I'm Going to Leave You, Chère

Harry Lee Leger
Eunice, St. Landry Parish

RealVideo clip (0:51)

Barber Harry Lee Leger shared this tale with his customers while cutting hair. The barbershop is one of the most popular sites for everyday storytelling. This tale about the troubles of married couples is typical of those told in the typically all-male domain of the barbershop.

[There was this] guy that . . . was always telling . . . his old lady, he said, "I'm going to leave you, chère," he said. "One day," he said, "I'm going to leave." Oh, and it went and it went and it went. So, one day, he just jumped in the pirogue, and he started going down the bayou.

She said, "Cher Pierre," she said. "Where you going?" she said.

He said, "I told you was going to leave you."

She said, "That's it?"

He said, "I'm going, and that's all."

Mais, she said, "Pierre," she said, "what about the house?"

He said, "I don't care," he said. "You can give it away, you can sell. You can do what you want." He said, "That's it."

Mais, she said, "Pierre," she said, "what about the kids?"

He said, "You can do the same thing. You can keep them, you can give them away, you can do what you want." He said, "I'm going. I told you that."

Oh, . . . all at once, she raised up her dress. She said, "Pierre," she said, "What we going to do with that--"

"Yeah, see my baby," he said. "One day, I'm going to leave you, yeah, chère." [Audience laughs.]

Notes:

For more information about this and related tales, refer to the book Swapping Stories: Folktales from Louisiana, published by University Press of Mississippi.