Author's note Draft 2

If the story does not say draft 2, it's not the final draft

Sorry for the update. Life got in the way

Edited on 10/25/21

Edited on 12/10/21

Life Worth 0

XI-XII

XI (Saturday, 10th of Aug 1957. Cypress Community. New Orleans, United States of America)

The last four weeks have been tiring some. The deal I made with Ista and Louis was what made these last four weeks the worse.

The deal was that if I wanted to go see Andrei after five, I would have to clean up Louis's house.

See, it all started when Andrei asked me to meet him at the park after five when I first tried to meet up after my family had been back in New Orleans for five days. I ask Ista and Louis. Ista was going to say no because I was still only six. But Luthor wants to see his only friends and asks to go too and says he would watch me like usual. I was surprised by what he said and wondering when he usually watches me. But before I could ask him about when he watches me, Louis says we could go if we clean his house. After he says that, Luthor asks if we can stay in Louis's house. That was when Ista asked me why I wanted to meet up with Andrei when I saw him that very day.

I answered her by telling them that Andrei could not talk to me during the day and about giving him the bag of food, forgetting that I didn't ask their permission to give Andrei that bag of food. That's how I found out that the community only had food for the next two months. Even knowing this, the next day I still brought a bag of food for Andrei and his family, because Andrei looks at the bag of food like it was only the answer to his problem.

Louis brought the conversation back on track by asking me if the house was suitable enough for me and Luthor to stay in. I told him yes, while feeling guilty that I would be shorting the community food supplies for the nagging feeling to help Andrei. We settled the conversation like that, with me and Luthor is cleaning up Louis's house for permission to see our friends.

The next day, Luthor and I went to Louis's house and started cleaning it.

We start with tearing down the wooden boards on all the windows and two doors for the housing part of the house.

Because the housing part of the house starts on the second level of the three-level house, it was hard to give the wood off the windows.

When we were cleaning the housing part of the house, we stopped for the day. The next day, we start at the first level of the building, which makes up the two garages that function as the furniture shop and mechanic shop.

The two garages were ok for the most part, the only problems that need to be fixed were wiping everything off and airing out the building.

When we, when back home, we told Ista and Louis we were done at the end of the week. Ista and Louis want to see how well we did. Seeing that we did a great job, they make cleaning up all the other houses, while the other member of the community rebuilds the community. So what I and Luthor did for the next three weeks. When I was not cleaning meeting up with Andrei, he makes sure to wear the clothes I give him every time we meet up. The day before yesterday, the President sent out the news that help would be getting here on the eleventh.

But that's something for another day, today is for celebrating my brother's Luthor birthday.

Unlike usual where we have colorful streamers drone around the area of the party, picnic tables full of different types of food such as bison pot roast with hominy, roasted turnips, and winter squash with agave glaze, a dancing area with joyful music playing in the background, and a kid area full of different games for them to play, while everyone wears their most nice and colorful clothes to celebrate somebody's birthday.

But today Luthor's birthday was not as fun and happy as usual. Instead of doing what we usually do, we only give him the day off of doing everything and make a little more food for him.

Today, most of everybody still has to work. Even with most of everybody moving out the street and into their house or into the one that has a tree on it or a house flip over, living with their close relatives. The only thing we have gotten done is making the alligators pin and taking the file over the house and taking down the tree off the only thing we have to do now is fix the house, water cleaner building, wood carving building, school building, and barn building and the farming area.

Luthor POV (Play Logic 44 Bar)

Sitting around eating my serving of birthday extra sweet potato with the sound of hammers in the background. Throws me back to when I was five and mom was taking me from my dad's family and making me meet her family and telling me they were going to be family and to get along with them.

With these new people that are family that did not act like dad's family who acted like they cared in front of me but would whisper behind my back. But these new people will eventually become people who I would learn to care about because my mom does, even when they don't treat me, and eventually, my little siblings who will along, the exact same way as they would treat any other member of the community.

These new people make my mom act differently and make her stay up at night worrying about the future, so she always has to plan for the future.

The future where they build new houses for themselves and make the small home that mom always says that dad builds himself for the time small family, bigger with more room than we needed.

Then there was a time when the father was always talking about in a fairy tale type of way about them now deceased grandma that used to always tell you a story about the family history, On of how strong the family was people who lived through slavery. That tries to name each member with the letter L at the beginning of their name to make them know that this kid has something to their name. And the mom who used to always tell you a bedtime story, but stopped when those people came along to live with us.

A father who came back from the war for a week; who was aggrieved and agitated with unknown people around his wife and son, but tries to hide the feeling the best to hide the best way he can? Who stops being a father at the end of the week and becomes a dad.

Dad left mom with the feeling of loneliness and me with the secret of becoming an older sibling.

Being an older sibling was a gift and a curse. A gift in Halona who may not see me as Luthor, but as Luthor, her older protective big brother who she can follow the example of. But also a curse, because she will take on your position, (that you work hard for even when you knew you didn't truly care for it) being the next head of the community because your parents see you do not truly care full-heatedly for the members as she does.

