Potomitan

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Annou voyé kreyòl douvan douvan

Bato konminyon pwens-lan

Shipment of the prince’s sacrament

Frank Fimber

An ti kont fè nou pa janmen pasé jijman hatif èk chonjé, sé pa tout sa ki, sé poutji ki mèt.
A short story to remind us that we should never pass harsh judgment and why is more important than what.

Voyaj sala...

Yonn dé lyé tousèl si'y ka voyajé pa lanmè mé pwan Klawita pou lòt péyi asou voyaj li pa té ézé. Dlo–a ki ka kouwi épi libèté èk ka chajé mizi lavi ni toujou fè'y tjèksyonnen si lézòm wa, si lézòm pa wa. Magwé sa, pwéson pa ni bòn doubout libèté yo èk fè yo pa sa dwivé gwo lanmè–a. Moun, okontwè ki té toujou fè wèg, biten pou fè èk biten pou pa fè. Biten ki kouyonnen nou menm èk fè nou kwè nou ni lèspwi, kon dévlòpman–an lojistik épi kontwòl bòn. Apwézan, i pwan konmen doubout, kontwòl èk bagay pa débawasé avan nou sa pwan anyen èk pyèsonn asou kawé nou sa wè olwen.

Klawita té yon tifi ki té ni lasajès èk té senp. Kon an manmzèl, i té vlé moutwé jennès i té ni an lòt lavi pasé lavi flo–a ki té ka simen kon difé. Difé'y simen lakopwann spiwityouèl li èk èspéwéyans pou tout moun i sa wivé té asé cho pou mafwézé anyen si akòdé an chans. Mé kanmenm, mannyè–a ki pli wézonnab èk sèvi an pil alé lòt lilèt–la i pa té sa apiyé'y. Épi sa pa té kay janmen manché.

Klawita té sav kado'y té èkstwòdinè èk sipozé jwenn pli moun. Yo té sakwé èk méwité mennen jenn èk vyé moun ki konmen èk sé sa ki kwè yo té wa èk wenn. I té ka katjilé asou'y èk té ka pawé voyaj sala tibwen mwa. Kon tan–an i té ka katjilé asou vini pwé, i koumansé chaché an mannyè toupatou. I té sanm i konsidiwé tout bagay mé yonn!

Sèl lòt bagay té kous machann lannwit–la. Sé bato benyen podwi moun moutany, konminyon pwens–an ki militè wenn–lan ké détwi si'y jwenn li. Gadé dèyè, i sipozé katjilé asou sa avan anyen ankò mé Klawita di'y menm spiwityouèlité'y èk mannyè i lévé té kay janmen pèmèt sa. I pa konsidiwé avan tibwen pawòl tjenn jwé asou lidé'y: spiwityouèlité, lévé èk difé. Sé kon sa i yé, i di, “mwen ka wèzévé voyaj–la!” Wèzévé, i katjilé èk wi i menm paski i sav lopéwasyon–an pa té twadisyonnèl. I té an zafè wis mé otan apiyé'y ki'y té janmen asou lidé'y kous–la pa té on bagay ki i sa apiyé.

That voyage…

Only a few miles across the seas yet it was a challenge to get Clarita to the neighboring islands and on to her mission. The free flowing water that carries so much life has always made her question whether man is really the king. After all, fish don't set borders to limit themselves from freely roaming the vast waters. Man, on the other hand, have always made rules, things to do and things not to do. Things to fool ourselves into believing that we're smart, like the development of logistics and border control. Now, it takes so many stops, checks and clearance to get anything and anyone to a piece of land that we can see in the distance.

Clarita was a girl of wisdom and humility. As a young woman she wanted to show youth that there was an alternative to the vain lifestyle that was catching on like wildfire. Her fire to spread her spiritual insight and experience to everyone within reach was vibrant enough to captivate any target once granted a chance. Nonetheless, the most reasonable and widely used means of getting to the other islands was unreliable. And, unreliability was never going to work.

Clarita knew that her gifts were extraordinary and worth spreading. They were sacred and needed to be brought to the young and old, regular man and those who saw themselves as royalty. She had been planning and preparing for this journey for a few months well. As the date of the planned venture neared maturity, she began looking everywhere for a way out. It seemed as though she had considered everything but one!

