Ingrid : A pitit! Depi ou nan kolèj, se adil ou ye. Ou dwe konn sa k bon ak sa k pa bon. Nou rankontre ak zanmi se vre, men pou n etidye, fè devwa ansanm pou n fè bèl nòt. Nou konn reyini pandan wikenn pou relax nou, pou al gade yon movie. Men, bi noun an kolèj se pou etidye.

Manouska : Guess what! B.C (Boston College) asepte m, Yale asepte m, M.I.T asepte m ak full scholarship.

Roro : Kisa? Se twa zen lekòl wi, pitit! A, paran nou priye anpil. Jan lekòl sa yo chè! Jan l difisil pou antre ladan yo!

Manouska : A, pitit… mwen pa ka dòmi apre m fin jwenn lèt sa yo. Twa bèl chwa! M ap rezève plas mwen nan B.C ak Yale. Men m pral M.I.T malgre la tough anpil, sitou se electrical engeneering mwen pral fè, men ou konnen depi nan high school Ingrid Laforè renmen challenge. Mwen remèsye paran m tou. Byenke y ap travay di, yo peye pou n te pran leson matematik ak yon pwofesè Ayisyen. A, pitit ravaje m ravaje yon an S.A.T a.

Rès zanmi yo di: yeah! All right!

Ingrid : Paran nou kontan vre timoun. Yo wè nou pral nan gran kolèj sa yo.

Manouska : A, nou pale ak yo tanzantan, fè kè yo kontan. Ou konn paran ayisyen. Pafwa yo te p èpou n pa al nan kolèj ki lwen. Yo toujou ap di se nan campus nou bezwen ale, kòmsi yo wè campus la se yon bagay ki negatif. Men chans pou nou, yo te rankontre ak yon konseye ayisyen nan high school la nan meeting paran yo ki esplike yo kijan kolèj la ye. Li esplike yo tout bagay. Sa t ap ede lòt paran ayisyen tou si yo te konn vin nan reyinyon paran; konsa, yo t ap gen chans pou pale ak pwofes èyo pou eklèsi yo sou plizy èbagay. Men ou konnen, anpil fwa yo travay full-time, overtime, yo gen tout sòt hard time.

Mario : ou pa wè kado mwen achte pou papa m? Ou konnen, se fèt papa. Mwen f èl yon sipriz. A, bon vye malere! Kounyeya misye di l ap ban m machin li an l èm ap antre nan kolèj an septanm epi l a p peye asirans pou mwen. Li pral achte yon djip Toyota.

Roro : Kool ! Se sa nèt! Ou lucky menn ! Papa ou trè konpreyansib. Fò ou kraponnen l tanzantan. Vin wè yo pandan ou nan campus, ekri yo.

Mario : Kote w kite manman m menm? Mwen rele manmzèl «kòmè enfatigab». Li gentan lave tout rad mwen yo pou m al nan campus an septanm.

Roro : Ou fèt ak kwaf!

Ingrid ak Roro pral deplase. Y ap gade mont yo.

Ingrid : Nou prale kounyeya. M ap ban nou yon kout fil lòt wikenn. Fò m pase w èmesyedam yo pou konplimante yo pou pitit yo ki pral nan kolèj.

Ivèt : Y ap byen kontan.

Manouska : M ap tann nou timoun.

Len kwoke lòt: Babay! Babay!

Kesyon e konpreyansyon

1. Kilès Roro ak Ingrid ye?

2. Nan ki campus yo rete?

3. Kisa Manouska, Mario ak Ivèt t ap fè lè Roro ak Ingrid vin parèt la?

4. Kisa Malèn t ap vin fè ka Manouska?

5. Ki sòt elèv Manouska ak Roro ye?

6. Nan ki kolèj Mario prale?

7. Ki sòt mizik yo t ap jwe?

8. Esplike kijan Roro ak Ingrid vin chanje l èyo te antre nan kolèj.

9. Pouki rezon anpil elèv pa pase nan kolèj?

10. Ki sip òyo jwenn nan men paran yo?

11. Ki ef èrankont konseye ayisyen an genyen sou paran yo?

12. Ki kado papa Mario pral ba li?

13. Ki leson Moral ou tire nan pyesèt la?

*Nòt:

Mwen ekri pwononsiyasyon mo anglè yo nan mitan kwochè pou moun ki familye ak fonetik kreyòl la; konsa, yo p ap gen pwoblèm pou li yo an(n) anglè.

adult [a dòl]: adil; moun ki gen dizuitan ou plis pase dizuitan (Ozetazini)

ah man ! [a menm]: a monchè! A papa!

all set man ! [ol sèt menn]: tout bagay anfòm!

bum [banm]: ti vagabon (vakabon), wazif.

