Meet Caroline (Kerline)
Today was her 22nd birthday. #BonFet #DontKnowHowToMakeThoseLittleAccentSigns Caroline lives and 'works' at the same compound I'm staying. She is one of the students in Dr. Angie's community health worker class and was with us throughout the entire delivery discussed in the 'Mouri' post. She's gonna be a good one.
I've admittedly never taken the time to ask about Caroline's past. She speaks very little English. M' parle Creole ti mal, though we all try and learn what we can from one another. I know that she's very sweet. And that she and the other girls can have outbursts where they act like giddy teenage girls. She had never had pizza before Dr. Angie came down. She had never had a cake before Dr. Angie came down. And she had never had a s'more before I came down #WishingIHad'TheSandlot'OnMyComputer. It was awesome to see her and the others react to their first taste of each of these. She was actually terrified of the fire-roasted marshmallow.
Caroline has many of the same complaints as any other girl you'd meet in the states. She approached a few of us 'doctors' concerned about acne - is being an American contagious? She has the same problem with cramps that takes her out of clinic every once in a while. She loves Celine Dion. She has the dogs and the goats trained to take the food out of her hand. This is what I've seen from her. The new tastes, words, sights and sounds that Dr. Angie and I have introduced her and the other girls have certainly been reason to make a joyful noise. It's the life that she's lived up to this point that is likely less joyful.
She does not have a family. I do not know if they passed away or if she was placed in an orphanage. Orphanages in Haiti are not for children whose parents were killed. They're for children that the parents cannot or will not take care of. See post 'Fertility'. She has three years to go before she finishes high school, something she definitely wants to do. She battles depression. She has periods where she just appears sad and distant. Again, the language barrier and my allergy to emotion keeps me from probing. But I wonder if there is more to her story.
One thing is for certain. Raymond and Mahalia, the owners and operators of this mission, have truly done a wonderful thing by bringing her out of the city and offering her a home. She must do chores, yes, and sometimes it can be unsettling to watch the blatant segregation of the 'workers' and us. But she is free. She is earning money that she doesn't even know about. She is learning about her faith. And her songs get to be heard by beleaguered white people.
Needless to say, having her on the compound has been a blessing. We've enjoyed having Caroline and her companion around so much that Dr. Angie has considered bringing the two girls to the United States over the summer. Talk about an experience worth blogging about!
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