The Love Potion (29 page)

You gotta love a Cajun man.

I know, I know, I said the same thing about Vikings. But, really, in many ways they are similar.

The Acadians (from which the shortened mispronunciation of Cajuns stems) are a proud people who always manage to land on their feet and thrive, despite being exiled out of one country after another…first France, then Canada. The Vikings were always looking for a new homeland, too, but in their case they blended in to the countries they conquered. Fortunately, the Cajuns have managed to maintain their unique culture in Southern Louisiana.

The Acadians were natives of Nova Scotia, originally of French descent. They left Canada rather than live under English rule. In 1755 they were disbanded by the British, with women and children being separated from their men and sent in all directions. One distinct group finally settled in
Southern Louisiana, where they called themselves Cajuns. Longfellow’s epic poem
Evangeline
tells their story so well.

If the Vikings were handsome devils with impressive height and long blond hair, you ought to see these Cajun men with their dark hair and dancing eyes. Ooh-la-la!

They have colorful first names like Valcour, Ambrose, and Remy, and surnames like Arcenaux, Doucet, Breaux, Fortier, and Guidry. Their lifestyle is based on good food, love of God and family, and a marvelous appreciation for
joie de vivre
or joy of life. Nowhere is their sense of humor more evident than in the titles they gave their beloved bayous: Bayou Go to Hell, Bayou Funny Louis, and Bayou
Mouchoir de l’Ourse
(handkerchief of a she-bear); or in the lyrics of their unique music; or in their most colorful language, which is a little bit Southern drawl, a dash of Cajun French, and a lot of unique, deliberate mispronunciations of words.

The Cajuns managed to flourish in the presumably unlivable swamplands of Louisiana, and not only survive but prosper. They built their homes on stilts and found ways to prepare dishes from the bayou’s plentiful game and fish…some of which the more uppity Creoles wouldn’t have touched till the Cajuns taught them how. There’s a Cajun saying. “If it moves, we cook it.” And cook it they do—crawfish, gumbo, blackened redfish, jambalaya. The spicier the better. No wonder they call Tabasco “Cajun Lightning.”

The Cajuns love festivals and don’t need an excuse to have one. One of the most colorful occurs at the Morgan City Shrimp and Petroleum
Festival, where two big boats meet in a bow-to-bow kiss as the king and queen lean forward from their respective decks for a traditional champagne toast. But there are also frog derbies, crawfish boils, and, of course, their own outrageous interpretations of Mardi Gras.

I hope you come to love the Cajuns as much as I do. And, in reading this book, as they say in Southern Louisiana, and as my hero and heroine said at the end of their story: “
Laissez les bon temps rouler
,” or “Let the good times roll.”

About the Author

SANDRA HILL
is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.

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