Last few hours in Haiti

Down time

Matthew 25, Guest House, Port au Prince, Haiti,  Wednesday, March 13, 2013

I’m sitting at a wrought iron table a few feet from the busy street. My spot is shaded by the covered front entrance, and the sun is doing its early morning magic on the scene in the street.  School children are walking by; all of their uniforms are scrubbed clean and neatly pressed. Some break into smiles readily, some are cautious and unsure of the “blan”.

 I am reading when a clacking bell pulls my attention back to the street. It is a wooden bell, a dry sound. It is a shoe shine man, proudly traveling the streets, looking for business. Cars and motos are honking. A UN car goes by, and then a break in traffic and the sounds cease, the air is still, just voices floating, some nearby and some in the distance. Then a new sound, it sounds like an ice cream truck. But when I look up it is a home delivery purified water truck.

Some of the ladies going to market in the street have new plastic baskets that they are carrying on their heads.  These I think are “uptown”, I have not seen them in our area. Mostly we see metal bowls or natural baskets.

We will be leaving at 11:00 am for the airport. It is just 10:30 and I am pleased to see the two volunteers returning form their early morning activities. I always enjoy the stimulation from the time I spend with other people at Matthew 25 and hear of their experiences.

While we are talking a fresh fish lady comes up. The volunteers went and got Valarie, to negotiate a purchase. She is the young Haitian woman who is the new assistant director. She had informed the volunteers to not hang around during negotiations or it would cost more money because the seller would factor in the “blan”. I did get a picture though, . It was neat, one of the fish was a really pretty blue color, parakeet blue.

11:00 and we are off, 13 ½ hours and we will be home.