ARMAND AND DEBORAH ETIENNE, AN OLDER BRO THER AND A YOUN GER SIS TER , WERE DETER MINE D TO LEAVE THEIR HOME, THEIR HISTORICAL ISLAND OF HAITI, PRE VIOUS LY CALLED “HIS PANIO LA,” TO MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. They were living in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The young Etiennes were not excessively wealthy, but they lived a comfortable lifestyle in comparison to most people who resided in the capital. They were always meticulously dressed with a wonderful social set. They attended dinners and parties, ate lavishly, and danced endlessly but rarely talked about politics; in a word, they lived the normal lives of, educated young people. However, they lived in fear of the unexpected forecast of Port-au-Prince and the rest of Haiti. So they were full of anxiety, these two beautiful young adults, in the capital. Armand is a Protestant, and Deborah a pure Catholic. They went to the same school. Every morning Armand drove Deborah to the Cathedral
or to St. Yves to pray before she entered her class. They loved being with one another. With lots of affection and sometimes with a light rancor, they would argue about which religion was first or last or better than the other. They went to the best school in the country with some of the elites, but they made only a few friends inside those circles. Though they were part of a select group, they did not want to be connected to any wealthy, political elite. Being wealthy kids from the countryside, they had come to understand the dangers in both one’s talk and one’s friends. Each morning brought anxiety because they would hear about a close friend who had disappeared in the night. Living under a tyrannical government is like living in hell. They had many of Duvalier’s friends’ sons and daughters at school. They were pressuring them to support and join Duvalier’s regime, but they had refused firmly but politely. Yet how long could they deny the wishes of powerful people. They felt like they could be the next targets on any day at any time. Their parents were affluent people in the country, especially in the city of Bainet where their parents lived. However, their parents were not working for the government, neither were they involved in politics. One day, Deborah awoke with a lingering anxiety over this and a premonition. She went to Armand’s room and woke him. “Armand, we lost most of our friends. It is a misfortune to be the citizen of such a country. Port-au-Prince has become a graveyard. Who knows, we might be next,” she strongly whispered to Armand, clasping her hands into a folded prayer. “We are rejecting the government by not accepting to enter into the paramilitary? Last week a group of men dressed in yellow came and picked up four young men in our neighborhood. I think we need to leave the area or be Duvalier’s next target.” Deborah was walking back and forth holding the doll she named “Sordid” in her arms. “This is a disgusting country with a filthy government,” she claimed. Suddenly, Armand was wide-awake and more anxious than he would admit because of his sister’s outburst. “You need to put this doll away, Deborah. You are no longer a young girl. You are a young adult. I think you are going crazy.” Armand continued talking to Deborah, “Did you have some bad dreams last night? What makes you think anybody will persecute us? We are not in politics.” Deborah responded, “Duvalier does not persecute young men and women who decide to be members of his paramilitary. Young people like us who are in the best school in the country and are not members of the military are considered the enemy.” Armand was sitting erectly by now up in the bed and was able to soothe the situation. “We must hold our senses together and not panic,” said Armand. But Deborah was agitated and couldn’t stop. “Don’t you remember when one of Jean-Claude’s attachés came here last week,” said Deborah, “and informed us that I would be Jean-Claude’s next girlfriend?”

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