Chapter 2 : You'll Never Walk Alone

[ song – You'll Never Walk Alone by Aretha Franklin]

Caralee Bennett was 13 year old when she stand on the backlands of the bayou on a hot summer day barefooted in the sand looking up at her father hang and gunshot body dangling like a fruit from a tree as big as God. Her eyes well up like the Mississippi, she could hear her mother Hattie screaming from a distance running towards her with other folks from around the area running towards her. Caralee fell to her knees crying and looking at her barely recognized father

"No daddy! What have you done ? what will become of me?" she fumbled from her lips to her dead father. Her mother wrapped her weak arms around her as they cried.

{Present Day}

Bonnie made a trip to a civil rights museum, she mostly wanted to pay respect to her grandfather who she never met but was a pillar of New Orleans. It was a yearly job. Myles Bennett's statute sat in the middle of the museum surround by civil rights trivia.

"Hey grandpa another year I see you, my life is present much the same. I'm a sophomore and an A student in my Criminology class. I don't know if this is important but I met this older guy who seems sweet and a lawyer but he's white. I know that's not what the movement is about; we're supposed to show love and strength as we fight for equality. It isn't about hating on white folks but the things they did..the things they did to you and my mother is unforgivable" she muttered as she sat near his statute.

"My mind is telling me …never fall to the white man feet but my heart is saying its 2018 everyone is loving who they want my mind can't be trapped in mental slavery" Bonnie said rubbing her head.

A woman with a long laced black dress, hazel eyes, flowing kinky hair and huge black hat laughed so southern that Bonnie felt those Baptist church bells ring her soul "Child you aren't alone, do you know how many pretty black woke girls are questioning whether they should date outside their race after years of torture…and I'm not just talking about mulatto girls like us" she said tipping her hat. Bonnie stood silently look intently at the woman, she seem older by words but her features were so youthful "Who are you?"

"Call me Marie…im a native and part-time tour guide" Marie said smiling.

"In my opinion baby girl test the waters…you know your history well enough to be strong"

Bonnie smiled and looked up at her grandfather, she was about the comment to the lady but she disappeared.

Bonnie left the museum and decided to grab lunch at a bar/restaurant Hayley worked at as a waitress.

"Bon!Hey girl" Hayley said loudly as she walked in.

"Hey Hayles can I have a glass of wine first? Thanks" Bonnie said. As Bonnie sat at the bar, she saw Damon looking over at her smirking and ignored him. Damon got up with his bourbon and slid over to her

"I'm starting to think I did something wrong…I was expecting a call but no calls then you basically gave me the cold look. Did I do something wrong?" He asked smiling.

Hundreds of years of wrong Bonnie thought "No just…today was the day my grandfather died" she gulped. His eyes got sad "I'm sorry I shouldn't have disturb you"

Bonnie thought about what that Marie lady said "test the waters but know your history"

"Its fine…I rather the company" she said smiling at him. He sat down and order more bourbon and wine while they chat about each other. Bonnie avoided her demons. After lunch the two walked about the French Quarter "I had fun today with you" he said facing her by a fountain. She nodded with a smile.

"Have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he blurted out.

Bonnie bit the bottom of her lip in silence.

"I'll make you a deal, if you don't my company I will take you back home" he said. She laughed "Okay one dinner…no funny stuff"

It was 11:30pm and Hayley was cleaning up to close up the bar, she notice a guy drinking and looking at his phone "Um sorry sir we're closing"

He looked up and she realized it was the older Mikaelson, Elijah. He stared at her with a sweet smile "My apologizes I'll leave, the martini was lovely"

She blushed "I made it…well I make the drinks around here too"

He smiled "Well I hope to see you again"

He left a big tip and left, Hayley checked his ass out "Damn! God is real"