Brown [bra woun] Brown University : youn nan gran inivèsite ameriken yo (Ivy League) ki sitiye nan eta Rhode Island, pa twò lwen ak Boston.

campus [kanm pous] tèm ameriken ki an rapò ak kolèj, inivèsite kote etidyan yo al lekòl epi yo tou rete la.

challenge [tya lenj]: defi.

cheer! [tchir]: mo angè ki montre lakontantman.

college business [kò lèj biz nis]: biznis kolèj, bagay ki an rapò ak kolèj.

drop out [dròp awout] tèm ameriken ki vle di etidyan ki kite lekòl san yo pa fini.

fail [fel] koule, pa pase.

financial aid [fay nenn syal ed]: èd finansyè (lekòl la oubyen leta bay).

free [fri]: lib; gratis.

freedom [fri dòm]: libète.

full-time [foul taym]: travay uitèdtan (Ozetazini).

guess what! [gès wat]: devine!

hard time [had taym]: difikilte, pwoblèm.

hey! : entèjeksyon anglè ki ka esprime yon bri, yon kontantman).

high school [hay skoul]: lekòl segondè, lise (ameriken) ki ta ekivalan fen klas twazyèm (nan sistèm peyi frankofòn yo); selon lekòl sa a (nan milye l sitiye ak korikilòm li, li ka menm nivo ak klas tèminal nan nan sistèm peyi frankofòn yo).

kool [koul]: anfòm! Pa gen pàn! Pa gen danje!

lucky [lò ki]: chanse, gen chans.

movie [mou vi]: sinema.

no more parties [no mòr pòr tiz]: pa gen fèt ankò.

nop! nop! [nop nop]: non! non!

nursing home [noer sing houm]: kay kote yo mete granmoun apre yon sèten laj (Ozetazini); yo ba yo tout swen nesesè.

over-time [over taym]: travay (ki dire) plis pase uitèdtan (Ozetazini).

party [pòr ti]: fèt (espesyalman pou jèn Ozetazini).

pati [pa ti] pa gen oken rapò siyifikasyon l nan kreyòl. La a, li kreyolize; li sot nan anglè (party), ki vle di «fèt». Se youn nan egzanp nanpil mo anglè Ayisyen Ozetazini kreyolize nan diskou yo (espesyalman jèn Ayisyen). Kote pati a ye aswè a?

rap [rap]: mizik jèn, espesyalman Nwa Ameriken (ki evolye nan ane 90 yo).

relax [ri laks]: rete kè pòpòz, dodomeya.

Conversation of four friends who were in high school

(a sketch by Emmanuel W. VEDRINE)

Roro and Ingrid graduated from West Roxbury High School where they were studying together with Manouska and Mario. Ingrid was a good friend of Manouska in that school. Manouska and Mario are brothers and sisters. They recently graduated from high school; they are accepted in college. Roro and Ingrid have already completed their first year in college. They are on vacations; they left their campus in order to go back to Boston.

Manouska : I hear a knocking at the door. Lower the volume of the music; maybe that's my dad. You know that he doesn't want to hear these types of music. He is always saying they are stuffs for bums, that's modern music.

Ivèt, a friend who came to visit Manouska, goes to see who is at the door.

Ivèt : Guess who?

Mario : I don't believe my dad would come back that early. No doubt it's my mom. She works different schedules at the nursing home.

Ivèt : Nope! Nope! It's not them.

Manouska : No doubt it's Malèn. She was coming here so that I would help her filling out a financial Aid Form.

Ivèt : You're all wrong! It's Roro and Ingrid.

Manouska and Mario : What! Roro and Ingrid!

Ivèt calls them in. Manouska and Mario embrace them.

Ingrid : How are doing Manouska?

Roro : We came back from Amherst yesterday.

Manouska : Have a seat guys. Make yourself at home. We are on vacations. We are not in a hurry. Let me go and get you something to drink from the refrigerator. You know it's hot.

Manouska left them speaking in the living room while she goes to the kitchen to get them some juice.

Roro : So, what colleges are you guys going to?

Mario : Hey man! All set man! I got accepted at three colleges already.

