Brendan manages to keep up with the goings-on in Derry through letters from Mairead, and all it seems to be is a stalemate. Every attempt by the British to find common ground between the two side meets catastrophe. Mairead gets a phone put into Ma's flat, for which she sends payment to the phone company through Father Jack. Maeve keeps standing up for herself, which pleases Ma, and Kieran is fearless when dealing with the British or even covering a gable wall with graffiti. Rhuari's taken his A-levels and Eamonn seems to enjoy being a big man in prison.
Brendan reads both city papers to try and get a view of the situation, and finds Rene is also keeping up on it. Hugo thinks Rene's odd because he was born in New Orleans, The Big Easy, but is very uptight about keeping his family private. But during a Christmas celebration Rene learns Brendan is about to turn 19 so plans a Cajun birthday celebration for him, with the whole three pots and the family in attendance.
Scott and Jeremy go with Brendan to the party, in Pearland, and meet Rene's wife, six sons and one daughter, Evangeline. There are a dozen Cajun dishes, squeezebox music, dancing. The family is planning a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and when Evangelyne learns Brenda's never been, she convinces him to join them. He agrees only because he figures Joanna would have...but Evangelyne's brother, Alonso, is a Houston cop and keeps casting sharp looks at Brendan, no matter who hard he tries to please. Especially during the trip to the Big Easy. It puts Brendan on edge, but he does not back away.
N'Awlin's
Aunt Catherine has a coffin home near the Canal streetcar line straight to downtown. Lots of family staying there, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Brendan is not impressed with the center city, and the French Quarter is seriously packed. He's groped, grabbed, kissed, given beads and doubloons by both men and women, gay and straight. He's handed a Hurricane and thinks it's just juice, but Evangelyne warns him.
He has flashes back to the Celebration Fleadh...which mixes with the festive atmosphere prior to the shooting on Bloody Sunday and how he protected Joanna during the Fleadh and how the Soldiers mauled him at checkpoints...and he gets so overwhelmed he hides in a doorway. Evangelyne finds him and takes him to a quiet area where they list to a gentle band play Creole music. The buildings and fog remind him of Derry. He's surprised he's homesick. Tells Evangelyne a little about Joanna. She thought he and Jeremy were brothers...or lovers. He laughs and gives her a peck on the cheek, ready to return to the crowd.
They go to the big parade with more joyous chaos abounding, then Mass on Wednesday and drive home. The car is stopped by DPS just inside Texas, but Lon being a cop provides them safe passage the rest of the way. Bren learns anyone non-white is subject to stop and search. He returns to the pool house and is confronted by Uncle Sean for not telling them he would be gone. They argue and Uncle Sean threatens to send him home for running around with black people. In response, Brendan tells him to go ahead...and is punched to the floor. Aunt Mari intervenes but nothing is solved...except Brendan now knows he is not actually legal so is, effectively, a prisoner of the family's. And what is worse? The IRA blames him for the bombing debacle.
Rebellion
Confused, Brendan loses himself in repairing the items he has to fix and goes into information gathering mode, including keeping up with what's happening in Derry. Eamonn is released but re-arrested under the Special Powers Act. Rhuari turns more into his books, is learning Irish and planning for Queens, Maeve pushes back against the British in her manner of getting any soldier who bothers her into trouble with their superiors, and Kieran is always barking at the British and RUC, despite the danger. Ma also was interviewed for a BBC report and made a big deal about it.
He learns Father Demian was shot (probably by Danny) and Rhuari is seeing a girl from the Pennyburn area. Mairead is happy in Toronto and is planning a trip to Houston. Brendan thinks about writing her but simply doesn't. He's seeing Vangie in a casual way, usually with Jeremy, who's also become friends with her. The two joke with each other in Russian and Chinese, "Couple of Commie languages." Rene becomes wary of Brendan seeing her but can do little about it. The B Girls are developing a romantic interest in Brendan, which makes him uncomfortable.
Then Evangelyne is treated roughly by a sales clerk in the Galleria because she's not white. Brendan steps in, irritated, only to find that angers Vangie, as he now calls her. She wonders if he thinks she needs a white savior or sees her as some brown sugar. She calms down when he apologizes, but he doesn't understand her anger.
Everett brings over a portrait he did of the family and Brendan sees he is unable to accept praise for how fine it is. He doesn't feel he's good enough. Scott and Jeremy drive up, see the portrait and Jeremy asks Everett to do one for his parent's anniversary. Everett becomes part of Brendan's close group and even invites them to his home for dinner a few times before he and Jeremy wind up lovers.
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