Sugar, Sugar

Chapter One

Hi, I’m Charlotte LeBouf and I have to tell ya about something fabulous that just happened. One of my favourite animation studios, ya might have heard of them, Disney, recently came out with a new Disney Princess movie called The Princess and the Frog. This movie is about the story of the Frog Prince, you know the prince that is turned into a frog and has to kiss a princess in order to turn back. Well, in this movie, I play the princess!

Okay, I play one of the princesses, but not actually the main princess. The main princess is my best friend Tiana, she’s a hard worker and the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for, but ya should already know her story, because ya should have already seen The Princess and the Frog.

So ya know her story and all that hullabaloo, but ya don’t know my story, well here it is, directly from Charlotte herself. My story…

Let’s start with my parents, because without them, well I wouldn’t be here now would I? My daddy owns and runs a sugar plantation. Sugar was a crop that Columbus brought over to the New World and became one of the main sources of income for those colonies in the Caribbean and in the Southern parts of what is now North America. There aren’t many working still because of the 13th Amendment and ending slavery, but my daddy was able to find workers who get a fair’s day pay. Our family use to own slaves since this plantation has been in our family for as long as it goes back, but that’s just the way times were.

Anyway my mama was the daughter of one of the fellas that designed and built the cable cars that run through Na’leans. He saw her one day and they both fell madly in love. Before they knew it she was movin’ in with him and then I came along! Everyone always says I look like my mama, and she was mighty pretty. When I was very young, about three or four, my mama got sick and died. It was some epidemic that was going around at the time and many people were dying from it.

She was buried on a beautiful summer day and every Sunday my daddy and I go and place magnolias on her grave. They were her favourite flower because they were white and reminded her of sugar, which reminded her of my daddy. How romantic!

Since then, though, my daddy wanted me to always be happy and never have to experience that again. So whatever I wanted I got, we were rich after all. I never noticed how selfish I was when I was little, my father just kept spoiling me, but I would never blame him.

I was five when I found a book my mama use to read me bedtime stories from. I found the story of Cinderella and I fell in love with princess stories. I read more, like the Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, that was such a sad story, not at all like the Disney version.

Anyway, reading all these princess stories I decided on something. I wanted to be a princess and find my prince and live happily ever after. I always picture my prince and I kissing through the carriage window as it took us to our honeymoon just like it did in all the other princess stories. It would be so magical and perfect! But first I had to be a princess.

That’s when I first met Tia, or Tiana. I found the perfect princess dress in one of my stories and I asked my daddy if I could have it. He, of course, granted my wish and called the best seamstress in town. Her name was Eudora, and she is the mama of Tiana. The first time around I didn’t meet Tia. But when I asked for a second dress she came along with her mama and soon we were the best of friends.

Her mama would read us stories while she worked and we both would wear tiaras, it was so much fun. I taught her how to wish upon the evening star and she taught me about friendship. The first time I heard the Frog Prince story it was by Tiana’s mama. I even asked to have that dress made but my daddy said that was to be the last one. I did have quite a lot by that point, but I eventually just kept asking for them so I could keep seeing Tia. She lived on the opposite side of town from us so it wasn’t like I could run into her randomly.

That was also when I got Stella. She’s my puppy, well she isn’t a puppy anymore, but I love her. I also had a cat, she didn’t like me very much, now that I recall…

To my surprise, as we grew up, I still saw a lot of Tia despite my ‘no more princess dresses’ rule. I was there when her daddy passed. It was very sad but the whole community came out to pay their respects, it was so touching. That’s when she got her first job. It was a waitress job at a small place called Duke’s. She got that job while we were still in school.

Once we graduated I decided I wanted to try and get a job. I ended up getting several before realizing the ‘working’ thing really wasn’t for me. My daddy kept insisting that I stopped trying and eventually I grew tired to trying different jobs and just stopped. I remember one job I lost on my first day. It was at a VooDoo shop, I thought those tarot cards were pretty in the window. The old lady running it didn’t like me very much, and when I saw those shrunken heads I was out of there faster than a frog during huntin’ season…wait, I probably shouldn’t use that analogy, won’t happen again. But my point is, shrunken heads are gross!

That takes us to today. Tia is now a waitress at Cal’s and Duke’s, and she makes the most fabulous beignets I’ve ever had. She works a lot, though, because she is trying to save up for this old sugar mill along the river. Her daddy had his eyes on it and wanted to make it a restaurant. Tia decided to follow that dream and works to get the down payment on it. I offered to help her, but she was set on getting the money herself. I, on the other hand, am unemployed and usually spend the day with my daddy when he isn’t working. Today was one such of those days, and it was about to be one of the biggest days of my life.

I had just woken up and was headed down to breakfast, but to my surprise I found my daddy standing there.

“Morning, Daddy,” I greeted and gave him a hug and about to go to the table when I noticed that the table was not set and there was no food on it.

“Where’s breakfast?” I asked confused. He smiled and sat down at the table.

“Please sit, Charlotte,” he said. I sat down and was somewhat worried as to what he had to say.

“Something happen, daddy?” I asked.

