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Our third place High School winning entry is a team effort by Jessie Pascal and Gloria Fils-Aime, two seniors attending the Revere High School in Revere, Massachusetts. |
Mary was arriving in Haiti and the carnival was in town. People were running around getting errands done making sure that this day will be unforgettable day. She could feel the spirit of the festival. She was engulfed in it. The movement of the energy overwhelmed her, consumed her and every part of her, limb by limb, and was excited. This was her first time in Haiti, and she wanted it to be perfect. She wanted to walk and breathe the air the old slaves did in her home country where her mother was born. Her mother felt Mary’s excitement.
“Don’t even think about it” said Mary’s mother
“What do you mean?”
Mary gave her mother a sly smirk, as if she knew what her mother meant. But as Mary is always, she will ignore it and do whatever she wants.
“Mary! No! You will not. You will not go to Carnival! You’re a Christian; Christians do not go to Carnival! That is the spirits of the devil’s holiday!”
Mary could feel her mother’s anger. Mary didn’t know how different the carnival in Haiti was compared to the ones in America. But Mary was way too ambitious to ignore this. There was too much excitement, and she wanted to experience things for herself.
“Ok mommy”. Her mother’s fiery eyes cooled down. She was back to being the loving mother she was know for. When they got to the house, Mary had to do the traditional Haitian rituals of kissing everybody in the village on the cheek. Mary was beautiful, and the entire village knew it. And the village was sure to keep an eye out for her. There is a Haitian saying “the beautiful are always trouble.” And this was true for Mary. Every time her mother told her no, she heard it, and reprocessed it in her head as yes. And when she overheard her cousins talking about going to the carnival, she just could not resist herself. So she lied to her mother and told her she was going for a stroll in the village and lied to the villagers and said her mother was fine with her going to the carnival.
She followed her cousins to the array of people standing in the sidewalk. They push themselves in through the crowd, and Mary’s cousins were ecstatic about the attention they were getting from the boys. Mary was used to this kind of attention, so she paid no attention to them. Her cousins explained what the carnival was like in Haiti. First there is a parade. Then music will be played, and people dance in the streets. At night, there will be the night celebration. Mary didn’t like the sound of the night parade. Just to be sure that nothing spiritual was to happen; she decided that she would fray away from the night celebration.
The parade was starting, and people were dress in such colorful clothing. Little girls dressed in pink puffy dresses. People were dressed as clowns. There were different costumes displaying the various wildlife of Haiti. People were wearing elaborate fish costumes and birds and all kinds of beautiful critters. Mary could not see how any of this could be viewed as the celebration of the devil. The parade was over and the music was starting to play by a band that every Haitian person is familiar with. It was T-vice. They were Mary’s favorite band. And as soon one of the songs was played, she got up and started dancing. Her cousins looked at her as if she was crazy. But soon after they followed after her and started dancing too. She let her body go free with the beat of the music. She looked over and saw a handsome young ma. His eyes were piercing and seductive, and caught Mary’s attention. She danced sexually trying to catch his attention. She succeeded. He watched her closely and followed her movement. Mary left her cousins and danced over to him.
“I’ve never seen you before, what is your name?” The young man asked.
Mary was startled of how well his English was. But she was paralyzed that she couldn’t find the right words to say.
“My name is Mary. What is yours?” said Mary in a shaky voice.
He grabbed her hand and kissed it, “My name is Jean Marc.”
Mary was so hypnotized by his eyes that she completely forgot about her cousins. Mary turned over to see where they were, but they were no where to be found. She brushed it off.
“Is this your first time at this wonderful festival?” asked Jean Marc.
“Yes, it is. It seems like so much fun.”
“The fun hasn’t even started yet.” said Jean Marc in a sly tone.
Mary and Jean Marc stood there talking forever.
“I’m sorry but I need to go find my cousins.” said Mary in a worried tone.
“I’ll help you find them. How many of them are there?”
“Two of them, both are girls. They couldn’t have gone far, because they know I don’t know my way around here.” said Mary.
The night celebration was about to start. And Mary felt anxiety rush up from her stomach. She can picture her mother, yelling with truth in her eyes “That is the spirits of the devil’s holiday!” Mary was scared. She could feel the energy in the crowd changing. She heard the frequent beating of the drums. She could feel them. The sounds weren’t just a sound; they were becoming a part of her. Her heart was beating in sync with the drums. Thump, thump….
Mary and Jean Marc went out looking for Mary’s cousins. Mary had a bad feeling about this. While they’re walking, Mary heard some people chanting, but couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying.
“I think I know where they are” said Jean Marc
Mary believed him, so she followed. She held his hand in fear and was not unaware of where she is.
“I don’t think my cousins would here in this part of town” said Mary
“Don’t worry about it, I think I know where they are, after carnival a lot of girls come through here” he smiled, and Mary believed him. As they were walking through this dark part of town, she was watching the people around them. They were scary looking. A woman was dressed in white sac cloth and there was blood all over her. Another man was carrying a snake. The man stopped and then presumes to take a bite out of it. She then saw three children eating a cow, raw.
“I don’t want to be here Jean; I don’t think my cousins are here”
“I know there not here. But I’m glad you are”
Jean turned around and he wasn’t handsome anymore. His skin was deformed, grey and decaying. One of his eyes was missing. Mary screamed and tries to get away, but the people around her was changing also. She saw her cousins screaming, and running away as four men chased after them. Mary tried to run with them, but Jean grabbed her by the arm.
“Kiss me!”
Mary screamed in his face and pulled away. As she tries to run, Jean Marc was behind her.
“You wanted to kiss me before. Why not now!?” The chants around her were getting louder and louder. And she saw Jean change again. He didn’t look human. His figure was that of a young man but he was black and his head was blue. Mary knew what he was. He was a Laos. Mary’s mother told her to stay away from Haitian festivals because that is when evil spirits called Laos come and eat the flesh of the living. Everyone around her was turning into them. The Laos were on top of people, eating there skin. Jean moved closer to Mary. Mary pleaded for her life.
“Please Jean; please don’t do this to me”
Jean leaped on her and Mary screamed. Then she heard something. She heard a familiar voice in the background of the screaming. It was her mother. Jean slowly got off of Mary and looked at Mary’s mother. Mary’s mother was chanting something now. Her words pierced through Jean’s ears, and it made him cringe. He fell to his knees and pleaded with her to not destroy him. Mary’s mother chanted louder and faster. She was chanting words Mary has never heard before. Jean couldn’t take it any more and dispersed into the sky. Mary’s mother stopped chanting and looked at Mary.
“Mary! No more! Do you see what happens when you disrespect my authority? Come with me at once!” Mary followed her mother in shame and in happiness. They found Mary’s cousins and they walked home. Once in a while a Laos would run into them and Mary’s mother would chant or sing a song.
“Mom, what are these chants your saying?”
“It is an ancient voodoo spell. The ex-slaves used to chant them when the Laos would escape the underground. I only use it for emergencies. Mary, this is your last time in Haiti.” Mary felt relieved by the words that were uttered from her mother’s mouth.
The two weeks in Haiti was still. There was no sign of evil spirits and flesh eating children in sight. But at night, when Mary is alone, she can still hear the drums and Jean Marc in the wind. “Kiss me!”
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