Let Your Light So Shine
Synopsis: Tiana and Naveen meet a friend in their restaurant who seems quite a bit familiar.
"So, you love me ?"--Prince Naveen as a frog to Tiana as a frog
"Warts and all."--Tiana, The Princess and the Frog
Chapter 1--Strangely Familiar
Tiana and Naveen's daughter, Cheri Evangeline was old enough now to help out in her parents' restaurant. Someday, she knew that she would be the owner of Tiana's Palace and that thought tickled her absolutely pink. She loved the restaurant her parents had started and the unusual way they had met. She had wondered though, even though she knew their peculiar fairy tale had been actual fact if something like that would ever happen to her. She often asked her mom and dad if it would.
"You know, Cheri, I asked my daddy the same thing growing up. I often looked outside at the evening star and wished intensely upon it. He was right about that star. Wishes only take you so far, but you have to work at them to make them come true, honey child.", Tiana said, patting her daughter's head.
Cheri could hear more people coming into the restaurant and she became very animated. One of them was Eudora, who was now living a comfortable life thanks to the profit the Prince and Tiana were collecting and saving half of for her retirement. Though she was retired, she was still a fiery woman with a passion for sewing clothes and keeping the spirit of Mardi Gras and Halloween alive year round in the bayou. She had become one of the best sewers of her day and Cheri sewed in her spare time so it was likely she would have her hands full when she grew older and grandmother could no longer sew. But, Cheri didn't mind. She was her 'mama's child' after all.
Cheri was an exceptional helper. She kept all the patrons fed, gave them plenty to drink and even sang some magnificent jazz. Her dream was to become a clarinet player but school and work had kept her from her dream. This didn't cause her desire to make music fizzle, in fact, it only multiplied it. One day, she thought, she would be able to play in places like her mother's restaurant and maybe even make a full-time gig out of it. But knowing how much money, or lack thereof that musicians made, she knew she would have to stick to sewing and bussing tables to make ends meet.
Suddenly, a red-headed boy came rushing through the doors with the biggest, most luminescent smile one ever saw. His personality seemed to glow as well and from what Cheri could tell, he had a heart of gold.
"I have been wantin' tuh come here mah whole life !", the boy said in Cajun dialect. Cheri had no trouble deciphering his accent.
"Really ? How did you hear of us ?", Cheri asked. The boy couldn't stop his genuine grin.
"My mama and papa hoid about you. And I thoughts to myself, tres bein ! I will go an' make a visit wid dem. They is on their way. Oh ! I forgots !", the young boy said, momentarily bashful for having been remiss in introducing himself. Though a bit raggedy in dress, the youngster was exceedingly charming.
"I'm Raymond, but you can call me Ray.", the boy said, bowing his head politely, taking Cheri's hand and kissing it. Cheri tittered lightly.
"I'm Cheri Evangeline. My parents own this restaurant.", Cheri said. Cheri waited for Ray's parents to enter, which they did. She wondered how they would ever pay for their meal but felt it was improper to ask them about money.
Cheri rushed back to the kitchen as soon as she had gotten Ray's orders.
"Wait a minute. Did you say 'Raymond' ?", Naveen questioned, curiously. Neither he, nor Tiana had heard that name in a long time. Seeing as the kitchen would be perfectly fine without their supervision, the two of them stepped out to greet Raymond and his family.
"Asheetanza ! It's exactly who I thought it would be !", Naveen exclaimed brightly. Ray was surprised, having just met the owners. Tiana had never believed in reincarnation but after seeing Ray, she was starting to take credence in her husband's perspective of the afterlife.
The more that Naveen and Tiana spoke with Ray, the more they realized that he was the Ray that they knew once long ago.
"Listen, Ray…You know you are always welcome here.", Naveen said, hugging him. Raymond couldn't believe his ears.
"My dream's comin' true !", Ray shouted joyously. From the kitchen, Cheri watched him and felt her cheeks turn rouge. She was euphoric that her parents were allowing Ray and his family to dine at the restaurant, even if he couldn't afford it.
