A novel of Haiti, 1991 – 1992
American Man – Missionary
< 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 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 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 Tim freezes, his eyes seeming to see Kevin for the first time. He slowly asks, “What exactly are you saying?” Kevin responds evenly, “I’m here on loan to your board. You can’t fire me because I’m independently funded and have air cover at the national level. And if you do, I’ll just go … 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
< Previous PART 2: MISEDUCATION Missionaries Iron Market, Downtown Tim and Kevin are leaving the Iron Market, where Tim has introduced him to a North African merchant who will exchange US dollars for Haitian gourdes. Kevin’s immigration status is murky, so he can’t open any bank accounts. NGO Tech isn’t recognized by the Haitian government … Read more
< Previous Delmas For the next week, Kevin settles into his new living arrangements with Tim’s family and Nadine, their housekeeper and cook. She lives nearby and is married to a pastor who works for a local church. The roosters always wake Kevin early and Nadine always has coffee waiting. After Tim’s family are finished … Read more
< Previous PART 2: MISEDUCATION Dechokaj January – February 1991 Delmas Highway Tim maneuvers the Isuzu around the burning debris and makes the turn onto Delmas Highway. When they’re up to speed again Kevin asks, “Did you see that? Was that a burnt body?” Tim hits the brakes abruptly as a group of protestors step … Read more
< Previous PART 1: ESCAPE / ARRIVAL Arrival January 1991 Caribbean SeaNorthwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti Eleven months before Henri, Jocelyn, and baby Espwa set out on their voyage… The whine of jet engines increases in pitch, as the aging Boeing 727 begins its approach to Port-au-Prince International Airport. Kevin instinctively tightens his seat belt as … Read more
< Previous Kevin follows as Tim maneuvers his way through the crowd, waving some sort of credential whenever someone steps aside too slowly. Kevin tries to seem friendly while avoiding eye contact and making sure not to hit anyone’s legs with his footlocker. Sidestepping a group of hard faced young Haitian men, Kevin has to … Read more
< Previous They round a corner in the road and see what’s causing the traffic jam. Two overturned tractor trailers have been pulled across the road, forming a zig zag path between them. The makeshift checkpoint is manned by several dozen young men. They don’t have any visible weapons but are collecting a toll from … Read more