As Neil came along growing up the same way as Halona but seeing the same thing you do, but instead of trying to be the perfect son and what everybody expects a son of Ista and Louis to be, you acted like yourself. Someone that varied differently from all the other males in the community.

But their community eventually grew in personality when the Twins were born. Lynda, who was named after your beloved Grandma who people tell you a story of that sounds sort of like her, but because you knew her even for a little while do not truly match up to her. Lynda, who is nothing like Grandma because Grandma was explosive, while Lynda is balmy and territorial over Louise because she keeps her attention on something for more than a minute.

And finally, Louise, who, in my family, even while at the most like dad after Neil, will probably be the one to raise her children most like mom. After so many hours to follow her around the city and now seeing her give that bag of food and cloth to that friend while now knowing the things she knows. No saying she will be a doormat in the future by the way she treats the other of the kids of the community with that cold shoulder of her, but she will need to learn to not be as accepting and encompassing as she is for that one kid she meets up with.

"Luthor… Luthor," Louise says, snapping me out of my thoughts. From the way she is calling my name and her shaking my shoulder and me not noticing that she was in front of me, I must have my eyes closed and zoned out.

"What you want, quiet child," I said

"Don't call me that" She says, getting angry.

"But it is your middle name," I said that just to annoy her even more.

"No, my middle name is Shysie," She said with a now defiant tone in her voice.

"But it has a meaning," I said, just to pick on her a little more.

"Well, if you are going to use one of my names meanings, use my first name meaning," She said in the way all little sisters say that in when they think they have won the argument they were having.

"Oh, Ludwig, then," I said to keep up the argument.

"No Famous Warriors" Now she's truly mad.

"That does not sound ladylike at all", I tell her my honest opinion on the meaning of that name.

"Well, either do quite, child. Honestly, to this day I truly do not get why they named me such an unpopular girl named," She said now calming down.

"It is because you were a silent baby" Think back to the old days when she gave a very odd baby.

"Well, I'll be trying to be more careful what my kids' names are in the future," I believe her, seeing as how noisy she is with her only name.

"If you say so... Now, why are you bugging me on my day off" Now I want to see what you want me to.

"It's your birthday, so here," she says, shoving a rectangle box into my chest. Taking the box off my chest, belatedly realizing that it is a gift, I open it. Inside was a colorful assortment of a ballpoint pen and cartridge pens.

"Where did you get things?" I said a little autonomous.

"Before the hurricane," She says it like it's no big deal.

"Why pens?" I ask, trying to figure out her way of thinking.

"Well, you have been talking about how you and your friends are going to be going to college soon" The way she says it makes me think she doesn't realize that I won't be able to go to college this year.

"That was months ago," I said to dislodge those sad thoughts.

"Well, I got it months ago… I only like giving out useful gifts, you should know that by now." And she's right, the only gift she gives out is all the usual kinds. The gift that might look fun and useless, but eventually will become very useful.

"Where did you get the money to buy something expensive in pipe pens" Now she's making me wonder where she's getting all this money lately.

"Well, I, but most of the money I get from Mom and Dad on the side for stuff like this" Again showing that she probably will be the one most unlikely to have money problems in the future, with that mine to think ahead.

"Thanks, Louise," I said, pulling her into a hug.

"You welcome you jerk," She said, returning the hug.

"Well, is it my right to be a jerk to you? I am your older brother," I said with a big smile that spread across my face.

"Then why are you not being a jerk to Halona, Neil, and Lynda?" Even not being able to see her face, I can still tell she's pouting.

"Because you're special" And she is special, she's the only one who sees me as Luthor.

"Well, I don't want to be special," she said now with a smile on her face.

XII (Monday, 12th of Aug 1957. New Orleans, United States of America)

Waking up in Louis's house is becoming more of a hassle these days.

Besides sleeping on the cold wooden floor because all the furniture that is made out of steel coils and inner springs is starting to rush. And the part of the sofa, armchair, and bed made of memory foam is soggy and starting to mold.

The only furniture we have left is some wooden furniture made by the tribe and some mirrors. Some wooden furniture broke apart because of the pressure it was under and some mirrors what is shattered with it.

But the sleeping condition is not the only thing that makes it harder to get comfortable in the house because August is not as cold as it can be for fall, but the further we get into the month the colder it gets.

It is getting so cold at night that. Luthor and Louis are starting to sleep together at night for warmth.

Because the city is not back in order, there is no gas for the gas heater to work, making it colder in the house.

The community is dealing with the lack of heat by making campfires and having everybody sleep near them.

But the problem we are looking at right now is not the problem of standing warm. Its problem is water.

The community has a lot of water-packed ways, and we bought water before we came back, but that water is starting to run out between making food, drinking it, making sure the members under six have taken a bath every other day.

