The Feathered Bone (47 page)

“One of the artists taught us that corsets were made with
whalebones. But then somebody started using featherbones instead. I thought about those corsets a lot, probably because I had to wear them sometimes. What really stuck with me was that we could take the most powerful animal of the sea and harvest his bones. Use them to build a cage, of sorts, and then force women to squeeze themselves into them.”

Sarah gives a dramatic pause here as we all wait for more.

“But it didn't work! Because those bones from the biggest, strongest, most intimidating animal, they couldn't bend. Those whalebones broke. It took the lightest, most fragile bones of all—the featherbones of birds—to be strong enough to bend without breaking.

“That's how I started to think of myself. Like a feathered bone. I kept a little sparrow feather with me through the whole journey, and when I'd start to think I was going to break, I'd hold my feather and remind myself that I was stronger than I looked.”

As the commotion begins to wind down, Preacher announces that he's given Sarah the honor of flipping on the Christmas lights. First time in five years.

“Let's do this!” Sarah shouts, leading us all outside for the display.

I stand with Beth as the Broussard home ignites. Within minutes, the entire scene is on sensory overload. Music, blinking lights, displays, dancing elves. Preacher jigs around the yard dressed as Santa, happy as a schoolkid, while visitors stand in line for family photos.

In the background, Frank Doucet sets up a live broadcast. “It's been years since the Broussard home was lit with Christmas lights, but tonight we are here in Walker where, as you can see, a large crowd is gathering for the celebration.” Doucet provides a few more
details about Sarah's story. Then he turns his attention to Jay and begins to question the status of the investigation.

“Sheriff, in the year since your deputy found Sarah, you've rescued six children and dozens of young women who were being trafficked through this prostitution ring.”

“That's correct. They were based in Algiers and Hammond, two communities where people think this sort of thing would never happen. The victims were brought to both New Orleans and Baton Rouge to meet paying clients. We found Sarah during one of those transports.”

“We've been told you have developed a list of Johns? And this list may include the names of politically powerful members of our community?” Doucet turns the microphone back toward Jay.

“We do have the names of numerous clients,” Jay says. “We believe they paid for services either in person or online. We are working with the state police and federal investigators to build a solid case. That investigation will continue.”

Doucet takes a turn. “I imagine that might have a lot of men shaking in their boots tonight.”

“It should.” Jay gives his sheriff's grin, suggesting he's got the whole thing under control.

Doucet then invites Preacher to step in front of the camera. “Mr. Broussard, tell us how it feels to have your daughter here with you tonight.”

Preacher releases a humble laugh. “All I can say is God is good.”

“You were a youth minister before your daughter was abducted. But you've been running a pool and spa business in recent years. Will you be returning to a position with the church now that Sarah has been recovered?”

Preacher smiles. “Actually, yes. I'll be the men's ministry leader
out here in Walker. Everyone is welcome to join us.” He gives times, location. “If church isn't your thing, then just come on out to our house and enjoy the lights. They'll be on every night through January 6, when we'll switch gears for Mardi Gras.”

After Preacher's invitation, Doucet turns his attention to Sarah. He begins with this question: “Sarah, how does it feel to be celebrating this Christmas tradition with your family again?”

“It's awesome! It's one of the things I missed most.”

“Can you tell us how you managed to survive those four years in captivity?”

“Remember what I told you, Mr. Doucet. I'm stronger than you think I am.” Then Sarah looks to her parents and smiles. “But to be honest, I credit my mom and pop for that. It would have been easy to give up. To believe no one was out looking for me. I could have forgotten all about this life and the person I was before. But when I was little, my parents taught me a magic trick. That's what they called it.”

“Well, what's the trick?” Doucet plays along.

“When I started to feel afraid, they taught me to repeat a simple saying. So after the kidnapping, I would repeat it again and again: ‘I am loved.' ”

Doucet repeats, “I am loved.”

