Night Magic (7 page)

"Thank you, Mr. Garrett. After the
presentation by Batton Chemical, we have time set aside for
comments from members in the audience who have registered to state
their positions. Each speaker will have five minutes. Mr.
Singleton, if you're ready."

"Thank you. Just let me begin by saying we at
Batton Chemical are very concerned about safety. We have the
welfare of the community in mind, not to mention our employees. You
have before you a copy of our own report and the independent report
from Mr. Paul Honorè of Eco Systems Consultants. I will briefly
summarize our plant operations. I will then review the findings of
both reports. It will then be quite clear, crystal clear gentlemen,
that we meet or exceed industry standards of safety as a recycling
facility."With assistance from a Batton Chemical engineer,
Singleton launched into a technical explanation.

"Look like they impressed with all them big
words and fancy charts." A man standing close to Antoine spoke loud
enough for only a few to hear.

"All the high an' mighty talk in the world
ain't gone changed nuthin'. These people gone have a lot to say
'bout all them chemical they wanna bring here." Antoine tried to
sound confident; he frowned in concentration trying to follow
Singleton's jargon.

"Poppy, did you get anybody that understands
all of this to do a report for our side?" Savannah knew
environmental law to some extent. She also knew that without a
track record of violations to attack, the opponents would have an
uphill battle.

"Mencer say they schedule the hearin' so
fast, we didn't have time. But I don't think that matter no how.
The law say they got to listen to how we feel 'bout this here."

"But you need at least some research as
ammunition."

"We got how many people got cancer; how many
times we get sick from that old dump site that nobody done nothin'
about. That's oughta count for somethin'."

"But--"

"Thank you, Mr. Singleton. Mr. Garrett, Mr.
Mouton, do you have any more questions? Then we will take comments
from the audience."

A string of outraged citizens vented their
opposition to the proposed plant. Like Antoine, they spoke about
the toll cancer had taken on their families and friends. More than
one expressed frustration that state officials seemed more inclined
to listen to the plant owners. The expressed skepticism at the
insistence that no proven connection had been made between certain
diseases and the tons of waste discharged by the oil and chemical
industry.

"Why for the last thirty years, all these
plants been in poor, Black areas like Kentwood, Evangeline, and
Bayou Rouge? They passed up River Bend, forty miles down the river
road from Iberia. Put that plant smack in poor folks back yards."
Miss Lucille, a statuesque woman the color of dark chocolate, shook
her finger at the white men as if scolding children caught being
bad, a habit acquired from forty years of teaching.

"Yes, ma'am," The president of the Police
Jury said. The other men nodded respectfully. "Miss Lucille, your
time is almost up."

"I know that Mr. Shelby Leblanc, I've been
keeping time. You hold on a minute. Antoine, come up here. We need
you to talk." She shooed away several others who had gotten up to
speak. They sat back down obediently.

"Wait, now. They done had they chance to
talk. Not everybody tryin' to buck this thing. Ain't some of us
gonna get a chance?" Encouraged by a few voices of assent, a wiry
man with limp brown hair stood. From his weather beaten skin, it
was clear he had spent much time in the hot Louisiana sun.

"We want to hear everybody's side to this,
Manny. Go head." The police jury president nodded for him to go
on.

"One thing ain't been said, that is we need
jobs down here. Every one of them what's spoke up against this here
plant, they ain't been out of work for months. Now this man done
said can't nothin' show what y'all been sayin' about it being, how
you say, unsafe for the environment. Now if y'all can't prove what
you sayin', and we need jobs then I say let 'em build it. It's
plenty us that barely makin'."

"That's right!" a short man shouted from the
back.

"I got a family to feed," another man
yelled.

"And I tell you this; it's a lot more than me
that feel this way." There were shouts and applause to support
Manny's assertion."We need jobs bad, real bad. Nobody said we
didn't." Antoine spoke from where he stood, his voice ringing clear
even without the microphone. "But they play on that so we don't ask
too many questions. They figure we gone be so grateful that we take
anything and too ignorant to know enough to think past gettin' a
job to what that job gone do to our health."

