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CHAPTER 11

In the fall of 1984 Fran and I decided to move down south again, where the weather was warmer. We got together and picked out the state of Louisiana to move to. We knew nothing about this state, but we packed up our belongings in a small U-haul trailer and made ready to leave. We started on our trip early one morning that fall. I had changed the oil, and checked the belts in the car, preparing it for the long trip. Before we reached Columbus, Ohio the car started to heat up. We got off at the first exit and pulled into a filling station. We had to replace the water pump, but were on our way again by nine-thirty that morning.

Twenty-eight hours later we arrived in Houma, Louisiana. We picked up a local paper to look for a place to rent, and found an ad for a trailer for rent. The trailer was located in Gray, Louisiana, a very small town just outside of Houma. We checked out the trailer, and rented it right away. Our landlord lived just down the street from us, and I went to work, part time, for an offshore shrimping company, with their son.

This place was close to the gulf. We were really fascinated with the "down the bayou Cajun style" of living. On this street the people partied a lot, and worked hard. Everybody that we talked to on that street wished us luck on getting a job. Houma was mostly related to offshore work, and most offshore companies were pulling in their equipment due to new Government regulations. A lot of people were being laid off. I knew I couldn't work with our landlord's son, as he was an offshore fisherman, and that work was very seasonable. I had to find something better in order to survive. Our neighbors right across the street from us took a liking to us.

Al was constantly talking about his Voodoo and the spirits from beyond, and he drank pretty heavily. I didn't let that bother me he was still a nice guy. Al was working for a company called Dravo Basic Materials that was an offshore dredging company. Al said he would try and get me a job there. I waited a month and a half, and Al finally got me on as a helper with his company.

Some of the Cajun people didn't take it too kindly, that a guy from out of state would come and get a job with a company as good as Dravo Basic Materials. It wasn't a bad job, and it involved a lot of traveling, sometimes into Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas. One time I worked six months out of Beaumont, Texas. This meant staying away from home a lot, but it was a good living. The company took care of its employees.

When we stayed away from home, we usually stayed at the Ramada Inn, and the company picked up the bills. A few times we had to go offshore. We dredged for Oyster and clamshells. Oyster shell they called reef shell, which was used a lot for fill to put in a new road, and put up new construction. Clamshell was used like they use gravel up north. I always got stuck doing odd jobs, because I was about the only one who wasn't related to anyone in the Houma office. I had to do what they didn't want to do.

Our main office was out of Morgan City, Louisiana, and the people from that office took a liking to me, and promoted me to field supervisor. This now meant I had a big responsibility, and made a lot of decisions. My future was looking up. After this job we were also supposed to have the Angola State Prison to replace the Mississippi River bank within the Prison grounds. This job was very short lived, as the Louisiana Government ran out of funds.

Abruptly, my future took a ninety-degree turn. We had just bought a 1987 Firebird with a T-top. It was a classic, and high payments. When Morgan City promoted me to field supervisor, they told me it could be a short lived, but I had no idea it would only last a couple of months I had to shut down the operation in Galliano.

All my employees were out of Houma, Morgan City and a few out of New Orleans. They all went back to their original offices. I wasn't so lucky. The company didn't lay me off, but they wouldn't give me enough hours so I could survive. Slowly but surely, I was drowning in my own bills. I had to quit my job. Houma was now hurting, because of the economy. There was no other job to be found around Houma, and I wasn't about to sign up for Welfare.

In the fall of 1987, we moved to Houston, Texas. We had to let both of our vehicles go back to the bank. In Houston the jobs weren't that great either. I went back to school. I figured there'd always be work as a professional bartender. So, I took the class and became certified. I became a bartender at a topless bar for a short while and part-time at a Country and Western club. But, the atmosphere wasn't what I was used to. Too much sex, drugs and rock-n-roll for me.

I also started going to truck driving school, part time. I always wanted to be a truck driver. I graduated from the school in the top ten, but just because I had a piece of paper saying I was certified that didn't mean a company was going to hire me. I also went to Fort Wayne, Indiana to their school to become an owner operator, but I didn't like their setup, so I didn't sign up with them.

I went back to Houston empty handed. It wasn't long before I knew I had to get out of the bar life. We decided to form a company called Yoder's painting service. By the summer of 1989, we were painting and refinishing. Our work was mostly for people from the club we knew. We were living in a three-bedroom house, in a nice residential area. The girls were getting older.

On Thanksgiving, Christmas or any special event, Debra and Rebecca couldn't understand how come their grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins wouldn't come and visit them. It was hard for Debra and Rebecca to see their friends always had relatives come to their house. Our daughters just couldn't understand. We all talked it over, Debra and Rebecca wanted to go Amish so they could see their relatives. Fran and I were also homesick for our relatives. So we all agreed to go back Amish.
This was after Christmas of 1989. The girls had a good Christmas that year. We got them each a fur coat, bicycle and scooter, and other toys. The year before we took them to Mexico for Christmas. While we lived in Texas, we bought anything we wanted. Debra had a waterbed, television, guitar, stereo and all types of new clothes. Rebecca had a new bed, keyboard, amp and guitar. Rebecca loved to rock-n-roll at the age of six. However, they were ready to give all this up to go "Amish" so they could see their relatives.

We waited until the girls got out of school in nineteen-ninety. Our house was freshly furnished with new furniture. We had a weight set and really got into working out. We were both built up nicely. The girls were starting to get into working out too. We pretty much gave our belongings away, to friends and strangers, in the spring of nineteen-ninety. All we kept was the Amish clothes we had saved from before, and some tools we could use. All our belongings we could keep, we loaded in our van.

The van had a bed, portable table and a big cooler in it. The cooler was stocked with food. We took the girls out of school a week early, and headed for New York State. We didn't know what we were up against, but everyone was willing to give it a try. Just when Fran and I thought we had finally put our past behind us, we had forgotten our most important part: our daughters.

Debra and Rebecca were old enough now that they wanted some answers about their relatives. The questions that Debra Kay or Rebecca Noel asked amazed me. When we sat down with our daughters to explain this situation, they weren't capable of understanding. Both daughters were totally fascinated by the Amish life style. For the sake of our children wanting to see their relatives we decided to make the sacrifice one more time and try to rejoin the Amish culture.