Sittin on Saint Andrew

By Paul J. Johnson

Sittin on Saint Andrew Street is a sampling of New Orleans Gumbo. It is an account of true life struggles of families and individuals who are trying to find their place in society. These very same families and individuals are indeed searching for a better quality of life.
The entire setting is based on events pre and post Hurricane Katrina, August 29, 2005.
Between the pages of this book, there is something everyone can relate to. Such things as that family member no wants to talk about or the daily struggle of living from pay check to pay check.
The individual stories are not reflected of everyone on Saint Andrew Street.
The book will surely take you on a journey and challenge your very own principals and standards.
The book also brings out the many efforts by the small business owners to bring forth change in this urban community.
Sure, the Saint Andrew Street community has its problems like any other community in any part of the world. But what makes this community unique is that it has not forgotten the basics.
This community remembers to treat people the way you would want to be treated.
This community has not lost its sense of pride, self-worth and value.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491744307

Paul J. Johnson

Paul Johnson, currently a second year student at Grand Canyon University located in Phoenix AZ., with a major in psychology. He is an alumnus of McDonogh 35 Senior High School, Class of 1984. He is a United States Marine Corps Combat Veteran of eleven plus years, assigned to such units as Special Operations Training Group,Small Boat Platoon, Okinawa Japan and served in the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991. He is a former Law Enforcement Officer for the City of New Orleans and after hurricane Katrina, relocated to the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he applied for and became a Police Officer for the City of New Port Alabama. He is a former Drug Abuse Resistance Education Officer and School Resource Officer. He is a proud father and lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Copyright © 2014 Paul J.Johnson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-4429-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-4430-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014914640

iUniverse rev. date: 08/23/2014

Contents

Chapter One

The Neighborhood

Chapter Two

The Williams Family

Chapter Three

Jonetta the Hottie

Chapter Four

Mama Rose, The Miles Family

Chapter Five

Thomas, The Scrap Man

Chapter Six

Diamond

Chapter Seven

Rochelle and Carl

Chapter Eight

Kevin, The Barber

Chapter Nine

Shoe Shine Pete

Chapter Ten

The Johnson Family

Chapter Eleven

Debra Claiborne

Chapter Twelve

Keisha

Chapter Thirteen

Present Day Conclusion

Author’s Notes

I would like to

dedicate this novel to my

Lawless Lancslin, Sr.-Grandfather

08/24/1917-07/26/1979

Largine Lancslin-Grandmother

08/19/1920-06/28/1987

Lawless Lancslin Jr.-Uncle

04/22/1955-07/26/1985

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the following individuals who helped with this project by showing love, support and dedication in getting this novel completed.

All thanks to Jesus Christ for allowing me the strength to create this novel. Many thanks to my mother, Emma Johnson, who is my number one fan. Thanks Mom for your undying love and support. To Mae Chapman-Chapman Casting Company, LLC, of Lafayette, LA., thanks for being patient with me☺. We finally got this accomplished.

I would also like to thank my Technical Supporters, Bliss Café, Jeff Chambers, Sean and Minda Curtis, Jennifer Damschroder-USMC, Mike Helm-USMC, Michael and Barbara Lansclin of Touch of Class Limousine Service, Baldwin LA and Roger Raymond. Thank you all for the guidance and support to get this novel professionally done. To friends and family, I thank you for your continued support.

Micaela Simpson

CHAPTER ONE

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

In the midst of a thriving growing and somewhat forgotten area of the city of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, stands a neighborhood where its location sets in the hub of the city. This neighborhood struggles to evolve like so many others in New Orleans into a state of great flushing economic development. But the sign of change has slowly become evident within the community. I remember once upon a time, there was a fully operational recreational facility named Keller Community Center. This center was once, a meeting place and community resource for the residents on Saint Andrew and so many others in our area. This two-story cinder block building provided such resources as community education, recreational activities, job assistance, and career training programs. It was a deterrent against crime and drugs in the community and often a safe haven for the youth of the community. It, once proudly, stood as our only landmark of hope. Unfortunately, it has now been closed for years after hurricane Katrina and our landmark of hope for the youth and community is abandoned, forgotten and dilapidated. Presently, the empty dilapidated interior community center is used now as a haven for sheltering crime, illegal drugs, illicit sexual acts, and the disease of hopelessness. This, unfortunately, permeates our existence in our desolate community.

For instance, while sitting on my faded chipped cemented steps one Sunday afternoon, immediately following church, feeling the warmth of the sun, and a slight breeze in the air, I soaked up the memories of my childhood with my eyes closed and smiled. Regardless of the weather conditions, my mind was focused on the flooding thoughts of an agile, upbeat and always popular child running to Keller Community Center to take part in the program called Martial Arts or Kung Fu as offered by the Center. It was around the exact same time such popular television programs as Black Belt Theater, Bruce Lee and the Shaolin Temple Monks had become household words.

I would run from house to house every other Sunday after church, knocking on the doors, reminding my friends to be on time. If not, Sensei Brown would extend our session as a form of punishment for being late. His actions taught us discipline and how to be responsible for our actions.

With thoughts so heavily engulfed in my past, suddenly I was distracted from my youthful reminiscing, by a commotion; I opened my eyes and gazed at a group of teenage boys, much like my old friends and I, pedaling on their bicycles toward the closed community center. However, the differences between the youth of today and how we were in my youth