In the Haitian countryside, whatever their age, people keep dying without knowing why, especially children.
Most of the time, given the strength of the African traditions, death is usually attributed to malevolent people or the revenge of some angry spirit. So, people keep dying despite progress and the extent of science which is supposed to have bettered their conditions.
This
morning, however, as I had left this hospital settled in Pt-a-Piment, far away
in the South the coasts of which bathe
at the sea level, I also left some
patients, among them a woman , a poor one, along with her severely ill child. I
was fed up at having seen so much suffering and so much passing. Roaming a
while into the mountains nearby would bring some relief.
But,
I was a little bit afraid. A child very
sick was supposed to keep me from wondering in the mountains smelling good by
this April afternoon. I grew more and more anxious because children die even in
the most glamorous mornings. An experienced country doctor, Dr Shubert Lamothe,
a well known and respected one, used to
try his best to help our patients.
Sometimes so much care , so much effort paid off; but other times, medicine
remained fruitless. There are always
some boundaries that medicine cannot cut across. “Alas”, Dr Lamothe used to
whisper.
So,
before heading to the mountains surrounding the village where you can see a marvelous horizon from, I resumed the same ritual along with Dr Lamothe. As
usual that consists of setting up IV and cold bathing when patients were
feverish. The child was crying in a very feeble tone. His eyes were looking at
the ceiling while showing a kind of deathlike glow. The skin’s had little
strength and kept the wrinkle. Signs of impending death.
“Let
us make our duty” Dr Lamothe said to me. I really value this quiet and wise man
in his mid forties whose reputation went away in the mountains. Peasants, urban
people, every one in this remote Southern town trusted Dr Lamothe, my very
gentle senior. He was respected all around.
What
do you think? I asked him. He shrugged off while smiling and added” Take it
easy” we did all we’re supposed to do. The baby still cried, but his eyes
didn’t show its deadly glow any longer. Later, I headed to the mountains. It
was 3.PM.
The sun was setting. A light breeze blew by this afternoon. From
the heights of a hill, I watched a
landscape set up with the huge blue sea, engulfing deeply the coasts. Here and
there smoke rose from poor thatched cottage. What a stillness! What a peace! at
this time life got as usual some standstill.The rural and dust-loaded panorama displayed some natural grandeur. Even
the roads grew empty. Cows seem to greet this peaceful moment.
However,
I could no longer enjoy the uniqueness of this time. I was thinking of the baby
whose eyes showed so much death shadow.
Human beings, doctors especially are powerless in front of death; it is the most
incongruous visitor nobody can wave. What a beautiful dusk! How much wonderful
life is on earth! the sun was about to be swallowed by the waves. But, I still thinking
of our baby. I hurried back to the hospital.
I
walked all down the mountain at a run, leaving behind the magical landscape and
its glamorous sunset. Never would I see again this mix of water and light. On
my way back, I met peasants coming from the public market. How is the baby doing?
I asked myself.
Was
he doing well? I kept thinking of him while rushing to the town.
Suddenly
, a woman ran into me. It was the woman that I had left in the hospital, along with the baby. It was her mother In this coming twilight
the woman urged to back home before darkness. I noticed she was nearing empty
handed. My heart missed a beat, and started beating up. Where was the baby/
What had happened?
-Where
is baby ? I prompted to ask when we were
close.
-Here’s, pointing at a hand- crafted basket
she wore above the head.
-Lower
the basket, I ordered.
Then,
what I saw will be unforgettable. Never before did I see such a picture. The
child laid aside foods and clothes was well alive, sucking his thumb. He was
smiling, full of life. He was like a candle in the ongoing night. Smiling with
happiness and peace.
Our
baby was safe.
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