Chapter 2--Budding Romance
Even though Cherie spent her summers in Maldonia and returned with tales of breathtaking scenery, tremendous trinkets, stories of excellent food and dance and memories to last for thousands of essays of what she did for her summer vacation, she was glad to come back to the restaurant. But she wondered what would happen to Maldonia. She didn't have to wonder long since Naveen's younger brother, Valentine who was now a teenager, would be running the country someday. He was, after all, the next eligible heir to inherit the throne. He enjoyed visiting his 'Auntie Tiana' and 'Niece Cherie' often though, because sometimes he admitted being catered to bothered him to no end and he enjoyed helping where he was needed.
It finally became fall in New Orleans, and like every other child, Cherie had to attend school. Cherie never complained, even though there were some children that were jealous of her thanks to her heritage. Cherie never let that irritate her. After all, she had more time to spend with Raymond Dupree.
Every day that passed by, Cherie was becoming fonder of Raymond. She didn't care about his background or the fact that he didn't speak proper English. She could speak 3 languages herself: English, French and Maldonian. They mostly conversed in French and had a blast playing together on the playground. But some kids found this to be disgusting and wrong but she didn't pay attention to what they said. Frankly, she didn't care. Yet, as the years passed, her relationship grew stronger and stronger and she wondered if her parents would ever approve of it. They had so much in common and shared so many aspects of life together, she couldn't possibly see any reason that she should be apart from Ray. Someday, she hoped to marry him, although she hadn't met his family. But pretty soon, that was about to change and her plans were about to be put to the test.
Chapter 3--Cousins By Dozens
Cheri's life as an only child had ended during the summer of the coming year when her little sister Marie Babbette came into the world. Big brother Valentine came to tend to her from time to time as mom and dad worked hard to keep the Palace running like a fine-tuned steam engine. The Depression had proven to be a litmus test for everyone, and it seemed that Ray Dupree's family had fallen upon hard times. But no matter what, he and his parents could always expect a free meal from Tiana when the Duprees' funds started to drop. Even though Ray was a hard-working young man, he had recently been fired from his job and sadly his mom and dad didn't have the appropriate skills to keep the family going. Luckily, Ray had plenty of cousins to keep the Duprees' heads above the water, but it wasn't going to be enough to sustain them as the rocky economy began to stabilize.
Cherie had been just about everywhere in the continental united states, but she had never ventured into the bayou. Her mom and dad had told her plenty of stories about that part of Louisiana before, but she was still anxious.
"What if Ray's family doesn't like me ?", she asked as she got comfortable in her bed. Her little sister, Marie, was already sound asleep after her mom and dad sang in unison to her, accompanied by Naveen's lyrical ukulele. Tiana leaned forward to stroke her daughter's long, luscious raven locks.
"Child, don't worry. Ray adores you. You know we support you no matter what happens and whatever you decide to do.", Tiana stated, sweetly. Cherie's nervousness began to dissolve as she began to dream about becoming like her Grand'Mere, Eudora.
Dressed in her finest garments, Cherie said goodbye to her family and hoisted her luggage along the longest trip she had ever taken (at least it felt like a lengthy peregrination being so far from her mom, dad, sister and Grand'Mere). As she exited the large steamboat to the eerie but gorgeous bayou, she remembered the words of her mother and began to walk forward. Before she knew what hit her, zydeco music rang throughout the swamps. Ray introduced his family with such a flair that she found herself having a ball without even realizing it.
"Chere, I am sure by now you realize how big the Dupree family is. I hope that don bother you none.", Ray said, lowering his eyes a little in Cherie's ravishing form.
"Not at all, Ray. I quite like your family. They remind me of the locals in Maldonia, just a bit more…quaint.", Cherie chortled heartily. She met Cousin Bubba, Darla, Doreen, Cora, Carla, Nora, Nelly and so on. She didn't know if she could keep all these cousins straight but they were all distinct in their personalities. Like Ray, they were all sparkling human beings and adored life.
Sitting down for dinner, Cherie was able to get to know the Duprees better. She then announced her true intentions, knowing that she was meant to marry Ray and spend the rest of her life in bliss with him.
