The Long Way Home

The Gazette Vignette Edition #200: Laugh, Cry

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The weekend had been one long celebration — family gatherings, sightseeing, and finally Bart and Eve’s beautiful wedding.

Then Hurricane Katrina changed everything.

Most of the guests left before the storm arrived. Josie and Dave had planned to fly home Monday morning, but all flights into South Louisiana were canceled. Their house, west of the hurricane’s path, was safe, but they couldn’t get to it. They spent two days glued to the television in their hotel room, watching floodwaters rise, mourning the disaster, and wondering when they could finally leave.

At last, they found a flight into a neighboring state and rented a car for the drive home.

During the long drive, they tried talking about anything but the hurricane. Before long, they were reminiscing about Eve and the nursery rhymes she’d loved as a little girl. She could recite every one perfectly except This Little Piggy. She always ended it the same way:

“This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy cried…”

Then, instead of “wee, wee, wee, all the way home,” she’d clap her hands and announce with delight, “We home!”

When Dave unlocked their front door, he looked around, smiled, and in his best imitation of Eve’s excited little voice said, “We home!”

Standing safely inside their untouched house, Josie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Many thanks to Robbi Walls, Michael John Scott, and FS Editors.

[embed]The Vignette Gazette Edition #200 | laugh, cry For Tuesday, July 7, 2026medium.com

RMW