"Who you callin' ignorant?" Manny spun around
to face Antoine.

"Don't take that stuff offa him, man," a
gruff male voice spoke over Antoine's shoulder.At the same time
someone shoved Antoine toward Manny who swung wildly at him.
Antoine received a glancing blow that caused his head to snap back.
A woman swung her large handbag to hit Manny. She missed him, but
smacked one of his defenders full in the face. Suddenly a wild free
for all with shouting, shoving, and a few punches landing, broke
out. Savannah tried frantically to push through the press of
scuffling bodies to her father. Paul tried wading through to her
shouting that she should get back. As he reached for her, a stocky
man rose from nowhere to deliver a right jab to his jaw. Savannah
somehow managed to get behind the attacker and gave him a sharp
kick to the back of both knees. He went down like a sack of
potatoes, falling against another man who slammed him in the mid
section. Savannah stepped on his back to reach Paul's side.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her away from the crowd. He pushed her
behind the table where the two state officials stood looking
desperately for a safe way out.

"Stay here," he shouted over the din and went
back into the fracas.Paul found Antoine quickly enough, but had to
fight several men to get him free. They joined Savannah at the
front of the auditorium just as several sheriff's deputies
arrived.

"Galee, if dis ain't a mess!" Sheriff Triche
paused to look around in amazement. "What y'all waitin' on? Get on
in dere an' break dis up." He shouted to his men at the same time
he grabbed two sweating combatants and pried them apart.

Paul tried to lead Savannah and her father
out by a side door, but was blocked by a deputy.

"Don't nobody leave here till we sort out who
done what to who." Sheriff Triche took out a large striped
handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat dripping from his
chin. His plump face was red from exertion.

"I tell you right now, he the one started
it." Manny, his shirt torn open with all the buttons gone, pointed
at Antoine. "I'm filin' charges on him, sheriff."

Loud voices on both sides of the fight
competed to be heard. The Sheriff shouted several times before
restoring order.

"Manny, number one, much as I done picked you
up offa the floor after you done started a fight you couldn't
finish, if somebody hit you then they probably had a reason." Low
grumbling could be heard. Manny scowled but didn't speak. "Number
two, when I come in Antoine wasn't nowhere near you. But I saw you
punchin' on Floyd. Fact, I'm gonna issue a whole bunch of
disturbin' the peace citations before I let anybody go on
home."

"That ain't right, no. I wanna file charges
on him! You s'pose to enforce the law," Manny barked.

"Enforce the law, huh? Okay, since you ain't
done paid the last fine for brawlin' over at the Gator Bar and
Grill, since you was released without paying no bond for public
drunkenness last month, I b'leive we gone start enforcin' the law
with you." Sheriff Triche stared at him hard while Manny
squirmed.

"You ain't worth the trouble, old man," Manny
snarled, not daring to look at the sheriff.

For the next hour, the deputies issued
citations. Paul insisted he follow them home in case Manny and his
friends decided to pursue them and continue the fight. Later Paul,
Antoine, and Savannah were seated around the kitchen table at
Antoine's house. As they drank strong coffee, Tante Marie pumped
them for details.

"Lord, a wonder somebody didn't get killed.
But I'm thankful nobody got hurt bad. Bet Miss Lucille left her
mark on few behinds though." Tante Marie chuckled.

"I swear, that old lady cleared a path. Last
time I saw her, she was walking out of there without a scratch not
long after the fight started." Paul smiled.

"Well, I just hope we got enough said to them
DEQ people for them not to renew that permit. That Claude Trosclair
got more up his sleeve than a magician, yeah. Got a permit to
recycle so he don't have to follow all them strict regulations for
handling that, how you call, toxic waste." Antoine frowned into his
coffee cup.

"But how did he get by with that? I mean Big
River is taking in waste from other plants, construction sites that
can't be disposed of like other waste materials. Seems as though
the state should be concerned about how that was is being disposed
of once they get it. I looked over the research on this slag. It's
conflicting, some of the studies show the material is potentially
dangerous, others say not," Savannah said.

