A novel of Haiti, 1991 – 1992
Haitian Woman – Community Organizer
< 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 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 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