Walking around New Toulouse the other day, I was heading toward the Mama Cree, where I enjoy standing on the upper level overlooking the bayou. No sooner did I turn the corner at the Severed Head bar when I noticed some movement inside Crawdy’s. With all the talk recently of a panther in town, I reduced my pace and proceeded cautiously. Although it did not appear in color and size to resemble anything feline, I didn’t want to chance moving into a vicious attack. I did not want to harm the panther.
Walking closer, I saw a gator coming out of the eatery, and I noticed something in its mouth: a bottle of hot sauce. Well, if that don’t beat all—an alligator with an appetite for hot sauce. It halted in the doorway as if uncertain what to do next. Thinking it might have noticed me, I moved to the side, clearly out of its path.
The alligator proceeded to the seafood stand. I watched closely as the animal worked strenuously to lift itself onto the stand. Having done so, it quickly grabbed some fish and then scurried down the dock, splashing into the water.
Well, venturing out for a leisurely walk around the town of New Toulouse undoubtedly can produce some interesting encounters. Still, that is the most peculiar thing I have ever seen, and I thought I’d seen them all.
Shantz Hawker is an Acadian lone wolf who returned to New Toulouse after a long, hard journey through his ancestral heritage. He has settled here once again to open an apothecary in the French Market.