Interviewee: Mary Papillon and Vilmar Price Tape 5022 Interviewer: Brooke Billison Session 1
Transcriber: Erin Segura October 5, 2019
Translator: Jackson Butterbaugh [Begin Tape 5022. Begin Session I.]
BROOKE BILLISON: This is Brooke Billison here with Vilmar Price and Mary Papillon today. Today is the … October 5th, 2019 and we’re in Lafayette, Louisiana. Today, Miss Papillon will be telling me a story about how when she was younger and they used to go dance all the time. Quoi c’est ton nom ?
VILMAR PRICE: Quoi c’est ton nom ?
MARY PAPILLON: Mary Papillon.
BILLISON: Ayoù tu viens ?
PRICE: Ayoù tu viens ?
PAPILLON: That place is so hard, you can’t hardly hear it.
PRICE: Bell City? Bell City? Tu viens ?
PAPILLON: No. Je [restais au ras de] Bell City. Mais, une place qui s’appelle Bon Air.
BILLISON: Quoi c’est l’histoire que tu vas me raconter aujourd’hui ?
PAPILLON: Quoi? Comment ? Hein ?
PRICE: Comment ?
BILLISON: Quoi c’est l’histoire que tu vas me raconter aujourd’hui ?
PRICE: Quoi c’est … ? Aujourd’hui quoi tu … aujourd’hui ?
PAPILLON: Aujourd’hui ?
PRICE: [agrees]
PAPILLON: Quel jour c’est ? Hein ?
BILLISON: Danser ? PAPILLON: Danse. BILLISON: [1:47] Danse.
PRICE: Quoi c’est danser ? Quoi tu …
BILLISON: Danser et music ?
PRICE: Quoi c’est tu l’aimais ? Tu l’aimais danser ?
PAPILLON: Oh, oui !
PRICE: Danser et listen to the music, la musique ? La musique ?
PAPILLON: [Petit Rusty].
BILLISON: En quelle année t’as été énée ?
PRICE: Ayoù t’as été énée ?
PAPILLON: Hein ?
PRICE: Ayoù t’as été énée ?
PAPILLON: Oh, ça c’est la place, la même place, Bon Air. Ma maman a eu pas de docteurs dans ce temps, so elle et Pape m’a menu [à la vie].
PRICE: Sa mère et son père l’a menu en vie.
PAPILLON: Il y avait pas de docteurs dans ce temps-là. PRICE: Il y avait pas de docteur dans le temps où elle été énée. BILLISON: Ayoù t’as été élevée ?
PRICE: Ayoù t’as été élevée ?
PAPILLON: C’est à la même place, ç’appelle Bon Air.
BILLISON: T’as resté dans d’autres places ? Places?
PAPILLON: [3:26] Bon Air.
BILLISON: Lafayette ?
PAPILLON: Oh, non.
PRICE: Ayoù t’as été énée ?
PAPILLON: C’était entre Iowa et Lafayette. Non, Lake Charles. Lafayette is further.
BILLISON: T’as été jusqu’à quel livre à l’école ? PRICE: T’as été à l’école ? À l’école ? T’as été à l’école ? PAPILLON: Oui.
BILLISON: T’as étudié le français à l’école ?
PRICE: Si on parlait en français à l’école ?
PAPILLON: Oui.
BILLISON: Dans ta famille, ça parlait plus en français ou en anglais quand t’étais petite ?
PRICE: Ta famille, vous-autres parlait en créole ou en anglais ? La famille ?
PAPILLON: Je pense c’était en créole.
PRICE: En créole.
BILLISON: [agrees] T’es mariée ? PRICE: T’as marié ? T’as marié ? PAPILLON: Je m’ai marié à Holmwood. BILLISON: Ton mari parlait français ?
PAPILLON: Mais, ouais.
BILLISON: T’as des enfants ?
PAPILLON: Hein ?
BILLISON: [4:54] T’as des enfants ?
PAPILLON: Mais, ouais, une bande.
PRICE: [laughs] She said une bande. Une bande.
PAPILLON: [laughs]
BILLISON: Tu travailles toujours ?
PRICE: Tu travailles p’us à [inaudible], hein, Mary ? [laughs]
PAPILLON: Hein ?
PRICE: Elle demande si tu travailles.
PAPILLON: Oh, non.
PRICE: [laughs]
BILLISON: Aujourd’hui, avec qui tu parles français ?
PRICE: Tu parles en français toujours, hein ? Aujourd’hui ? Tu parles --
PAPILLON: Oh, oui. Je suis pas --
BILLISON: Avec Vilmar ?