Bath… I haven't taken a bath in weeks. The only way to stay somewhat clean is to run out in the rain with soap to wash. It is so cold doing this to stay clean. Everybody does it all together, so there is no privacy. At the same time, we use the tubs from the ruined houses to fill up with water to wash our own clothes in after the rain has stopped for the clothes to be clean.

When Ista noticed that we were running low on water on the ninth, she told Louis about it, and he has been looking around the city since for the part of the water cleaner machine that was damaged in the hurricane.

While he is doing that, I and Luthor are still cleaning up the house that the community owns.

Now I am waiting on me and Andrei's usual meetup spot at Harding Park after five.

Hearing the noise of Andrei's worn down East Land Men's Sherman 1953 edition boot, pulled my mind all of my thoughts to look in the usual direction he comes from. But not seeing him in that direction, I look around.

Finally, looking behind me, I see him.

Andrei POV

See the confused look on Louise's face. I pulled the coat she gave me closer around me to stop the chilly wind of the night.

Stopping next to her, I sat down, not saying a thing. I wait for her to start the conversation for my own entertainment.

Finally, giving a trial waiting on me to answer, she asked "Did you hear?"

"Yes," I said.

"Ok… why did you come from a different direction today?" She asked

Instead of answering her, I thought back on the past few days.

When I heard the news about help finally coming, I went straight to Louise's house to see what we were going to do. Even leave on the day while doing my part to earn my family's part in giving food.

When I got to her house, it was empty again, just not until her house was empty. I sent the rest of the day to go through all the wards. Just look for her. When I got back to the seventh ward and back to my family. My Dad told me that my family was going to get less food. After that, I feel like some fool knows that causes my family to get less food in these hard times.

But lucky and smart of me to put aside the food Louise gives me in the ruin of my home for a time like this when the community finds a reason to give my family less.

While telling my Dad about Louise and about the food she gives us, I realized something.

I realized that not just her house has been empty, all the houses in her neighborhood were empty too. The house she sometimes mentions when she talks about people she knows, and the reason she cannot see me some days.

The way Louise talks about her people and her responsibility and relationships with them reminds me of the head family.

I know Louise's family is middle class and better well off than most people. By the way she always has a nice new thing that is better than what other African American people usually have. And way her home is two stories and bigger than the average of the somebody of her race. By the way, she talks about the Catholic school she goes to and all the classes she has. When I ask the elders about the school they said that the school is expensive and that the only reason Lash the Voivode only son and the next leader of the caravan go there is because it is one of the best education schools.

But her being rich does not matter when I trust her enough to show her my life, and she does not do the same. But at the same time, she trusts me with another thing about herself. And she helps my family when others will not do a thing.

Now with their thought and my only conclusion, I will ask her one question but if she does not answer I will not push her.

"Louise, where were you on the ninth?"

"Louise, where were you on the ninth?" Andrei asks like he was questioning about the weather.

He's asking me that question only makes me think back to that question I asked Dad when I was four.

Flashback starts

"Dad, why do we have to go to school in New Orleans when we have a school in the community?"

"Louise, before I answer your question, answer me this. … Do you know the difference between how you look and how Halona looks? " He asks

"Well, yes, she looks like a lighter version of mom and I look like a little lighter version of you," I said with the utmost confidence in my answer being right.

"Yes, but do you understand the difference?" He said with does a calm but serious look on his face.

"I... Don't think I do. " Not truly understanding what he's asking me.

"That's OK... you're my smart girl, but you're only four," he said, trying to make light of the conversation.

"Nmmm" Was my only answer.

"What I am trying to get you to think about is how people and the world will treat you and how it will treat Halona… Louise, you being my smart girl, will probably understand a little too soon for my liking… the difference and why your mother works so hard to keep the community safe." He said with a look of somberness to him.

"Dad, you did not answer my question," I said while poking my finger into his cheek to get that somber look off his face.

"I didn't do it," he said roughly about my hair. "Come, let's go finish building your dream treehouse"

Flashback end

Dad said I would understand one day the answer to his question, but I do not know if I truly understand the question, but I do know that the community needs to keep a secret.

"Andrei, I do not know how to question your question," I say with a guilty look on my face.

"All right"

"That it"

"Yes... something sometimes is hard to answer"

"Ok... Now answer my question"

"As you wish, Obsidian"

"Obsidian, "

"Yes Obsidian when I… When I think of you, I all think back to that time on that rooftop when you talk about space and the stars... And how the night sky makes you feel like you are looking into Obsidian and any problems you have seen tiny... Besides, we meet up now in a park at the time when the night sky is pitch black."

"Wow, that was... wow," I said, speechless by his deep answer.

"Shut up," he said, pushing my shoulder now to play an embarrassment look on his face instead of his usual unflappable expression.

"What I am not saying anything," I said now laughing at his embarrassment.

"All right, serious... the reason I didn't come my normal way is because I know where Government help is setting up at." And as he finishes his sentence, I realize that he is very good at finding out things that he should not know.

Author's note :

The next update is this Sunday

Now on to facts