Yours Truly < Previous Department of Sud, Highway 1 toward Cayes Jè drives the station’s small Geo sport-utility vehicle on the main highway south. Highway 1 is really just a two-lane road with one lane of asphalt shared in each direction. Kevin doesn’t have a driver’s license or any documentation other than his US passport, which is … Read more
< Previous Jè and Kevin chuckle together and return to the jumbled pile of gear. Kevin dumps the entire contents of a bag onto the floor, disgorging a cloud of dust, salt, chemicals, and rat droppings into the work space. Jè does the same with the remaining bag, and a plume of dust fills the … Read more
< Previous Part 4 (Katriyèm): COLLABORATORS Safety First Radio Protestant, Carrefour Kevin spends the next week preparing for his excursion to Mount Boeffe in Southern Haiti. It’s one of the highest peaks on a mountain range that begins near Miragoane and then bisects Haiti’s Southern arm with Cayes to the south and Jeremie to the … Read more
< Previous The damned roosters rouse Kevin and Kat from their bamboo mat on the roof. They found a mosquito net at some point, and arranged it in a tent/lean-to against the water barrel. They don’t hear any gunfire and the smoke has cleared. They make their way downstairs where Jocelyn has set up breakfast … Read more
< Previous Kat chuckles ruefully before continuing, “But really, if we’ve been successful these past years, the community will protect us as they will their own. We’re here without a safety net and I’m sorry for pulling you out here without explaining that first.” Kevin’s face changes as he considers this, his expression of anxiety … Read more
< Previous The next day Somehow amid everything else, Ti Mon climbed up onto the roof the night before, reconnected the hose, and now the water barrel is filled. Everyone gathers around Ti Mon to thank him and his little face breaks out in a huge grin. So now there’s clean water (within reason) for … Read more
< Previous For the human rights activists, the community organizers, the base communities, and the generous, welcoming angels who kept me safe. The clergy, laity, Haitian, African, American, Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Columbian, Cuban, Dominican, Dutch, German, Jamaican, and Puerto-Rican brothers and sisters, Formed in the crucible of Haiti, 1991-1992, doing the best we could to … Read more
< Previous Part 3 (Twazyèm): REBELLION Self-Defense Mirogoane Stronghold They unload the truck and are taking things inside when a loud commotion is heard outside the gate. Kat just finished closing it, so she opens it partway again while Dirk and Jocelyn join her. A crowd of a few dozen neighbors is shouting and shoving … Read more
< Previous As the beach goers start packing up for the afternoon, Kat suggests that they watch a soccer match at the municipal stadium. Kevin asks if they can still get tickets and she replies, “For a few dollars, we can get all the seats we want. Although since everything is general admission, we’ll probably … Read more
< Previous Miragoane Beach and Stadium At that, Kat announces it’s a perfect time to go to the local beach. They load up the Land Cruiser pickup with some bamboo mats, towels, and a cooler full of water jugs. Jocelyn quietly approaches Kat and whispers something to her. Kat replies, “Men, oui!” Jocelyn returns with … Read more