For a moment there was no Katrina, no recovery, no helicopters, no Guardsmen to tell the holdouts where to go or when to go home.
No politics. No hearings. No fraud, waste, or blame.
Just a funeral dirge the way only the people of New Orleans could perform it.
When they got closer, they “cut the body loose” and broke into the traditional “Second Line.” Joyful riffs, smiling, voices, and chords in celebration.
Lastly, the funeral march played the tune to a song I’d only ever seen on paper in Dad’s handwriting: “Love Me if You Can.”
The band played the first verse while Bela sang Dad’s letter-perfect lyrics.
After the crowd cleared, Bela and I sat on the grass near Dad’s grave and wrote his second verse.
Together.
“Love Me if You Can”
Tonight I tried to write the perfect song of love
But all the words I sang were blue
Because I’ve tried and I’ve tried to win you over
And I’ve done the best I can do
So we may never be together
But my heart is in your hands
And if you ever think about me in your long-lost dreams
Love me if you can
I know that you’ve moved on, it’s what you had to do
I never had the chance to say good-bye
It’s on my list of all the things I never said
It goes on for pages and it keeps me up at night
And my heart is missing pieces
So if you ever think about it in your long-lost dreams
Love me if you can
So this song I sing is a little sad
And it’s unrehearsed
I just hope you hear that this broken life
Has had a second verse
’Cause in those days gone by, I tried to build you castles
And maybe they just turned to sand
But if you can only love who you wished I could have been
I wish you knew it’s finally who I am
I remember how you needed me
And I know yesterday will never come again
But if you feel me reaching for you in your long-lost dreams
Love me if you can
Listen to the song at www.RecoveringCharles.com
Acknowledgments
My eternal thanks go to the usual suspects: My four children, my three siblings, my two parents, and my one and only best friend and wife, Kodi.
Thanks also to my early-draft reviewers—Allyson, Ann, Becky, Christa, Cindy, Jane, Jeanette, Kalley, Larry, Laura, Laurel, Laurie, Matt, Nancy, Randa—and specifically to Chrissy Funk for her fine work as a research assistant and to Bill Roach for being my New Orleans friend and guru. Special thanks also to Cherie Call for lending her incredible songwriting talents. You’re a gem.
You wouldn’t be holding this book if not for the creative and brave souls at Shadow Mountain: Chris Schoebinger, Lisa Mangum, Richard Erickson, Sheryl Dickert Smith, Gail Halladay, Angie Godfrey, Tiffany Williams, Patrick Muir, Jamie Barrett, Erin Crouse, Tonya Facemyer, Natalie Bellamy, Laurel Christensen, Chrislyn Barnes, Sharon Larsen, Laurie Sumsion, Boyd Ware, John Rose, Lonnie Lockhart, Lee Broadhead, Keith Hunter, Jeff Simpson, Pat Williams, and last, but certainly not least, Sheri Dew.
Once again I’m grateful to York and Laura Faulkner for their tremendous generosity. We’d have peace on earth if everyone spent just one night at Harmony Woods. I also thank the wonderful folks at the Holiday Inn Express, Woodstock, Virginia. (I owe you a towel.)
I’m extremely grateful for the support and patience of my fellow Church members in Woodstock, Virginia, especially my long-suffering students: Bryan, Caleb, Glen, Matt, Michael, Olivia, and Spencer. Thanks also to the Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the Mandate Association. (See you on the 4th Wednesday.)
Most importantly, thanks to the people of New Orleans for taking Mother Nature’s best hit and standing tall. You paid a tremendous price to remind us all that America is still the loving, generous country the Founders dreamt of.
May God watch over your long-term recovery.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Part 1
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourtenn
Chapter Fifteen
Part 2
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Part 3
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Acknowledgements