A novel of Haiti, 1991 – 1992
Haitian Man – Technician
< Previous PART 9: SURVIVE / DIE? Exit Port-de-PaixChristmas Eve, 1991 Late that night, Jè arrives at the Port-de-Paix cathedral and is surprised to find its doors unlocked. He can hear piano music but doesn’t hear voices. He pushes a door open and steps inside. Jè has never been in a Catholic cathedral before, just … Read more
< Previous Mother Mary’s Ashley and Matt arrive with Ti Mon, Jocelyn and her baby, just in time for dinner. The nuns quickly swarm around them. They guide everyone but Matt into a nearby women’s dorm and close the door. Matt’s not sure what to do with himself until an older priest approaches him. Not … Read more
< Previous PART 8: DEFEND Extract Montana Hotel Ashley and Matt are driving their Land Cruiser toward the Montana Hotel. It’s Sunday, so Jocelyn should be at church services this morning. They’re dressed in their best “missionary garb”; Matt in white shirt with clip-on tie and Ashley in her most formal dress. She’s even managed … Read more
< Previous Kevin looks lost in thought and Father Vitor waits for him to continue, “I wasn’t going to mention this today, but my NGO told me that my last chance airline ticket will be at the Pan Am counter on New Years Day.” Father Vitor nods his head, “That’s the signal. You’ve become a … Read more
< Previous PART 8: DEFEND Organize Mother Mary’s The thrice-damned roosters announce the morning as Kevin arrives at Mother Mary’s. The guardian looks carefully in Kevin’s SUV before waving him through the gate. Kevin grins at him and says, “No contraband this time. But thanks for double-checking!” The guard knows enough English to crack a … Read more
< Previous PART 8: DEFEND Adapt November – December 1991 Port-au-Prince, Downtown The airport is under military control and Kevin’s mobility is limited. He avoids public markets, gatherings, or churches and moves between houses frequently. Jè and Henri continue their plan to build out the Ti Legliz comms network. Kevin stays clear of Carrefour and … Read more
< Previous PART 7: MEN WITH GUNS Police State October 1991 Haiti The military rounds up what remains of the political opposition and installs a provisional government with vague assurances of future elections. Haiti is open for business again so come on down and place your bets and bribes. In response, the international community places … Read more
< Previous PART 6: BETRAYAL Huddled Masses North of Port-au-Prince Bon Chance Refugee Camp After finishing up some meetings in Petionville a few days later, Kevin receives a panicked request via Tele-Joel to place a collect call to NYC. He finds a Telco, pays the “seating fee” to wait for a phone and makes the … Read more
< Previous PART 5: LESSONS Survival Carrefour After returning with Jè, Kevin settles into a new routine at the station. The Head Engineer has postponed his vacation and Tim is busy in Petionville, setting up soft rock station for the upper classes. Making everything less difficult, Kevin has also solved his transportation problem. Jè helped … Read more
< Previous PART 5: LESSONS Choices Ti Legliz Village Now that his mission has been accomplished, Jè suggests that Kevin return to the station the following weekend. Kevin tries to argue that he should finish up a few more projects, but Father Jean points out that Ti Legliz has learned enough about AM/FM radio from … Read more
< Previous PART 5: LESSONS Resilience April – June 1991 Ti Legliz Village Kevin spends the rest of his time at Ti Legiz climbing up and down Mount Boueffe and working on other projects as assigned by Solange or Father Jean. He sends reports to Tim and Head Engineer about progress, never mentioning that he’s … Read more
< Previous Sitting on the ground while considering options, Kevin hears new voices. He looks up and sees an old Haitian man climbing the hill, followed by a young boy. Panielle is already watching carefully. When the man arrives at the tower, he begins telling a lengthy story. Kevin can’t follow it, but Panielle is … Read more
< Previous Southern Haiti Mountain Range, Mount Boeffe Their meal complete, Solange and Father Jean say goodbye. “We’ll be over at the orphanage for the rest of the day if anyone needs us.” Henri takes Kevin, Panielle and the rest of the men into a small garden shed behind the chapel. He turns on a … Read more
< Previous Ti Legliz As they walk, Kevin sees how easily this village can be defended. The houses are arranged around the stone chapel inside a walled town square. He’s heard from reliable sources that the Government of Haiti or cartels will send “tax collectors” into some of these communities, but they never return. Rather … Read more
< Previous PART 4: COLLABORATORS Community Department of Sud, Ti Legliz Village Eventually they reach a plateau and the path fades into a small pasture, shaded by fir trees. They see a few well-maintained homes arranged around a stone chapel. Jè maneuvers around the goats that wander into the path. Gardeners surround their plots with … Read more
< Previous Department of Sud, Highway 1 toward Cayes Jè drives his small Geo SUV on the main highway south. Highway 1 is really just a two-lane road with one shared lane of asphalt. Kevin doesn’t have a driver’s license or any documentation other than his US passport and a letter of Radio Protestant engineer … Read more
< Previous PART 4: COLLABORATORS Safety First March 1991 Carrefour, Radio Protestant After returning from Mirogoane, Kevin moves in with Jè as planned. It’s an easy move involving his backpack, the footlocker from Mother Mary’s, and some used furniture they’ve collected from friends. They agree that Creole will be the house language, even though Jè … Read more
< Previous The next morning The damned roosters rouse Kevin and Ashley 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 … Read more
< Previous Carrefour Kevin begins to spend more of his time at the AM station in Carrefour. The area is growing rapidly as Haitians migrate into the Port-au-Prince urban sprawl. Economic conditions and Macoute attacks have driven farmers and laborers out of the provinces. The population of Carrefour was a crucial part of President Aristide’s … Read more