Roro : Three! You're all set man! What are these three?

Mario : B.U ( Boston University ), New York University and Brown.

Roro stands up all of a sudden and hugs Mario.

Roro : B.U! New York ! Brown! That's it! Which one are you going to?

Mario : Well, you never know. I've decided to go to Brown. It's not too far away. It's right there in Rhode Island. I have them reserved my seat also at B.U and New York University for one year, just in case.

Manouska returns from the kitchen with five glasses in a trade.

Manouska : You may change the music, guys, if you want. There are other tapes here.

Mario puts another tape. They sit down, shaking their bodies; each of them holding a glass. They stand up and say: cheers! They then sit down and continue shaking their bodies.

Ivèt : How's college?

Ingrid : Hey, my dear, no more parties! No more! You remember how we used to party, almost every weekend when we were at Westy? Now, it's college business.

Manouska : You mean students are forbidden to give parties in college?

Ingrid : Well, here in the US, once you are in college, you are an adult. You are responsible of yourself, you know. If you are thinking of partying, celebrating every day, well you'll fail then; you won't pass ‘cause you don't study. There are many students I know that happens to them. The reason is that they spend too much time socializing. They don't have enough time to study, to focus on the subjects. Many fail the subjects or they pass with a low grade.

Mario : Well, they tell you that there's a lot of freedom in college, is that so?

Roro : In college, you have freedom; that's true, but you must control it.

Mario : What do you I mean? I believe once you've freedom, you are free, you are eighteen, you can do… you can be in college and you live on campus. Yeah man!

Roro : Well, I used to the think the same way when I was in high school. Many young Haitians in high school think like that. We must try to change the mentality of these teenagers. They think once you are going to college, you are going to live on campus it's good time that you're going to have. There are many students who drop out from college for this reason. They spend too much time socializing, they don't study, they don't do their home works in order to maintain a good average; when they have exams, they fail and they lose their scholarships. So, they drop out.

Ingrid : Hey ya! Once you're in college, you are an adult. You must know what's good and bad. It's true that we meet with friends, but to study, to do home works together in order to get good grades. We sometimes get together on weekends to relax, to wash a movie. But our purpose in college is to study

Roro : Are you going to college, Manouska?

Manouska : Guess what! I got accepted at B.C ( Boston College ), Yale and M.I.T (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) with full scholarship.

Roro : What! These are three great schools, kid! Hey guys! Your parents pray a lot. These schools are very expensive! It's so difficult to get in these schools!

Manouska : Hey… I can't sleep after I received these acceptance letters. Three great choices! I am reserving my seat at B.C and Yale. But I am going to M.I.T though it's very tough, specially if you're going to major in Electrical Engineering, but you know since in high school Ingrid Laforè loves challenge. I also thank my parents. Despite of their working hard, they pay for math tutoring with a Haitian teacher. Hey ya! I beat them in the S.A.T Exam.

The remaining friends say: yeah! All right!

Ingrid : Guys, your parents are happy! They see you're going to these great colleges.

Manouska : Hey, we talk to them from time to time, making them happy. You know Haitian parents. Sometimes they were afraid that we go to college too far away. They were always saying that we wanted to go to campus as if they see campus as something negative. But, lucky we are, they met with a Haitian counselor in the school during a parents' meeting who explained to them how college is. He explained to them everything. That would also help other Haitian parents if they were coming to these meetings; that way, they would have the chance to speak to teachers in order to enlighten them on these issues. But you know, many times, they work full time and overtime. They have all sort of hard time.

Mario : Do you see the gift that I've bought for my dad? You know, that's Father's Day. I had a surprise for him. Hey! Such a good guy! Now, he says that he is going to give me his car when I go to college in September and he is going to pay the insurance for me. He's going to buy a Toyota S.U.V.

Roro : Kool! That's it! You're lucky man! Your dad is very a understanding person. You must try to understand him from time to time. Come and visit them while you're on campus, write to them.

Mario : How about my mother? I call her “the tired less woman”. She has already washed all my of my clothes to go to campus in September.

Roro : You were born with good luck man!

Ingrid and Roro are ready to go; they are looking at their watch.

Ingrid : We are going to leave now. I will give you, guys, a buzz next weekend. I have to stop by your parents to congratulate them for their kids who are going to college.

Ivèt : They'll be quite happy.

Manouska : I am waiting for ya guys.

They hug each other and waive good-bye.

(The end)