Bittersweet Memories

A story in the making....




I grew up in a country where life was not easy but in the meantime it used to be my paradise.

I still have the vivid images of the blue ocean, I can still hear the song of the birds in the early morning, I can hear the merchants going down the street and saying: “men machan akasan, akasan cho” or “ze bouyi (boiled eggs), men bel fig” (bananas) then you knew it was time to wake up…… Akasan it is a type of corn that has been processed to the texture of oatmeal and is mixed with milk, sweet spices and is a very part of our breakfast culture; almost as important as coffee..

My family and i lived in Port-au-Prince, which is the Capital. I enjoyed the countryside (Jacmel) where i would go spend the summer with my uncle and aunt and have fun with my cousins.

Their house was located on top of a hill and i could just wake up and admire the nature which would smile at me, the landscape so panoramic, I would listen to the sound of the river so musical and look at the birds flying together in the blue sky. The trees with their green leaves dancing harmoniously as if they were waving praises to the Creator. You could fill God’s touch in the air, so fresh and pure. It felt so good to feel the wind in your hair like a caress and taking a deep breath and feel Alive.

My aunt would send us to the field, we call it “garden” and it was on the other side of the hill, we could see her and if we forgot what we were to pick up we’ll just ask her, no microphone needed our voices will echo in the valley. We would grab for instance some corn, vegetables and fruit and bring it home while my uncle would go hunting for dinner. It’s their field, don’t need to pay anything it’s harvest time…..I just loved it.

I enjoyed looking at my uncle milking the cow, sounds archaic but so authentic, no chemicals added just boil the milk and add “cannela” for flavor…the good old times…..

I would spend days sitting by the river observing the women wash clothes, soap in their hands and rub the linen together as hard as they could then dip it in the water and rinse it over and over until there was no more trace of soap of dirt then they would just line them up on the rocks and plants along the river for the sun to dry them off. In the meantime their kids would play in the water and try to catch some crawfish. They would go home and come back to pick up the clothes exactly when they were ready, like they had an invisible timer….I guess from doing it so long they knew how long it takes for the sun to perform its duty.

　

There was no electricity but it was so much fun, that i did not miss having a television set or turning on a light. I enjoy sitting outside with my cousins at night and giving riddles (tire cont), one person would say “krik” and the audience would say “Krak” or “TimTim”, the response “bwa sech” then we would give jokes (blag) and laugh and laugh while the fireflies would patrolling the site. Sometimes my aunt would join us and narrate us a story and it would be so captivating that we would sit still with our ears perked even after the story was over.

We loved being kids and just lay down under an open clear sky and contemplate the glowing moon and try to count the numerous stars. When I was in the City, I never noticed how bright the moon was; but in Summer time in the remote area of Jacmel, I was thankful for the moon at night and it’s like it got brighter and bigger when we would sit outside and telling jokes. When it was time to go to bed, we couldn’t wait to hear the cock crows announcing the morning.

There was so much to do…we thought with excitement in our hearts. I went horse ridding once with my uncle and i was so scared i held on to him with all the strength that i had…it was exciting and scary as we were going up the mountains. We didn’t have indoor plumbing so “if we had to go at night“, We would carry a lamp and it was so dark, that the night felt like a blanket all around and just the sound of the cricket would let you know that you were not sleep walking.

I enjoyed helping my cousins to get water from the “source” and carried the container over our heads.. There were many “sources” next to the river and they were small holes or creek of clearer and fresher water….so it was portable or it had to be. We wake up in the morning and walk down to the river where we washed and swam in the warm, inviting water…the pathway to the river was very narrow with plants on each side and was made by repeated footprints…with dried leaves all over it.

I enjoyed to gather the woods and make the fire, we would have about three big stones to support the pot and the woods in between, once the meal was ready, we removed the pot, took it inside and serve everyone and, we would pour dirt over the fire and only the stones and the ashes would be left…. later for another meal, it would be time to gather some more woods. Maybe some of you experience that when you go camping but for many, it is a daily lifestyle.

Tuesday was market day or “jou mache” and it was fun. It’s like a flea market or open market where any type of livestock, and meat, rice, bread, fruit such as mango, coconut ,avocado and other vegetables are sold and everything would be fresh because the farmers just pick the stuff from their farm, barn. etc….

(Agriculture is an essential part of the country economical life, we grow sugar cane, rice, tobacco, corn…. And later on from my first employment I would learn that we also grow raw materials such as: Vetyver, Amyris and other fragrances oil which come in the preparation of perfumes…)

You could hear the cow, the hen, the goat, the pig as if they were protesting not to be sold to another master. … looking at the merchants mostly females with a scarf around their head and tied on the side, and their skin darkened by the sun but with a gorgeous smile revealing white teeth as they greet their customers. “Beaute creole” Creole beauty, as we often refer to them).

　

The women in my Country, They are beautiful, hardworking and very hospitable. Some would arrive late to the market carrying their products on their head in a large basket trying to get a spot. Some would have their babies attached to their back while taking care of business. As you pass people along the way, they greet you and inquire about your parents because they know you, your family tree even if you don‘t have a clue of who they are..

Another date I like in the countryside is January 1st commemorating Independence Day, our independence from France, Haiti the first black country to get their Independence. All the families would exchange Yellow Soup or Soupe au Giraumond…because that’s what the slaves shared after they became free. The soup consists of a mixture of beef meat well seasoned, potatoes, yam, and Giraumond which looks like a big pumpkin along with other spices and it tastes delicious.....


to be continued....

The kids would go to the neighbors house wishing happy new year, what we call “swaite la resone” and get some words of blessing from the older folks and get themselves ready to start a new year.