The only other option was the route taken by merchants of the night. Ships stacked with the produce of the mountaineers, the Prince's Sacrament that the royal forces will destroy if intercepted. In hindsight, it should have been her first option but Clarita told herself that her spirituality and upbringing would never allow that. Not until a few words kept playing on her mind:  spirituality, upbringing, uplifting and fire. That's it, she said, I'm booking the passage! Booking, she thought and laughed at herself as she knew the operation wasn't formal. It was risky business but so many relied on it that unreliability was never a thought.

Tjè Klawita pilé fò tèlman...

Tanzantan, adan sé disizyon–an Klawita té ké fè pwèskè pa té kawaktè'y. Disizyon sala té annèk an lòt. Mé kanmenm, i toujou kwè wézon–an pou aksyon té pli gwo pasé aksyon–an li menm. Sé sa ki fè, an lidé'y i té anlè an viv épi li menm èk spiwityouèlité ki té pli fò tousèl. May té ki mèt dépi'y fè lidé'y pwan kous sala. Ki lè i yé, bato–a, sa ki tjé i kay pati èk ki moun...tout biten té may. La pa té ni pyès gany paski tout biten té fè an sigwé. La pa té ni pyès gwan avètisman antiwan bato–a té ka santi fwé kon yo batjé'y an fè nwè–a. Klawita santi an bagay lévé andidan'y mé danjé lannwit–la fè tout moun chonjé yo bizwen pou tjenn tèt yo anba.

Klawita sav si tout biten pa té fèt kon i katjilé asou'y i pa té kay fini bon pou inosans li èk poutji'y fè voyaj–la. Fidji'y té ké asou papyé nouvèl pou mwa pwochenn ki ka vini. Senpléman ka mété'y asou papyé nouvèl pa té kay konsèné'y mé kont–la ki ké mété épi'y. Apwé sé nonm–lan fini foulé bato–a Klawita moutwé ki bò'y sa asid pou voyaj–la, yon boulo podwi. I koulé li menm adan'y akwédi i mandé pou foulé'y pasé ki. Pitèt nwèsè–a té ka fè'y pè ében lòdè–a té ka halé'y. An ti pousad pou koté lanmè–a té pli fon èk tout twa asou bato–a sav tan sala tout sa té wèsté, yo dédiké an plen.

Voyaj–la pa té sanm wéyèl kon bato–a koupé dlo pasé pli fwa adan lézè pasé lanmè–a. Bloush...Bloush...Bloush anwout pou lilèt pwochenn–lan. La ni plizyè fwa koté Klawita anvi vonmi mé i pawé byen. I chwazi manjé dwa–a tout lajouné–a èk pwan mèdsin–la ki yo di’y. Apipwé mitan voyaj–la, kaptenn–lan étenn machin–la èk pèmèt bato–a pou kontiné hòd vitès li. Silans–lan té ka vini dézagwéyab èk lapè té klè. Dépi machin–la étenn, tjè Klawita pilé fò tèlman i goumen épi lanm–lan ki té fouté bato-a. Kanmenm, sété Klawita tousèl ki té ka kouté'y.

Clarita’s pounding heart…

Every once in a while Clarita would make some decisions that were almost out of character. This one was simply another. However, she always believed that the reason for her actions outweighed the act. That's why, in her mind it was all about a deeper connection with self and spirituality. Connection was vital from the time she settled on that route and its mode. What time, boat, port of departure, with whom... everything was connection. There was no convoy as everything was to be done under the radar. There was no grand announcement except for a pungent smell as the boat was loaded in the dark. A sense of uplifting came with it but the danger of the night reminded everyone of the need to keep all heads down.

Clarita knew that if all didn't go as planned things really would not have read well for her innocence and purpose of travel. Her face would have been on articles for months to come. Simply being on the articles wouldn't have been the issue but the story that accompanied them. After the men finished packing the boat Clarita was shown her seat for the journey, a bale of produce. She sank herself into it as if she were asked to further compress its content. Maybe the darkness was getting to her or the scent was drawing her in. A short push out to deeper waters and all three onboard knew at that point that total commitment was all that was left.

