Oh. Great. Sweet Boy has gotten himself a slide whistle. Today is going to be a long day full of comical sound effects. Every day in New Orleans is an adventure one way or another.
This morning was particularly heart-wrenching. I wish a dwarf would show up. The presence of a little person would add some much-needed perspective to today’s events. I was subjected to ululations. Better to be the listener than the person with an irresistible urge to ululate.
I am not talking about Yoko Ono’s singing. These ululations were not for show. These ululations were primal grief.
I had no idea the last letter I penned to you was entitled Ulloa Street. Honestly.
Today is about a ululation I witnessed in the 8th Ward. I had business in the 8th Ward. It happens. The “yule/you’ll” sound has been circulating around downtown New Orleans the past couple of days. I do not know about uptown.
I have not been to Uptown in two weeks. I do not miss it but I am remiss. Mrs. King and I are going to Oak Street tomorrow. Oak Street. Oak Street. Oak Street. Let that sink in.
If something is not on Maple Street in Carrollton, it is on Oak Street. More things are on Oak Street. Breads on Oak is on Oak Street. So is the Oak Wine Bar where I always go see Daphne perform.
Daphne is the Starter Wife, not to be confused with the Occasional Wife, though both impermanent wives occupy similar neighborhoods close-by. Daphne, like your humble narrator, also enjoys urban spelunking. This is why we get along. We have very few other shared interests. We get along.
I should introduce Daphne to Sweet Boy. She can play the guitar and he can play the slide whistle. New Orleans is full of improbable combinations. Improbable combinations work in odd ways more often than not in New Orleans. I see it happen every day, I am sometimes a part of the combo.
On to the source of the ululations. What follows is not pretty. What follows is another tesserae in the New Orleans mosaic. More to follow behind the curtain.
There is always something happening below the surface in New Orleans. Take a look.