffee.

"Hey child, come on in. I was jest sittin' here thinking about old times. Did I ever tell you about Miss Gigi? No? Sit here for a spell...I'll cut you some of dat cake and fix you some coffee."

"Thank you Miss Moselle, I would love some cake and coffee then I have to get dressed for tonight."

Miss Moselle took a long deep breath and began her story. "Well, you know, Miss Gigi and I grew up in the same house. Oh, I is older than her by fifteen years. She be about fifty-four now I reckon. We was both born at 235 Basin Street in New Orleans. That be the address of the most fancy whore house in all New Orleans. It was run by a Lulu White, that weren't her real name, but she weren't from the Indies like she told everybody either. I think she come from Selma, Alabama. No matter she was a pretty good Madame and owned the Mahogany Hall."

"Yes, I heard Miss Gigi say that Rosewood House was patterned after that place." Marie said.

"Yep, it sure was. That place was the most glamorous place I ever did see and hadn't seen nuttin' like it since. Rosewood is like it but it not as pretty. The thing about Miss Lulu was that she was an Octoroon. You know what dat is girl?"

"No, I never heard it before." Marie replied.

"She was seven-eighths white and one-eighth African. She was as white as you girl with long black hair and dem French blue eyes. And did she love da jewelry. Had some pretty thangs. 'Cause she had the African in her the city officials said she was a Negro and couldn't run a white bordello. She had forty girls working for her all of dem Octoroons. Beautiful light skin girls all of dem. No African or any other mensfolk was allowed to visit Mahogany Hall ...it were only for the white rich men. They sure did come visit, too. One of dem white mens was my daddy and one was Miss Gigi's, too. We have the same mama but different daddy's you see. We are sisters but no one would ever guess it, she so light and all. She dyes her brown hair blonde but she got all the looks with dem blue eyes and wavy hair. We both raised up in that house, that is, until 'Storyville' got closed down in 1917. Miss Gigi and I had a hard go of it for awhile. 'Cause we was Octoroon we couldn't work no where there was white women but we left for California. Since I is so dark I pretended to be her maid and she passed herself off as white. We earned a bunch of money out dare in California and dat is how we got da money to build dis place. You don't tell Miss Gigi I spilled the beans and told you all dis stuff. I just needed to tell someone I guess. Miss Gigi she a good person even if she was a whore and runs dis whore house."

"I'll keep your secret, Miss Moselle. I have a lot of my own; I wouldn't want anyone to know. Look at the time. I've got to git; I mean get, upstairs and change."

"You sure doin' good with dat English, Miss Gigi she teaching you good. I does pretty good most time but den I slip back." Miss Moselle laughed. "You git on upstairs. Today and tonight is yours. You have fun baby."

Rosewood House was decorated with festive lights and rose colored ribbons on every post and tree. The house was filled with red and pink roses. Additional chairs had been added to both downstairs parlors and in the center of a long table a huge silver punch bowl with Champagne punch and a white six tiered cake decorated with red roses .

Madame Gigi knocked on the door. "Marie, it's time to go down and make your presentation."

Marie opened the door and for a moment Madame Gigi couldn't get her breath. "I...I...have never seen anyone as lovely as you." Madame Gigi stammered.

"I can't believe this dress is so fantastic, I feel like a princess." Marie smoothed the white silk fabric with the red rose colored trim down.

"I thought you would like it. I ordered it all the way from France. After the party you will also find a table in the mirrored parlor upstairs filled with gifts from myself and the girls." Madame smiled. "Now come with me and we will surprise and delight all my patrons who have come to see you tonight. They have been warned, they only look tonight. We'll talk about your decision tomorrow to join my girls. Tonight it's your birthday , "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

"Yes, let the good times roll!" Marie laughed and started down the stairs with all eyes on her.