The journey seemed unreal as the fast moving boat spent more time in the air than on the water. Bloosh…Bloosh…Bloosh all the way to the next island. There were several occasions where Clarita felt like vomiting but she prepared well. She chose the right meals for the day and took the medication that was recommended to her. About halfway into the voyage the captain switched off engine and allowed the boat cruise from its momentum. The silence was becoming very awkward and the sense of fear was obvious. With the engine off Clarita’s pounding heart competed with the bashing waves that was hitting the boat. However, only Clarita was listening to it.

Titak mo pawòl...

Moman–an té lou tèlman i koulé bato–a pli fon an lanmè–a. Afòs i koulé, i sanm lanm–lan té ka séwé yo pou yonn wézon. Kon Klawita té kay mandé asou sitiwasyon–an, kaptenn–lan di'y tjenbé wèd kon i koumansé machin–la èk bay vapon wivé pwèmyé vapon. “Yo koupé machin yo osi”, lòt nonm–lan di–a. “Mwen kwè i sété an lòt machenn lannwit”, i ajouté. Paski lalin–an pa té ka menm kléwé di lopéwasyon-an té ògannizé pasé Klawita katjilé. Ében, pitèt i té annèk bon chans.

Ki moun ki pwens–lan ki bato sala té ké délivwé? Sé lilèt té anba kondwit bétjé an chay tan ki pasé mé yo pati san kité pyèsonn an plas yo. Dé nonm–lan an bato–a pa sanm ni sèvant wa ni wenn pyès. Pitèt Klawita kon plizyè moun té ni tò lidé anlè sèvant wa èk wenn. Isi–a, sa pèmèt kawatè tèt nivo pwan plas moun kabèch lò. Kanmenm vwé listwa–a épi bato gwo sigwé, Klawita sété kon an moun nèf, cho mé kwenn. Tanzantan dé mo pawòl–la ki té tjotjé ant sé nonm–lan annékòz li katjilé sé pa fò i anbété kò’w épi lannwit–lan. Kèlkonk li débouyé di li menm ki titak mo pawòl vlé di i pa ni anyen pou di. Sa vlé di’y pa té ni anyen ki mèt konsèné'y.

Kon bato–a wivé pli pwé koté i té ka alé, kaptenn–lan mandé lòt nonm-lan si'y wè sé klèté–a. Klawita, afòs i pa té sav anlè lopéwasyon mandé li menm ki fou tjèksyon sa mé pa di pyès. Nètaman, yo pa té kay pwoché ni marina ni bò lanmè ki tout moun sèvi. Sé lè sala lwen asou lanmen gòch dé zéklè klèté wivé vitman èk swiv épi yonn lwen asou lanmen dwèt. Apwé sa déotwa minit yon klèté fèb pawèt tou dwèt. Adan, adan, adan nonm-lan di èk bato-a té asou bò lanmè–a. I pa té menm chonjé ki tan machin–la doubout. Lòt nonm-lan ki non Klawita apwann sé Vince apwézan lonjé lanmen'y ba'y. I di’y, “dakò, soté èk pwésé pou van–an.”

Few words…

The weight of the moment sank the boat further into the sea. So much so that it felt like the waves were hiding it for whatever reason. As Clarita was about to enquire about the situation, the captain told her to hold on tight as he started the engine and got back to the original speed. “They cut their engine too” said the other man. “I believe it was another night merchant” he added. The fact that the moonlight wasn’t even out said that the operation was more organized than Clarita thought. Or maybe it was just a wash of good luck.

Who was the prince to which this shipment was heading? Formal colonialism had long departed from the islands and didn't leave any principality in its place. The two men on the boat looked nothing like royal servants. Maybe Clarita like most people had the wrong idea of royal servants. Here, the definition allowed levelheaded character to replace agents of gold crowns. Whatever was the true story behind this top secret shipment Clarita was as any other new comer, excited but fearful. The few words that were exchanged between the men occasionally made her think that it was not a worrisome night. Somehow she managed to tell herself that few words meant nothing much to say which meant it wasn't a big deal.

