Celebrate Being You

By: Christina Jeter

This story is dedicated to the legends of NOLA history. The

sensation of an embrace you get when entering the bayou of the

Crescent City! I hope by introducing the people of this story to you

at a young age, you will read the literature about them as you get

older This is a celebration of the diversity of the world and how it

helps us thrive, in doing so, it should always be celebrate and never

depreciated!!

New Orleans, Louisiana, French Quarter is the home to Marie

Laveau. Marie is a sweet young girl, learning the way of the world.

Always doing what her mother and grandmother tell her but yet

interested in understanding her own ideas. She talks to her mother

and grandmother about her ideas and ask them how she can make

them come true!

Maria’s mother and grandmother listen to her ideas of wanting to

help people be who they are without being bullied, but is afraid to do

so, as she is just a child and not strong like an adult. The

grandmother says, “Strength is not just in body size, it is in the

mind!” The mother says, “I will always be here to help you, until you

are strong enough to do it yourself.”

Now that Maria knows she has the support in doing what is right, she

sets out to help others with their ideas. She goes out to walk in the

French Quarter and meets Andre Cailloux. Andre is a sweet, loving,

carefree boy who has a lot of great ideas too. He tells Marie, “I want

to protect those who can’t protect themselves and make sure that

people all over the world remember my name!”

Andre is just a child and small in size. Marie asks, “How will you

protect others if you are not yet strong enough to protect yourself?”

Andre replies, “Since I have not finished becoming a man. I will make

sure I tell my mom and dad about bad people, so they can make sure

that the bad person can’t hurt anyone anymore. I will read and learn

as much as possible about heroes I want to become. So in the

process of me becoming the person I want to be, I will know I am on

the right path to living out my dreams!”

Marie Laveau and Andre Cailloux share stories of their family. They

don’t make each other feel bad about not having the same things at

home, instead they understand that they are different and enjoy

being friends with one another. Marie and Andre decide to go find

more people to share their new found friendship and ideas.

While heading to the bayou they see a young boy by the name of

Jules Lion. Jules is very creative and artistic, he loves to paint and

draw. Marie and Andre ask him, why this makes him so happy? Jules

says, “Because I love to capture the happiness in life and one day I

am going to invent a machine that does it for me.”

Jules tells Marie and Andre, that sometimes people make fun of him

because he is not playing sports and they say that he is weak. “I

keep to myself because I am afraid that people will hurt me for being

different”. Marie says, “Being different is the greatest thing in the

world because you will help others out there know they are not

alone!”

Andre tells Jules that drawing and painting is a sport, because you

have to develop a plan to win and you need the best on your team to

be strong. So can I and Marie be on your team and together you can

paint the story of how we all came to know each other and the great

things we will do together.

Jules begins to draw and paint images of his new friends and they

talk about how they want to be remembered and how these images

will be used to tell the story to others just like them that they can’t

meet in person.

When Jules is finished creating his artwork, he, Andre and Marie

decided to go find someone to show his artwork to. They head back

to Marie’s house and on the way they run into a girl name Jane. Jane

looks very sad and lonely. Marie asks, “Why are you so sad?” Jane

says, “Because I don’t have any family and people make me feel bad

for not having a home.” Andre says, “Would you like to be a part of

our family?”

Jane smiles and says,” Of course!” Then Jules begins to draw a

portrait of the smile his new friend Jane has on her face. Together

Marie, Andre, Jules and Jane will spread the message of happiness,

hope, kindness, and love to make the world a better place.

Now back at Marie’s house, Marie introduces her new friends to her

mother and grandmother. She talks of the great things they each can

do and how it has helped her and will help others.

Marie’s mother and grandmother celebrate their greatness and

encourage them to never give up on their dreams. Then Andre tells

his friends that he would like his new friends to meet his parents as

well, so they leave Marie’s house and goes to Andre’s home.

While walking to the home of Andre Cailloux they came across a boy

name Lafcadio Hearn. Jane asks him why he looks so sad. Lafcadio

says,” Because the people I have trusted have used what I have told

them in secret to hurt me.” Jane tells Lafcadio, “I understand seeing

how I didn’t have a family till I meet Marie Laveau, Andre Cailloux,

and Jules Lion. I know how it feels to trust some who is supposed to

help you but only hurts you.”

Marie says, “We are heading to Andre Cailloux’s home to tell his

parent about the day we had and the people we met. We just came

from my house, so when we get to Andre’s home we can tell his

parents about your problem and they will help you because a good

parent knows best and does their best to protect you.”

When they arrive to Andre’s home, Andre introduces everyone to his

mother and father.

The day is getting late and the sun is starting to set. Andre’s father

Gabriel Prosser is a big man, his mother is tall and beautiful, and

they both have nice smiles. That is a trait we can all see Andre

Cailloux inherited. Andre’s parents don’t want us walking home at

night, so we all walk home together and we talk along the way to

keep busy.

Since Jane didn’t have a home she got to live with Marie Laveau.

Lafcadio told Andre’s parent about his problem and they told him that

now he has real friends that won’t use his secrets to make him feel

bad, but to help him be better, and to never hang out with people that

don’t treat you nice.

Jules Lion was greeted at the door by his family and he rushed to

show them all his artwork he created inspired by his new friends he

made today. Now that everyone was safe at home, Andre walked

hand and hand with his mother and father. Andre told his parents that

I am happy I made a positive change today in someone’s life and in

return I got the greatest reward, “A smile!”

The End

This book is dedicated to my father Donald L. Jeter, who sacrificed

so much in order for me to survive in this world. If and when I ever

have children I will make sure I am their best friend, so they don’t

have to search the world for what they should be getting at home!