“Yes, sir. Simple as that. That's why I'm here today.” She smiles at her parents. “Because no matter what lies those people tried to tell me, that prayer helped me remember the truth. I am loved. That's the real miracle, isn't it?”

As the camera lights dim, Sarah pulls Beth and Preacher into a family hug. Her sweater falls loose from her shoulder, revealing her revised tattoo. She is no longer marked with LeMoyne's dollar sign. A beautiful feather is now sketched in brilliant turquoise hues, a tribute to my Ellie. Beneath, it reads:
Some things were made for the light.

I'm fighting tears as Jay tugs me to a quieter space. “Amanda?” He says my name as if I've got all the answers he'll ever need. Then he leans low and I hold my breath.
Is he finally going to give me that kiss?

Seeing this, Raelynn starts cheering, causing me to pull away, blush-red. “I don't see any mistletoe,” she teases.

“Hey, a guy's gotta try!” Jay holds his hands up, laughing. Then he turns to help Raelynn manage her sons. I find the hot chocolate tent while Jay brings the two younger boys to see Gator's reindeer. They're actually goats wearing fake antlers, but nobody seems to mind.

The crowd grows steadily, and the energy level is rising to near carnival mode by the time Viv and her hottie hubby arrive. They weave their way toward me, nudging among young families who cart wobbly toddlers past the animated snowmen.

On the rooftop Preacher and Jay have added a new surprise to this year's display. Using chicken wire and white lights, the flight pattern of a sparrow is depicted above the shingles, with separate sculptures showing each stage of liftoff. The lights have been programmed to turn on in sequence, so the overall effect represents a small bird coming out of its cage, flying away into the night.

In the bird's mouth is a flag. With each step closer to freedom, another set of letters lights up so that in the end, the sparrow soars away holding a flag that reads
Fly Free
.

“Did you see the roof?” Jay returns.

“Very thoughtful,” I say, moving near.

“We liked what you chose for Ellie's marker,” he says. “We salvaged those materials from Katrina debris.”

I lean back into him. His hands warm around my waist.

“You know, Raelynn and I stood by the river, talking about how it was only a matter of time before the waters would break through
and flood the city. That was the day of the field trip. Nearly a year before Katrina.”

“Are you trying to tell me you and Raelynn can see the future?” He's pulling out all his charms.

“Yep.” I laugh. “Fair warning.”

“Well then, Madame Fortune-teller, tell me. When are you going to let somebody breach that levee around your heart?”

Jay lifts my chin, and he gives me the most tender kiss a man could ever deliver. Before I realize what is happening, music begins to blare, and all my friends surround us, singing. Raelynn's brother is capturing it all on video, as everyone I love starts dancing in sync and belting out the words to “Brown-Eyed Girl.” Viv comes rushing up to Jay with a bottle of Elmer's glue. He pulls a ring from his pocket, pops it over the orange plastic cap, and drops to one knee. I'm a mess of tears by the time the music stops and Jay says, “Amanda, will you marry me?”

Chapter 32

Thursday, December 24, 2009

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AMES
Parish to celebrate her official reentry into life. “She's done so well handling the crowds at the Christmas lighting and the fund-raiser,” Beth says. “I hope this isn't too much.”

“It's time,” Raelynn insists, smiling at Sarah.

As the sun begins to set, Jay and I climb the levee, working our way behind Raelynn's rowdy crew. She holds her niece, Kayla, on her hip while her brother cuts up with her three boys.

Reaching the top, we stop to look out over the Mississippi River, where the water rolls between the banks. Louisiana crafters have worked for months, carving willow trees to construct a long line of bonfires. They stretch from Lutcher all the way to Gramercy and beyond. Some are traditional fourteen-foot-high piles, uniform and precise like guard towers. But others are feats of impressive engineering and artistry, a true celebration of the creative spirit.

We stop in front of one that represents an alligator. Sarah asks a stranger to take a photo so we can all be in the frame: Beth and Preacher, Raelynn and her gang, Jay and me.

“Say ‘Family'!” Sarah says.

