A Remarkable Woman

   On Sunday I had dinner at the rectory of St. Marc's Church with the priests who live there and Sister Mary Hardawin.  Sister Mary is an incredible Irish lady who has been in Haiti for 15 years.  She was already in her 60's when she came here for the first time.  She was telling funny stories at dinner about learning Créole, and how she would make public and embarrassing errors when she was first getting started.

   She and Father Alcide have just returned from Kentucky where they visited their sister parish of Saint James.  Father Alcide told us at dinner that he was asked to speak during mass and he didn't trust his English.  So he asked Sister Mary, if he would speak in Créole, would she translate into English for him.  She said she would.  He told us, instead of speaking in English, she repeated everything he said to the congregation- in Créole.

   She is tireless and gutsy.  She has two artificial hips and walks everywhere to visit the sick and people in prison.  I asked her if she ever takes the motorscooters that buzz everywhere like bees.  Occasionally, she told me.  Just the day before, she had walked very far and as she came back into town, decided she would take one.  They cost 10 Gourdes, about 25 cents.  So she said to the driver, if you go slow, I will pay you.  But if you go fast, I won't.  I have bad hips and must watch out!

   I have watched Haitian women perched sidesaddle on these things.  They sit there elegantly, maybe holding their purse in their lap, with that great posture, maybe even the ankles crossed, just as though they're sitting on a chair in somebody's living room.  Only, they're on the back of a motorscooter bouncing down a rutted street with maybe a dog or two chasing them.  It looks to me like it requires athletic ability if you're going to go in a dress.  I would not care to try it.  If I do, I'm going to be in my jeans and not sit sidesaddle.

   Sister said, everything was going well until they got to the last turn, he took it too fast, they went over a bump and she almost fell off.  She didn't say if he got the 10 gourdes or not.

   After dinner we took a walk, because I asked Sister if there were any good places in St. Marc to see the Caribbean.  So she walked with me, and when we walked behind one of the buildings lining the beach, we found a group of boys hanging out.  She spoke to them in Créole.  They each got a blank look on their face when she addressed them and answered, "I don't speak English."  Then she'd try again.  Apparently they just aren't used to hearing Créole with an Irish accent!  After a couple of tries they realized what she was saying and answered her.

   She wondered who owned the building now.  She said that it used to be the back porch of a nice hotel, and you could come there and sit and have tea, and look at the Caribbean.  It's still a nice setting, but all broken and messed up, like so many other things here, and completely littered with trash.  Digicell owns the building out front that faces the street.  If they own the back, too, they should make it nice so people could come sit there again.