Witness to good news in Haiti

Catholic New Times, April 20, 2003 by Mary Alban Bouchard

When you ask for stories I am at the ready because what is life if not a story, I have known that since the day I operated on my doll, took out a straw that was causing her pain, sewed her up and put her in my brother's bed with a note that she was not to be moved.

You are accustomed to hearing bad news stories from Haiti. However, this time I witness to good news in two stories:

One day about two years ago, Clairefine came to me at Hospice St. Joseph. She told me: "God will bless you if you can help me!" Clairfine wanted some small commerce to support her family. I listened. I asked questions.

MA: Where is your husband?

C: He is dead.

MA: When did he die?

C: Four months ago.

MA: What happened?

C: Fever

MA: How many children do you have?

C: I have six children, but I have one in my belly.

MA: Where do you live?

C: I don't have a house. They let me and my children sleep at night in the school at St. Martin, hut we have to leave in the morning.

MS: Have you seen a doctor to follow your pregnancy?

C: No, I don't have any money.

So we decided together what kind of small commerce Clairefine could do and where. She could sell breakfast: bread, manba (peanut butter), bananas, hard-boiled eggs and coffee.

I advised her further: "Set up right near the church and school where lots of people pass and they will get to know you are there. For now stay in the school and try to find a little house in the area close to where you are and come to me for the first rent. You will need a house for your commerce and for when the baby arrives. Now I will give you a card to see the doctor here at Hospice St. Joseph."

After I gave Clairefine commerce to start making money, she kissed me and went away happy, blessing God for being so good to her. The next time she came she brought three daughters 13, 11 and nine. She introduced them like a lady and smiling said: "They sing very well. They came to sing for you." They sang, individually, then together without inhibition, beautifully conducting themselves as if they had voice lessons and lived in a mansion! Clairefine was obviously proud of them and riley knew it.

She found the house and then I did not see her for a while after her baby was born. When the baby was a month-old, Clairefine came to show me, She was radiant and as she sat holding the infant she looked up at me and said with awe and a smile of happiness, "It's my first son!"

I pictured myself with a dead husband, no home, six children with another one coming, yet still being the picture of joy like Clairfine. My conclusion was that there is always a God close around. However, I had another question: "Didn't you tell me you had five daughters and a son?"

C: Yes, but I didn't give birth to my other son. You see, when I was walking past the gwo fatra (big garbage dump), I saw a box and it was jiggling and I thought there was a rat in there so I hurried past.

I knew that horrid dump, which sometimes overflowed across the road behind the house of missionaries with whom I lived for a year and half. I passed it every day holding my breath going to work at Hospice St. Joseph. Then Clairefine gave me the sequel:

C: But when I was coming back, I saw the box was jerking and I hard a baby crying. So I went and looked and there was a baby boy in the box. So I took him home with me. His name was Moses.

Again, radiant and joyful with a proud smile.

MA: How old is he?

C: Moise is seven now. Oh Sister, he is such a beautiful boy. He is intelligent. He has talent. He is smaller than my own children, but is never sick. He is a gift the good God gave me.

I was speechless in the presence of this woman. She was rightfully called, "Clairefine,"--clear light and very fine of character and behavior. She is also physically beautiful. Her skin is perfect, her eyes filled with light, her faith unfaltering. I asked myself, "Who is helping whom?" I want to thank God for sending her to me.

One day when Clairefine came I saw her sitting on the cement bench by the huge plant near the door. She was dressed in a white dress with a full skirt and wore a white kerchief with red berries on it. I thought I had never seen such a beautiful woman. However, it was her soul beauty that adorned her.

Clairefine came back after some months in trouble over rent. Her children are all in school with some help from a benefactor--a friend of her late husband--and from me. Her commerce was going well, but the rent bedevils every living woman who is poor. She told me she was trying to save some money to buy cement and cinder blocks to build a house. Was there any chance I could help her? She agreed that I could.

I said to her: "I'll give you the rent for the next six months and we'll see how things are." At that point what passed through my mind was: "I thought I was finished building houses. Watch, pray and wait for the right decision to present itself."

Not long afterwards while visiting the children's hospital, Hospice Damian, where Sister Lorraine of my community is chaplain, I met Clairefine again. She was so happy to see me and greeted me with a big hug that nearly took my breath away. Her baby, who was then more than a year-old, was a patient. It turned out this plump, healthy looking child had sickle-cell anemia. That was going to mean lifelong medication and care. Clairefine was just glad to know what was wrong and that her little son was not going to die. "God is good," she said. It's not one more burden in her way of thinking.