"Singleton claims that the high heat used in
the kilns for burning that stuff makes it into a safe material that
can be used. Like you say, we can show 'em what some of the studies
say. But he can turn around and show just as many that say
different. I just don't know how it's gone come out." Antoine took
a deep breath and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?" Savannah got
up to examine his head for bruises or swelling.

"Quit fussin' now. I done told you I'm okay.
The day I can't take a punch from scraggly butt Manny Langlois is
the day you can put me out to pasture."

"Go on to bed, Poppy. Get some rest."
Savannah hugged him then planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Ooh." Tante Marie yawned loudly. Catching
Antoine's eye she jerked her head towards the door. "No wonder my
eyes gettin' so heavy. It's almost midnight. I'm goin' to bed
myself." She gave Antoine another cue by cupping his elbow as she
got up.

"Hum, oh yeah. Gotta get up early to, well,
got things to do. Goodnight." He patted Paul on the arm even as
Tante Marie none too gently propelled him out of the kitchen.

"Real subtle exit, huh?" Savannah gave a
small nervous laugh. She began busily picking up the dishes. "I
wanted to thank you for what you did, you sort of rescued us." She
spoke over her shoulder as she stood with her back to him rinsing
out the cups in the sink. Suddenly, he was standing close to her.
She could smell him, a warm musky scent that enveloped her.

"You were doing pretty well, though. That one
guy you kicked will be limping for a while." He began drying the
dishes.

"Did you see the look on that guys face after
that lady's purse connected with his nose?" Savannah widened her
eyes and wobbled her head in imitation.They both started laughing
so hard they almost dropped the dishes they were putting away. She
turned to shush him, pointing towards the bedrooms. They tipped out
to the front porch, smothering their laughter as best they could.
After several minutes, an awkward silent descended. Savannah sat
next to him on the porch swing next to him. A little voice warned
her not to let her let him get too close. Before either side had a
chance to prevail, he slid right up to her, their arms
touching.

"Savannah, would you like to go out sometime.
For dinner or something?"

"All right. I mean, that would be nice--"She
turned to find his face only inches from hers. His warm breath
brushed her cheek. Without thinking, she pressed against his body
gently rubbing her lips over his. She wanted to savor this
closeness, to taste the sweetness a little at a time. His arms
formed a circle around her waist. He moaned softly and took full
possession of her lips, her mouth, and in that moment, her heart.
Savannah could feel the heat from his body mixed with her own.
Burying his hands in her hair, he began softly kissing her face.
His lips etched a hot trail over her nose to her chin, finally
urgently caressing her neck. With her head thrown back, Savannah's
mind was filled with him. All of her senses seemed heightened. The
warm fragrance of the night flooded over them both. The sound of
crickets seemed beautiful music composed just for this night.
Arching her back, she trembled all over as his hands lightly
touched her breast. The feel of his hands rubbing the fabric of her
dress was a tantalizing prelude to having them touched without the
barrier. The loud bang of a door slamming deep inside the house
caused them to pull apart quickly. Remembering her aunt and father
were only within a few yards away brought Savannah reluctantly back
from that wonder place he had taken her. She took a deep breath to
steady herself.

"I'd better go in now; I need to get an early
start in the morning." Savannah moved even further away from him,
flustered by her lack of control. This man had brought out
something in her that was as frightening as it was wonderful.
Something she had been determined not to feel for anyone. In her
agitation she was short with him.

"Of course, it is pretty late." He stood
uncertainly, trying to think of something to say. "Savannah, I
really want to see you again." He reached for her hand.

"Yes, well I'll let you know." She folded her
arms to avoid his touch, fearing what it would do to her reserve
that she was busily building. She had to find some way to withstand
the onslaught of his effect on her senses.

"Goodnight." He made no move to go for
several minutes. Finally accepting that the magical moment that had
drawn her to him had passed, he went to his Jeep. With a tentative
wave, he drove away.