Thursday, July 21, 2011

THE SUN, THE LAMP AND THE CHAUFFEUR



We make it out to Fayette, at the river's edge of Grand Riviere (Momance), when the chauffeur changes his mind about getting us down river to Jean Jean, where the Mon Bouton team will meet us to schlepp the lamp post, the equipment, tools, suitcase and schools books. The driver apologizes, "Ah, cherie, it is not you, it's my truck, I cannot risk it..." and off he goes. Days later, I am thinking I should have given him more money, it might have floated his boat, er truck...But what the heck. There we are, stranded, with like 500 pounds of equipment and a solar panel, 3 ENERSA technicians and my Mon Bouton family - Destin, Toma, Madame Vab...all waiting for Madame Randy to pull a rabbit out of a hat....Now, where's my hat in all this damn stuff.

Sure it was HOT! Sure, I was tired - been up since 4:30 a.m. and now sitting here at Fayette and it's past 10, and hiking up those mountains is no fun at any time but especially not high noon...Then, this white, spanking clean, like new, AIR CONDITIONED truck pulls up! And the passenger side air conditioned closed window rolls down, "Uh, Miss, Can you help us?" in perfect English but no, it's not an American nor any other visiting blan. Can I help them?

This has to be some sort of joke, right?

But it isn't! It's the real deal - they are like LOST and they don't know which way to go...to Jean-jean! Boy, will I get them there!

So, before you can say "mezanmi" or some other Kreyol expletive deleted, I give them directions and add, "Can you help us? We're all going to jean-jean!"

Destin and Toma and Madame Vab and team ENERESA hustle everything but the 200 lb. lamp post intot the AIR CONDITIONED back of the truck and we're off! Five or six people from Mon Bouton have arrived to tag-time carry the lamp post to jean-Jean where they will meet another team to begin that haul, the trek...

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