PAPILLON: Je suis pas … Je suis pas trop reglée --
PRICE: Tu parles --
PAPILLON: … comme [t’es habituée].
PRICE: [agrees] She said it’s not … c’est pas English [d'habitude]. French, you know. It’s French.
BILLISON: Combien souvent tu parles français asteur ?
PRICE: Elle demande comment tu parles en français asteur?
PAPILLON: Avec personne.
PRICE: [6:02] Avec personne. Nobody. [laughs]
BILLISON: [laughs] PAPILLON: [laughs] Personne. PRICE: Personne. [laughs]
BILLISON: L’histoire ? Danser ? Rusty ?
PRICE: Ayoù --
PAPILLON: Danse zarico ? [dances]
PRICE: Yeah.
PAPILLON: [laughs]
PRICE: Quelle musique tu l’aimes ?
PAPILLON: Hein ?
PRICE: Quelle musique … let’s see, music … musique que tu l’aimes ?
PAPILLON: Rusty ?
PRICE: Quelle musique tu l’aimes ?
PAPILLON: [shrugs]
PRICE: You know, you talk about … who you like to talk … who you like ? Comment tu … qui tu l’aimes ?
PAPILLON: Hein ?
PRICE: [Vous-autres], la musique ?
PAPILLON: La musique ?
PRICE: Yeah.
PAPILLON: Zarico ?
PRICE: [6:52] Yeah. Quoi c’est son nom ?
PAPILLON: Petit Rusty ?
PRICE: Et quelques ?
PAPILLON: Hein ?
PRICE: Tu l’aimes un autre, encore. Who else ?
PAPILLON: L’autre --
PRICE: Yeah.
PAPILLON: L’autre petit qui jouait la musique ?
PRICE: Yeah. PAPILLON: Geno ?
PRICE: [agrees] Geno.
PAPILLON: Geno.
PRICE: Tu l’aimes Geno, huh ? PAPILLON: Oh, I love Geno. It’s fun. PRICE: [laughs]
PAPILLON: That’s what I said.
PRICE: Geno --
PAPILLON: It’s the same thing with --
BILLISON: Français ?
PAPILLON: … with Geno. Et si je l’aime plus --
PRICE: Geno.
PAPILLON: Comment tu dis ça ?
PRICE: [7:47] Geno ?
PAPILLON: Lordy.
PRICE: Tu l’aimes Géno, la musique à Geno ?
PAPILLON: Oui. Et Geno est plus --
PRICE: He’s more of a … [he’s more]...
PAPILLON: He’s more ... more of a fun. It’s more fun. When he talks, he’s laughing.
PRICE: Talk French. BILLISON: Français. PRICE: Français.
PAPILLON: Quand il parle, il parle et il rit ensemble.
[8:27]
[End Tape 5022. End Session 1.] [Total session time - 8:27]
Interviewee: Mary Papillon and Vilmar Price Tape 5022 Interviewer: Brooke Billison Session 1
Transcriber: Erin Segura October 5, 2019
Translator: Jackson Butterbaugh [Begin Tape 5022. Begin Session I.]
BROOKE BILLISON: This is Brooke Billison here with Vilmar Price and Mary Papillon today. Today is the … October 5th, 2019 and we’re in Lafayette, Louisiana. Today, Miss Papillon will be telling me a story about how when she was younger and they used to go dance all the time. What is your name ?
VILMAR PRICE: What is your name ?
MARY PAPILLON: Mary Papillon. BILLISON: Where are you from ? PRICE: Where are you from ?
PAPILLON: That place is so hard, you can’t hardly hear it.
PRICE: Bell City ? Is that where you’re from ?
PAPILLON: No. I lived near Bell City -- a place called Bon Air.
BILLISON: What story are you going to tell me today ?
PAPILLON: What ? Huh ?
PRICE: What ?
BILLISON: What story are you going to tell me today ?
PRICE: What is… ? Today what are you… today?
PAPILLON: Today ?
PRICE: [agrees]
PAPILLON: What day is it ? Huh ?
BILLISON: Dancing ?
PAPILLON: Dance.
BILLISON: [1:47] Dance.
PRICE: Dancing ? What are you…
BILLISON: Dancing and music ?
PRICE: What did you like ? Did you like dancing ?
PAPILLON: Oh, yes !
PRICE: Dancing and listen to the music, la musique ?
PAPILLON: [Petit Rusty.] BILLISON: What year were you born ? PRICE: Where were you born ?
PAPILLON: Huh ?
PRICE: Where were you born ?
