Morning Runs and Mother Hen

First you must understand... I am not a morning person ! I can count on one hand how many times I've seen the sunrise and my alarm clock at home rarely sees an hour before 7 am. But alas, that is not the case in Haiti. They rise with the sun and sleep when it sets. The cool hours of the day are used for gathering water at the well, scrubbing the kids in a bucket for a full day of school, setting out items for market and beginning the long trek to put them to sale. The air hangs with a heavy charcoal smell and diesel fumes of tap taps taking those that have jobs to work. The business of the day was well underway as we walked to the edge of town to begin our run. However, it didn't go quite as expected. Jesse and Elmer were to ride bikes alongside as I ran a slow four miles to and fro from Pere Bruno's farm. We walked to the edge of town as we continually asked Davis " deux bicycles?" While playing charades with our hands. His answer was always the same " oui, est la..." Well "la" was never to be. As we got to the edge of town Davis looks at me and begins the countdown :" un, deux..." And we stopped him there and asked again using a bit more frantic charades this item " deux bicycles..." And his answer was once again "oui, est la." Again he looks at me and counts down..."un, deux..." And as I look at Elmer and Jesse they all of the sudden realize that they too, are about to run. This time we let him count to three and we were off. It wasn't like any run I've taken before (even discounting the early hour.) As we passed donkeys carrying women and mounds of charcoal they'd nod and wave. Many times I would puff out a " bonjour" to get a snicker and a " bonjour" in return. It went on and on like this as more people laughed at our wonderful Davis running with the crazy Blancos. I heard one woman point and say a phrase in creole and I mentally repeated it over and over again so I could ask Dominique to translate it. Children passed by cleaned and dressed for school, some four and five to a bicycle... And at this point Elmer and Jesse would have gladly jumped on. Men carried machetes to the fields passed and looked on in wonder as these crazy Americans huffed and puffed on by. Davis was quite the mother hen... Or cup bearer as JoEllen so poignantly said. As the road would narrow he'd direct me to the side and position himself between me and the oncoming tap taps or motorcycles speeding down the road. And when two vehicles came from opposite directions he would run in the middle of the road to assure me that they would not pass as I ran on by. Kind of like a tractor trailer holding off those cheating cars that sneak up the side of the road closures on I66, he'd stop them in their tracks. The road was all dirt and gravel and of course a significant coverage of animal droppings. When we stopped to turn around my legs felt the difference in the run, but once again, the perfect gentleman, Davis would hunt out the flattest path and direct me to follow along. Yet the road wasn't the biggest challenge. Unless you've been here and breathed the air I'm not sure you can comprehend the intense smell of charcoal that fills your lungs with every breath. Add in a run with that smoke and diesel mixture, I guarantee this is a run you'll never forget. As we made our way back to the school we saw kids pumping water and a small boy about age 6 walking barefoot wearing only a t shirt balancing a large block of filthy ice on his head. The various school uniforms from our St. Barts and the various other schools began to file out of the homes into the dirt street to make their way for a chance at a future. Through the back streets Davis quickly pulled me aside for what seemed to be no reason at all except to avoid tripping over a broom... Which I learned was a voo doo practice, all sorts of "heebie jeebies" happen to those who step over the broom. So.. A good start to a beautiful day here in Terrier Rouge. And I told Pere Bruno that he should add "running concierge" to the amenities at Hotel Bruno, I give Davis a five star rating. And if you are wondering what that phrase meant that I heard along the way... So am I! I think one of two things has happened, either I heard it wrong and it doesn't translate OR Dominique and Pere Bruno are too kind to tell me it means "look at the crazy fat blanco running down the road...." And for Jesse and Elmer...a little ibuprofen will go a long way today, they are pretty good sports and I gotta say, they held their own, Elmer even crossed the finish line first!