Our earnest heroine Madeline the Prophetess one morning after Mass was talking with Clotilde, a woman who was very evident in her fatigue. Clotilde told Madeline and the other ladies that she didn't have any courage* any longer; she felt listless all the time. The unfortunate said that she had consulted with doctors, but to no avail. All they would do is run tests, prescribe pills, and tell her that she would soon feel better.
But she didn't.
Clotilde then wondered if she could try some alternative approach; such as a homeopath or a naturopath or a chiropracter, maybe. Or even consult a traiteur** for folk healing. Or maybe see a Voodoo consultant.
The Prophetess was rumored to be a traiteur; she was all sympathy. She listened to Clotilde's litany of complaints carefully, and nodded when appropriate.
Then she said, "You've been doing a lot of church work lately. Maybe you need to slack off for a while. Too much church work can tire a body out considerably. And cut back on your coffee drinking, too. Why don't you take a week at your cousin's fishing cabin for a change of scenery? And I'll put on my hands, and we'll pray together."
Clotilde, being at wit's end, listened to her advice and decided to follow it. She wondered after a while if this Prophetess girl saw the past as well as the future . . . . but Our Prophetess didn't let on. She was, after all, a proper New Orleans lady, and really did not entertain such thoughts!
Actually, Madeline saw the young priest slip down Clotilde's back stairway early in the morning. She thought that they were too zealous in church work and this was too demanding for Clotilde's fragile constitution. Priests are notoriously deficient when it comes to understanding women!
Anyway, Clotilde quickly recovered from her fatigue and had renewed courage and life! She found other interests, and was not obsessed with the religion so much and attributed her cure to St. Expedité.***
*Among those of French or Creole heritage in New Orleans, "courage" is roughly synonymous with pep or energy. Probably from the French word élan.
**A Cajun folk healer.
***An apocryphal saint, very much preferred in New Orleans. Worthy of a story sometime.
But she didn't.
Clotilde then wondered if she could try some alternative approach; such as a homeopath or a naturopath or a chiropracter, maybe. Or even consult a traiteur** for folk healing. Or maybe see a Voodoo consultant.
The Prophetess was rumored to be a traiteur; she was all sympathy. She listened to Clotilde's litany of complaints carefully, and nodded when appropriate.
Then she said, "You've been doing a lot of church work lately. Maybe you need to slack off for a while. Too much church work can tire a body out considerably. And cut back on your coffee drinking, too. Why don't you take a week at your cousin's fishing cabin for a change of scenery? And I'll put on my hands, and we'll pray together."
Clotilde, being at wit's end, listened to her advice and decided to follow it. She wondered after a while if this Prophetess girl saw the past as well as the future . . . . but Our Prophetess didn't let on. She was, after all, a proper New Orleans lady, and really did not entertain such thoughts!
Actually, Madeline saw the young priest slip down Clotilde's back stairway early in the morning. She thought that they were too zealous in church work and this was too demanding for Clotilde's fragile constitution. Priests are notoriously deficient when it comes to understanding women!
Anyway, Clotilde quickly recovered from her fatigue and had renewed courage and life! She found other interests, and was not obsessed with the religion so much and attributed her cure to St. Expedité.***
*Among those of French or Creole heritage in New Orleans, "courage" is roughly synonymous with pep or energy. Probably from the French word élan.
**A Cajun folk healer.
***An apocryphal saint, very much preferred in New Orleans. Worthy of a story sometime.
Obsessing over religion or it's artifacts can wear you out.
ReplyDelete"Priests are notoriously deficient when it comes to understanding women!"
ReplyDeleteThe same can be said for men in general!
A nice story. I like how you left it vague as to whether Madeline was very naive, or knew what was going on.
ReplyDeleteLouisiana is a strange place. It's like crossing a cultural divide.
you're so delicously brilliant
ReplyDeleteMike's right. Perhaps he's a closet prophet...
ReplyDelete