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CHAPTER FIVE: Bumbled Beginnings

  It was 1958. Nick’s father, Philip Peltier, was an eighteen-year-old jazz drummer. That year, Philip left home right after he graduated from high school. His father, Nicholas, had died from cancer when Philip was five years old, leaving his mother, Marie, alone to raise himself and his brother, Dave. Marie did what she thought was a good job raising the two boys, despite having little money. Dave, who was just one year older than Philip, quit high school in his senior year, much to the dismay of Marie, and left home to take on a business opportunity he couldn’t pass up. The business turned out to be illegal, and Dave was sent to his new home - Angola prison.

  Marie always preached the good life to Philip after that, praying he wouldn’t turn out like his brother. Philip took up playing drums and became impressive. Marie wouldn’t allow him to listen to rock and roll; that was the Devil’s music, according to her. Philip learned jazz by listening to Buddy Rich records and learning the songs, beat by beat. Jazz wasn’t popular in Southwest Louisiana in the late-fifties. French & Zydeco music was mostly played. When Philip formed a jazz band the previous year, they stood out like a sore thumb. Philip’s grades suffered since he practiced with the band seven days a week. Marie told him that jazz must be the Devil’s music too, since it was distracting him from his schoolwork. He graduated, just barely, and took the band to tour the country.

  His band was playing in a little club in Chicago when he met the woman who would steal his heart. Her name was Louise Anna Larquette. She was named after the state where her mother was from. She was the most ravishing woman Philip had ever seen. After introducing himself as Fast Phil, the conversation turned to the origin of her name. The fact Philip was from Louisiana attracted Louise to him - even more than his charm and dashing good looks. The courtship lasted only two months. They got married and moved to Lafayette, much to the dismay of her parents. They didn’t like Philip at all. They thought all musicians were evil. Her mother was more distraught that her precious daughter was moving to the state she had left in shame so many years previously.

  Marie was ecstatic about the marriage. She had her son back and gained the daughter she never had. Philip and Louise moved in with Marie. She didn’t like the fact Philip was still playing music for a living, but at least he was home and playing in a French band. Louise became pregnant two months after they moved in. Philip had to quit playing music. He needed to get a job that would allow him to be home every night with his wife. He became an insurance salesman.

  Louise had trouble with the pregnancy. She went into labor two months early, and a caesarian section had to be performed. The birth was a success, but Louise didn’t make it through the operation. She died five minutes after the child was born. Philip was in the waiting room with his mother when the doctor came in. He could tell something was wrong by the look on the doctor’s face. The doctor told Philip and Marie that the child, a healthy five-pound boy, would be fine but Louise didn’t make it. Philip didn’t believe it. He ran into the operating room and saw his wife’s body, covered by a sheet. He pulled off the sheet as the doctor and the distraught nurse tried to pull him back. He saw the cut-up body of his beautiful Louise. He screamed, ran out the door, and was never heard from again. He never saw his child.

  Marie was devastated, but took the child to raise herself. She named him Nicholas, after her late husband. She called him T-Nick. Nick learned to call her Maw-Maw. Marie raised Nick to be strong, honest, and loving. Nick loved her, dearly. He never disappointed her. He grew up exactly like she’d hoped. Nick admired her courage and ability to make it through the tough times without being afraid. Nick was five when his grandmother told him a little about his beautiful mother and evil father. She preached to him the dangers of evil. Nick was raised Catholic and went to church every Sunday with Marie. One Halloween, Nick dressed up in a demon outfit he borrowed from one of his friends. Marie went berserk.

  “Mais, don’t you ever bring that Satan into this house, cher.” Nick remembered her saying those words that were forever stuck in his mind. Throughout Nick’s seventeen-year tailspin after high school, he rarely thought about those words – until he met Tony.