In The Paradise

It was about half past midnight when the alarm sounded, summoning the employees to the cafeteria for tea. A trembling voice, sad and heavy with indescribable emotion, said, "Look at me, Elizabeth. She seems tired." It was Norilus. He himself, dressed in his usual robes, was complaining of pain in his left knee for the past two years, caused by the temperature of a cold storage room, which was bringing on premature signs of aging. After asking his companion for help sitting down, he spent part of his time nibbling. "In the land of the blind," Félicité retorted, "the one-eyed man is king." Emmanuel, overwhelmed by the bitter taste left by his late father's departure, sighed deeply before bowing his head to pray. "Hmmmm! It seems I'm missing something, for my father was so close to me," he cried. Elizabeth, who had recently lost a tooth in a work accident, laughed heartily as she witnessed Emmanuel's loud snoring, which he claimed was due to be a prayer.

Sitting at the back of a small table, Félicité pointed out that it would be better to stop making daily sacrifices at the risk of one's life, otherwise everyone would end up like beasts of burden, blinded by the demands of daily life. "Well said, Félicité," replied Elizabeth, who had just celebrated her first five years away from her loved ones, without knowing when she would see them again. "Berbeth, we all understand the sadness that fills your heart, because sometimes life forces us to live far from those who helped us take our first steps."

Before leaving the table to resume his work packing boxes, Emmanuel suggested to his companions, “Coming from Haiti, we all share the same background,” he said, “why not describe the reality we live in, so that the leaders of both our countries of origin and host country understand the hardships faced by those facing uncertainty in life?” “100%,” declared Norilus, the group’s leader, pressing down on the table. As they headed home, a discussion arose about the date of this meeting, as they felt it would be one of the surest ways to make their demands heard. They agreed to meet on Saturday, May 1st, at the IG509 Intercultural Club, located at the corner of Boulevard La Traversée and Rue Ahsossy, to continue their conversation.

There’s no need to tell you who I am, because today, we are all part of the same family. In the search for well-being, from north to south, from east to west, we all wear the same hat. Every living being has a story filled with either bitterness or happiness.

Autor: Wolson LOuis, In the Paradise