“Family!” we cheer.

Around us, people enjoy their stroll, stopping to admire the
elaborate log sculptures: pirate ships, army tanks, crawfish, and Mike the Tiger. With the darkness thickening, we head toward one pyre built to resemble a massive Mardi Gras float.

“I heard you're going to be queen,” I tell Sarah. “For the Denham Spring Mardi Gras parade?”

“I can't wait.” She smiles. “Ellie and I always said we'd be queen one day, remember?”

“I sure do. She'd be very proud of you, Sarah. You're the strongest person I've ever known.”

“We bend, Ms. Amanda. We don't break.” Then she looks at Jay and adds, “I'm excited about the parade, but I'm even more excited about y'all's wedding. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.”

“Of course you're a part of it,” Jay says.

Beth chimes in. “I've got the church reserved. Preacher will officiate. Need me to plan anything else?”

“Nope. That's perfect,” I assure her. “Raelynn will bake a cake. Sarah and Nate can help with the wildflowers.”

“Wildflowers?” Nate is confused.

“We'll give everyone a pack of seeds and ask them to plant them somewhere special, somewhere they feel most at peace.”

“I love it,” Sarah says. “Ellie would too.”

I draw her into a hug. “I'm so glad you're home.”

“Me too.” Sarah smiles at Nate, causing him to blush in front of his brothers.

“You know what I don't get?” Nate asks. “Why didn't you tell Dex your real name? Why'd you keep telling him you were Holly?”

Sarah gets quiet for a minute. We gather closer to hear her response. “It's taken me a whole year to figure that out. But remember when we went to the animal shelter? With the youth group?”

Nate pulls his cap from his head. “Yeah. Fifth grade or something?”

“Right.” Sarah smiles at Raelynn's middle son, a fifth grader. “Remember that dog they unloaded from the car while we were there? The big white one with all those sores?”

“I remember,” Nate says. “She was bleeding. Could barely walk.”

“She had been living in a dump. Sleeping in garbage.”

Nate nods, and I lean closer to Jay. He's always had a soft heart for dogs.

“The people from the shelter brought some food to her at the dump. But she wouldn't let them get close enough to put a leash on her. Took a long time.”

“Did she bite them?” Raelynn's youngest asks.

“No. She wasn't that kind of dog. But when they started to lead her to their car, she pulled away. She tried to go back to the dirty blanket where she had been sleeping.”

“Why?” Nate's brothers ask in sync.

“Because she had been in that dump for a long time. The fear of leaving was greater than the fear of staying where she was.”

Nate replaces his cap, giving Sarah a slow shake of his head.

“You see? No matter how horrible it was, I was surviving. I didn't know what would happen if I tried to leave. I was scared.”

“That's not the Sarah I knew,” Raelynn says.

“The Sarah you knew had forgotten something. Something Mom and Pop had taught me.” She looks at Beth and Preacher now. “That I can let go of the fear. Rely on my faith. Trust.”

“Yeah, but I would have been scared too,” I admit. “Especially after what happened in the café. You trusted Bridgette.”

“True,” Sarah agrees. “But I had a bad feeling about her from the start. That's what I had to learn. Some people nudge us into the dark, others toward the light. We just have to be smart enough to know the difference.”

The younger boys still look puzzled.

Sarah explains, “How do you know where the fish are biting? Where the alligators are hiding? Where to set up your deer stand?”

Nate taps his temple and smiles. “Instinct.”

“That's what I'm saying. We already have all the tools we need to survive. It's up to us to learn how to use them.”

After a time of silence, Nate's littlest brother tugs Sarah's shirt. “What happened to the dog?”

“Oh, right!” Sarah almost sings this. “That's the best part of the story. You'll never believe it.”

I lean in, attentive.

“She became a rescue dog. When they bring in other animals who have been abused, they put them with her. She helps them stay calm. Teaches them all the things they forgot when they were trying to survive. How to trust, how to love. How to be loved. No telling how many animals she's saved.”