No Electricty
Jacmel, Haiti
Sunday, July 14, 2013-
I am alone here in my guest house for the next two weeks. My room is sparse and lacks so many
amenities: chair, running water, A/C, a desk, etc. I just have a bed. The access to electricity is controlled
by the government and runs from 2PM to 4 AM only. That means that my inadequate fan dies promptly
at 4AM with a click that wakes me up and fills me with dread. My dark room, with its closed window to
prevent a mosquito invasion, now becomes an oven.The mosquito net now becomes one more barrier to
any cool relief.
I step out in the dark hallway, and feel a cool breeze from somewhere. So I go back to my room and find
something to prop open the door. A bag of beans crammed at the doorway allows just enough of a breeze
to sneak in and offer some relief.
I finally fall asleep again but the roosters start to announce a new day. They call back and forth to each
other for the better part of an hour. Now the household is up and moving. I hear someone scurry pass
my door and head to the bathroom. The bath water has arrived. I get up and think to myself, “This is
going to be a long two weeks.”
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