As the boat got closer to its destination, the captain asked the other man if he noticed the lights. Clarita, unaware of the operation wondered what crazy question was that but said nothing. Clearly this was no marina or popular beach that he was approaching. Then two quick flashes of a green light to the distant left followed by one to the distant right. After a few minutes a faint light appeared directly ahead. “In, in, in”, the man said and the boat was on the shore. She didn't even remember at what point the engine stopped. The other man whose name she now learnt was Vince extended his hand to hold hers. He said “okay, jump and hurry to the van!”

Lévé lézòm

Kaptenn–lan miniwé, “Jah, Rastafari” padan dé lòt Rasta chapé kò yo ant bato–a èk vann–lan foulé sé boulo–a avan tout moun fè vapon. Anwout ka sòti bò lanmè, yo tann motoka polis té ka wonklé épi wè sé klèté polis té ka tounen kon yo té ka alé koté klèté vè té ka kléwé. Lanbians–lan adan vann–lan té djé. “Yes, I! Glowifyé wa–a paski i delivwé konminyon pwens–lan san pwòblenm.” Klawita té sipwi lè'y wè sé nonm zèspwi–a mé tout biten té ka toujou mélé'y kon sa i mandé ki moun ki té pwens–lan? Kaptenn–lan wéponn, “toulé Rasta sé yon pwens épi kabèch!” Yo kontiné wi èk plen vann–lan jik plas–la Klawita débatjé.

Li denmen Klawita fè kò'y an pòt dité podwi-a yo pòté. I té tjiwiyèz anlè bato–a ka wivé anba – fèy èk zèb–la li menm épi santi fwé'y tèlman, i fè'y mandé sé nonm–lan yon mòso zèb. Mòso zèb sala akonpanni yonn lonng konféwans asou ki annékòz yo pòté zèb–la ki mannyè yo pòté’y èk sé lwa pou sèvi'y. Yo di kon sa zèb sala pou médité, yon zèb spiwityouèl. Yo té di'y adan sé wézon–an pou sèvi'y té menm wézon i pwan voyaj–la, lévé lézòm épi bon wézonnman èk humanité. Chak lè i bwè tout biten té mennen ajouté pli pwé kon sé sans–lan filé.

Klawita té èspozé pou yon wéyòm nèf koté'y wézalizé i té ni menm wézon pou voyaj li kon sé sa ki pawèt pli diféwans hòd li. Magwé bonté nati'y, ki sa fèt yè òswè té moutwé'y i bizwen pasé piti jijman hatif. I wikonnèt sa i oblijé étidyé tout moun bagay avan i jijé yo nètaman. Si sé zanmi'y tann anlè èspéwéyans li sa té kay fè an kont pasé ki. Mé wannman tout biten té ajouté adan yonn bato.

Lifting mankind…

The captain murmured Jah... Rastafari as two other Rastafarians hustled the bales from the boat to a van before everyone sped off. On the way inland from the bay, the sound of sirens and sights of revolving lights were observed in the direction from which the green light was flashing. The atmosphere in the van was jubilant. “Yes I! Hail the emperor for safely delivering the Prince's Sacrament”. Clarita was amazed at the spirit of the men but still confused she asked who the prince was. The captain replied “every Rasta is a crown prince!” Laughter continued to fill the cabin all the way to where Clarita dropped off.

The next morning Clarita drew herself a cup of tea made of the produce that was brought in. Her curiosity about the secrecy of the journey and the plant itself with its pungent smell caused her to ask the men for a sample. That sample came with a long lecture on the reasons why the herb was transported in such a way and regulations on its usage. This is a meditation herb they said, a spiritual herb. She was told that some of its uses were the same as the reason she took the journey, to elevate man through sound reasoning and humility. Each sip of tea brought everything closer together as her senses became more enhanced.

Clarita had been exposed to a new realm where she realized her mission was the same as those who couldn't have appeared more different from her. In spite of her virtuous nature, the previous night’s events had taught her to be a bit less judgmental. She acknowledged that proper assessment of anyone or anything can only be made after serious interaction or study. If any of her peers were to hear about her experience it would be quite a story. However, everything was brought together in one shipment.

 

boule

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