Week 22

My best friend, I’m not sure that he is aware of having this honor, is a 74-year-old man who lives just down the road from me. From the first time Norris invited me up for a rum and coke after I sat through a 45 minute discussion about how to divide into cleaning groups for my cooking class I knew he would be my best friend.

Weekly he and his wife call me up to sit on their porch overlooking the sea, have a drink and share some wisdom with me. I love when people share wisdom with me. Norris loves sharing wisdom. He also loves Johnny Cash, questionable jokes (imagine the second time I visited him he told me what ended up being a rather PG joke about a 40 year-old woman and her vibrator) and telling stories about Dominica in the 1950’s.

On Thursday morning I left school around 11 am because the boy I tutor was absent. On my way home Norris and Velma invited me up to join them for a coffee break. I sat down on the porch and Norris asked if he could fix me something, I said “yes” and was looking forward to a cup of coffee. Then I noticed that both Velma and Norris were drinking rum and cokes. Just like that Norris brought me out a rum and coke and I was drinking hard liquor before noon.

The three of us sat on the porch and Norris gave me one of the best pieces of advice, “When you’re a 20 year-old you can only think like a 20 year-old and when you’re a 50 year-old you can only think like a 50 year-old” in reference to feeling regret about decisions one has made in the past.

Right after this a woman in her 90’s stopped on the road in front of the house and started angrily yelling in patois (kweyol). The porch is perpendicular to the road so we could see her but she didn’t turn to face the porch, she just yelled up the road. Norris responded and it appeared they were having a conversation except that she was yelling as loud as she could but didn’t seem to be angry at Norris. The only words I picked up were “pa twavay” (not working) and “manje” (eat). After about 5 minutes of yelling she left and Norris looked at me and laughed. He then explained that she is in a fight with her niece who lives just behind Norris. She won’t talk to her niece so instead she has loud conversations with Norris to express her anger at her niece who can hear everything she is saying as she yells up the road.

Since that was explained a whole world of loud conversations has begun to make sense to me. Why the woman across the street yells over to the shop below my house to complain about the builders while they can hear. Why people yell out their windows about their neighbors leaving trash out. Why Sheriff stands a foot away from guys and loudly tells me all about them. Culture.

Additionally Norris saw a ripe soursop (a fruit that tastes remarkably similar to juicy fruit gum) 10 feet up in a tree and proceeded to climb up into the tree with his knife and cut it down. I hope I can do that when I’m 74.

A very special thank you to those who have donated to Hands Across the Sea on Salisbury's behalf! When I come home I promise to loudly yell at your neighbors about your generosity.

Understanding Dominica: "God willing" is used here to close any statement about action.

Me: "I'll see you this evening for the disaster preparedness meeting."

Other person: "God willing I'll be there."

Me: "Can you call the Ministry tomorrow?"

Other person: "God willing I'll call tomorrow."

Other person: "Air-een, come awhile."

Me: "Just now, God willing." (That means I'm never going to come- God just wasn't willing it)