He is Foreign and He is Weak--October 2015

Mountains of Southeastern Haiti (Photo by John Carroll–September 17, 2015)

After two and one-half  hours descending the mountains in southeastern Haiti on a Chinese motor-bike, I could see refugee Gift Park One lay right before us. We had travelled a total of 22 miles from the village of Thiotte. 

I told my moto chauffeur Luxon I needed to get off the bike. I had been pinned between him and my suitcase since we left his home in Thiotte.  He stopped and I literally fell off the bike pulling it down on top of us. The hot exhaust pipe burned my leg.

I was on all fours on the dirt road and  looked back at Luxon who had righted the bike. He looked at me mercifully for being so inept. I could only think that this was the perfect arrival at refugee Gift Park One.

A man showed up from behind the cactus and just watched. Luxon looked at the man and nodded at me. Luxon explained in Creole to the man, “He is foreign and he is weak.”

Southeastern Haiti–September 17, 2015

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org