"I know you have been wondering about where our relationship has stood for years, and I do realize it may seem a bit gauche for me to take the gentleman's role in this manner…", Cherie began. Ray knew what was going to come next and the anticipation was making him wring his hands a bit.
"Ray, you know I love you. I just wanted to know if you would care to oblige me with many more happy years of love, laughter and dancing together ?", Cheri asked as she pulled out a lovely set of engagement rings from her purse. Ray's eyes became wet with tears and he hugged her unexpectedly, blanketing Cheri's face in copious kisses.
"Ah, Chere ! Oui, oui, OUI ! I couldn't imagine nothing finer !", Ray said. Ray's mom, Lucy, hugged the two lovers together.
"I was hopin' you were gonna ask him. This here boy has a tendency to drag his feet !", she said, joshing with him a bit. He hadn't really been avoiding the 'big question'. The only matter that bothered him was how he was going to impress the Maldonians once he and Cheri were married. Cheri reassured him that he would have no trouble in Maldonia and people there were rather open-minded. Hearing this, Ray's fears were assuaged.
Chapter 4--Cajun Wedding
Cherie returned finding everything in working order. Her sister had taken the role that she once wanted to fill. This didn't bother Cherie one bit because she still wished to become 'the best seamstress in Louisiana'. With her talent and love of the art of fabric, it wasn't any wonder she would someday exceed her Grandmother Eudora's ability.
Being a frugal princess, Cherie made her own wedding attire. Ray had wanted to see what the dress looked like but she wouldn't allow it.
"You know it's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before she is married.", she said, before kissing him affectionately.
"Jes comprande, amour.", he stated, blushing rouge and leaving the parlor to get advice from his future father-in-law.
Though Ray felt out-of-place in his new formal duds, he felt he could get used to wearing fancier suits. His whole family looked like they were going to see a premier at the Ritz compared to what they typically wore on an average day.
Maldonia was all abuzz about the unusual theme of the wedding but welcomed it with open arms. After all, their young Princess was getting married and she was to be Queen of Maldonia someday. She certainly felt she would perform the duties of a Princess properly, and Ray would become the King, a role he felt humbled to be appointed into.
From the start, the wedding itself was a festival of grand proportions, but still managed to be modest. Marie, who was growing bigger every day, had volunteered to be the flower girl and Valentine was the ring bearer. Tiana and Naveen sang a merry love ballad for the two lovers and waited for the bride to make her grand entrance. As she did, they were bewitched by Cheri's beauty. Mom and dad could hardly hold back their proud tears, and even Grand Mere Eudora was weeping with joy.
Cheri promenaded gracefully down the aisle. Charlotte LeBeouf, who wouldn't miss a wedding of mass proportions such as this, cried bountiful tears for her best friend's 'darlin' buttercup', whom she felt just as proud of as her mom did.
Ray twiddled his gloved thumbs as he looked at Cheri in a daze.
"Sacre couer…", he said reverently, his eyes welling with tender jovial tears. Her dainty gloved hands took his, cradling them, lovingly.
"You look mighty handsome yourself, Mr. Dupree.", she said, stroking his hand endearingly. Ray felt he might melt but realized what he was feeling now wasn't a dream or a fairy tale but an actual miracle come true. He was light as a feather and he knew he and his family weren't going to have to worry much longer. Their lives had just been filled with sunshine and all because of unconditional love and goodwill.
The reverend made his vows and at last, had the two lovebirds seal their union with a holy kiss. The band behind them broke into upbeat zydeco, beckoning everyone in the outdoor setting to dance and forget their cares for a second. The music was so catchy that everyone attending had an absolute blast cutting a royal rug to such jubilant music. There was also plenty of food and drink to go around because parties like this one often lasted until the wee hours of dawn. But no one in Maldonia cared because such celebrations were life's blood itself.