“You know how the Prince of Maldonia is visiting New Orleans today?” he asked. I nodded. How could I not know this? “Well, please stay calm, but I invited him to our Masquerade Ball tonight, and he has also accepted my invitation to stay in our guest house.”

There was a long pause of silence but I just burst.

“A real live prince! Stayin’ in our guest house! And goin’ to our ball?! That means I can dance with him! Oh, thank you daddy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I yelled and hugged him.

“I thought you’d be happy. And to celebrate, let’s head over to Duke’s. Tiana’s shift will be starting soon. Go get changed, princess, then meet me outside,” he said.

“I love ya, Daddy!” I shouted as I ran upstairs. I think I made a new record; I got changed and ready to go in about a minute. Usually it takes me forever. I was even sitting in the car before my daddy was even there.

“Hurry up daddy!” I yelled and honked the horn. He came out looking quite amused with my eagerness and got in the car. Soon we were on our way to Duke’s but not before my daddy stopped to buy his morning newspaper; tipping generously to the little paper boy, of course.

We finally pulled up to Duke’s and my daddy went on inside. I was looking down the street trying to see if I could spot this prince. Now all I had to worry about was that he wasn’t ugly. I never specified about looks, but if I have to stare at the guy for the rest of my life I would hope he was at least decent looking.

Without spotting the prince I made my way into Duke’s and immediately spotted Tia getting some beignets for my daddy.

“Oh Tia! Tia! Tia!” I exclaimed happily as I made my way over to where my daddy was sitting already snacking on some beignets and reading his paper.

“Mornin’ Charlotte,” she greeted as I danced around her with my feather boa. Hey I was excited.

“Did you here the news? Oh tell her, Daddy. Tell her!” I said. It was all his idea so he should be the one to tell it.

“Oh, right,” he said way too slowly, “Prince Nayveen-” I had to cut him off, not only was he not talking fast enough (one of the few skills I have) but he also said the Prince’s name wrong. I will have to fix that before the Prince arrives. It’s just rude!

“Prince Naveen,” I said, emphasizing the pronunciation in hopes my daddy would catch on, “of Maldonia is coming to Na’rleans! Ah ha ha ha! Oh, isn’t it the bees knees?” I took the newspaper that my daddy was reading and showed her the Prince’s picture that was on the front. I also took note that he was not ugly one bit.

“Oh, tell her what you did, Big Daddy,” I said still as excited as ever and hugging my daddy now, “tell her!” I said letting go of him. I might have shook him a little bit too, don’t remember too much.

“Well, I invited him-” he started but he was still just too darn slow, so I interjected.

“Big Daddy invited the Prince to our masquerade ball tonight! Oh! Tell her what else you did,” I said settling back down into my chair. All this excitement sure is a workout.

There was a paused, “go on,” I said. It was all Daddy’s idea so he should say some of his news. But if he goes to slow I might have to interrupt again.

“And he’s staying-” he started eyeing me. I couldn’t help it.

“And he’s staying-” I started when my daddy shoved one of his beignets into my mouth. I might have deserved it but it was still slightly hot. No matter, I still ate it because I love Tia’s food.

“And he’s staying at our house as my personal guest,” my daddy finished, somewhat happy to finally get something out. I just nodded my head to show my enthusiasm, you know, in case she hadn’t realized it yet.

“Oh, Lottie, that’s swell. A little word of advice,” said Tia as she made her way over to my daddy with a try full of freshly made beignets, “my mama always said the quickest way to a man’s heart, is through his stomach.” She placed the beignets in front of my daddy then patted his large stomach. There was a reason I called him ‘Big Daddy’ after all.

My daddy laughed and picked up another beignet. That’s when it hit me. I knew how I could make both Tia’s and my dream true in one day!

“That’s it!” I shouted and took the beignet out of my daddy’s hand, he had more, and ran over to Tia. I hugged her and smiled, “Oh Tia! You’re a bonefied genius! I’m a need about five hundred of your man catching beignets for my ball tonight!” I said and ran back over to my daddy and shoved the beignet into his mouth. Hey, it was payback for earlier.

“Excuse me daddy,” I said and reached down and took his wallet and pulled some money out. Okay so it was a lot of money, but it was for a good cause, “will this about cover it?” I asked shoving the money into Tia’s hands. There was no way she could turn down my money now to help pay for her restaurant.

“This should cover it just fine, Lottie,” she said a little flustered and still happy, “this is it! I’m getting my restaurant!” Told you it would work, and she will never suspect a thing.

“Whoo hoo!” I exclaimed happy for both her and me, “tonight my Prince is finally comin’! And I sure as heck ain’t lettin’ him go!” I said as I grabbed my daddy, he was still eating but there would be plenty to eat tonight, there was so much to do before the Prince arrived.

Clearly I am smarter than anyone gives me credit for, and that’s the way I want it to be. I can be happy and still help out those in need without them suspecting a thing. Just like I did for Tia. I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to help pay for her restaurant but she would always turn it down. This time it worked because I disguise it behind something I wanted: the Prince. Dumb blonde on the outside, smart…er…blonde on the inside? Sure, we’ll go with that.