PAPILLON: Oh, the same place, Bon Air. My mom didn’t have doctors back then, so she and Dad delivered me.
PRICE: Her mother and her father delivered her.
PAPILLON: There were no doctors back then.
PRICE: There were no doctors around when she was born.
BILLISON: Where were you raised ?
PRICE: Where were you raised ?
PAPILLON: The same place, Bon Air.
BILLISON: Have you ever lived anywhere else ?
PAPILLON: [3:26] Bon Air.
BILLISON: Lafayette?
PAPILLON: Oh, no.
PRICE: Where were you born ?
PAPILLON: It was between Iowa and Lafayette. No, Lake Charles. Lafayette is further.
BILLISON: How many grades did you finish in school ?
PRICE: Did you go to school ?
PAPILLON: Yes.
BILLISON: Did you study French in school ?
PRICE: Did they French at school ?
PAPILLON: Yes.
BILLISON: Did your family speak French or English more when you were little ?
PRICE: Did your family speak Creole or English ?
PAPILLON: I think it was Creole.
PRICE: Creole.
BILLISON: [agrees] Are you married ?
PRICE: Did you get married ?
PAPILLON: I got married in Holmwood. BILLISON: Did your husband speak French ? PAPILLON: Of course.
BILLISON: Do you have kids ?
PAPILLON: Huh ?
BILLISON: [4:54] Do you have kids ?
PAPILLON: Yeah, a ton of them.
PRICE: [laughs] She said une bande. A bunch.
PAPILLON: [laughs]
BILLISON: Are you still working ?
PRICE: You’re not working at [inaudible] anymore, right, Mary ? [laughs]
PAPILLON: Huh ?
PRICE: She’s asking if you work.
PAPILLON: Oh, no.
PRICE: [laughs]
BILLISON: Nowadays, with whom do you speak French ? PRICE: Do you still speak French ? Today ? You speak -- PAPILLON: Oh, yes. I’m not --
BILLISON: With Vilmar ?
PAPILLON: I’m not… I’m not too used to --
PRICE: You speak --
PAPILLON: … like [you’re used to].
PRICE: [agrees] She said it’s not… it’s not [usually] English. French, you know. It’s French.
BILLISON: How often do you speak French these days ? PRICE: She’s asking how do you speak French these days ? PAPILLON: I don’t speak French with anybody.
PRICE: [6:02] Avec personne. Nobody. [laughs]
BILLISON: [laughs] PAPILLON: [laughs] Nobody. PRICE: Nobody. [laughs]
BILLISON: Stories ? Dancing ? Rusty ?
PRICE: Where --
PAPILLON: Zydeco dancing? [dances]
PRICE: Yeah.
PAPILLON: [laughs]
PRICE: What type of music do you like ?
PAPILLON: Huh ?
PRICE: What music… let’s see, music… what kind of music do you like ?
PAPILLON: Rusty ?
PRICE: What music do you like ?
PAPILLON: [shrugs]
PRICE: You know, you talk about … who you like to talk … who you like ? How you… who do you like ?
PAPILLON: Huh ?
PRICE: You, music ? PAPILLON: Music ? PRICE: Yeah.
PAPILLON: Zydeco ?
PRICE: [6:52] Yeah. What’s his name ?
PAPILLON: Petit Rusty ? PRICE: And what else ? PAPILLON: Huh ?
PRICE: You like another one, too. Who else ?
PAPILLON: The other --
PRICE: Yeah.
PAPILLON: The other kid who played music ?
PRICE: Yeah. PAPILLON: Geno ?
PRICE: [agrees] Geno.
PAPILLON: Geno.
PRICE: You like Geno, huh ? PAPILLON: Oh, I love Geno. It’s fun. PRICE: [laughs]
PAPILLON: That’s what I said.
PRICE: Geno --
PAPILLON: It’s the same thing with --
BILLISON: In French, please ?
PAPILLON: … with Geno. And if I like it more --
PRICE: Geno.
PAPILLON: How do you say that ?
PRICE: [7:47] Geno ?
PAPILLON: Lordy.
PRICE: Do you like Geno, Geno’s music ? PAPILLON: Yes. And Geno is more -- PRICE: He’s more of a … [he’s more] ...
PAPILLON: He’s more ... more of a fun. It’s more fun. When he talks, he’s laughing.
PRICE: Talk French. BILLISON: In French, please. PRICE: French.
PAPILLON: When he talks, he talks and he laughs at the same time.
[8:27]
[End Tape 5022. End Session 1.] [Total session time - 8:27]