Chapter 5--Aurora and Shakina
Charlotte hadn't left the wedding bash empty handed. She had met someone special during the reception. He was an ordinary Maldonian by the name of Lyle Gerard. Lyle was a fun-loving type of man, but his trouble is, he didn't speak English very well. He hadn't been outside Maldonia. The language barrier wasn't about to stop Charlotte from getting to know Lyle better so, despite the fact that the relationship was going to be slightly long-distance, she decided to give Lyle the chance of a lifetime to work for "Big Daddy LeBeouf". Already having found a liking to Lotte, Lyle decided to leave Maldonia for 'bigger and better things', much to his parent's dismay. But he was of age and could figure out what the real world was like without his parent's help. His relationship with his parents could be repaired, but his new life, though pleasant, wasn't about to be easy.
Cherie had never been prepared for parenthood, especially since she had been surprised by the sudden arrival of twins. Ray had mentioned that twinning was common in the Dupree family but he stood by her side and made her birthing experience as calming as he possibly could. The two little ones, Aurora and Shakina, were brought into the world without any difficulty; both healthy, happy, plump and lovely baby girls.
Ray was a proud, boastful papa, holding his little 'cheres' in his arms, kissing them repeatedly. They resembled their mama more than their handsome papa, but they did have red shocks of hair upon their heads. Both parents knew they'd have their hands full with these fiery spirited infants but something told them the two were destined for greatness someday. Anyhow, the whole Kingdom of Maldonia celebrated and back in the bayou there was a huge festival in honor of the birth of the two 'twins of Light'.
Chapter 6--Love in the Big Easy
After a year of getting acclimated to life in New Orleans, Lyle spoke perfect English and had come to call Louisiana his home. He was a hard worker and had impressed Charlotte's father. The whole time he had been working for Daddy LeBeouf, he had finally earned enough money to marry Lotte. Not even Lotte knew about this but the word had gotten out to Ray, Cherie and family about the coming engagement.
Ray found it difficult to stay quiet about elements of such romantic importance. Before long, everyone in Maldonia knew of the joyous occasion.
Lyle would be the one to inherit the LeBeouf fortune as soon as he was married to his beautiful Charlotte. After all these years of waiting and finally learning how to be patient, Charlotte had found the 'prince' of her dreams even if he wasn't descended from royalty. To her, it really didn't matter. She had learned that true love wasn't about status but about true romance. If it hadn't been for Cheri's wedding, she would've never met him. Often times, she thanked Cheri for inviting her to her wedding with Ray and she had come to visit to baby sit when mom and dad had been delegating royal duties in the castle. She had become 'Godmother Lotte' to them and the designation humbled and uplifted her consecutively. Now it was her chance to thank Cheri once her nuptials had been planned. Needless to say, it would be a grand occasion. Everyone that Daddy LeBeouf knew was invited and it would be occurring during Mardi Gras. The party would go down in history as the largest, loudest, most festive celebration in history.
Epilogue
Daddy LeBeouf himself officiated his own daughter's wedding. Cheri, who had seen the two bashfully introduce themselves at her own wedding, smiled broadly seeing them together at last. Tearfully, Charlotte hugged her best friend's daughter.
"You were right, Cherie. Patience was the key !", she said, jumping up and down. It didn't even take wishing on an evening star to have her dream come true. Tiana came in between them and put her arm around her best friend.
"Congratulations, Lotte. You deserve it. I am glad you have found happiness.", Tiana said. The two friends hugged and Charlotte squealed happily.
"Dreams do come true, and hard work made it possible.", Lotte admitted. Tiana couldn't have been happier with those words. Her dear girlfriend had made many transitions since their youth. No longer was she a spoiled brat but a confidant young woman who had embraced the bold new world that had changed quite a bit since the jazz era.
None of the friends were certain where the future would take them but they had all seen abundance and scarcity in the passing years. Music, friendship and love had kept them tied together and would never keep them separate. Charlotte had been married now for a year and had an active, attractive son, George. George, though he was younger than Cheri's girls, visited Maldonia every so often. Life couldn't have been happier for any of them and they knew it was all due to living good lives, being in families that cared for them and appreciated them and letting their lights shine as they took every day for what it was: a blessing and a precious gift.
The End