DEVENN? - Misfortune? (AUDIO)

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Nanpwen moun ki gen plis devenn pase Mayòt.

There no one who has more bad luck than Mayòt.

Se pa Mayòt, ti mandyan nan lari a?

Isn't it Mayòt, the little beggar in the street?

Wi.  Toude paran l yo te mouri depi lè’l te piti.

Yes.  Both her parents died since she was little.

Adye! Sa tris.

How sad!

Apre sa li te abite avèk sèl grenn fanmi li genyen ki te rete.

After that she lived with the only family she had left. (...that remained literally)

Monnonk li?

Her uncle?

Wi. Men, monnonk lan te konn fimen.  Yon jou swa,  dòmi te pran’l.  E li te bliye etenn sigarèt li.

Yes.  But the uncle used to smoke.  One night he fell asleep and he forgot to extinguish his cigarette.

O O kisa ki te pase?

What happened?

Kay la pran dife, monnonk lan fè vwèl pou peyi san chapo. Grasadye, Mayòt te chape.  Men malerezman li tonbe viv nan lari.

The house caught fire,  the uncle died.  Fortunately, Mayòt escaped.  But unfortunately she started to live in the streets.

O! Podyab malerèz la!

Oh the poor girl!

Yon madanm te vin ranmase Mayòt nan lari a.  Li te ba l yon kote pou l rete.  Madanm nan di li pral mete Mayòt lekòl , men Mayòt te tounen restavèk lakay Madanm nan.

A woman  removed her from the streets.  She gave her a place to live.  The woman said that she'll put her in school, but Mayòt became a child servant at the woman's house.

Ala enjistis!

Such injustice!

Men wi. Mayòt grandi kòm restavèk lakay madanm nan.  Yo bat li.  Yo maltrete l.  Yo abize l.  Yon jou Mayòt sove.  E depi lò sa a se nan lari li dòmi.

Of course. Mayòt grew up as a servant at the woman's house.  They beat her.  They mistreated her.  They abused her.  One day Mayòt ran away.  And since then she's been sleeping in the streets. (...it's in the streets she sleeps literally)

Ala malchans!

What misfortune!

E ou p’ap janm kwè kote m te wè Mayòt jodi a?

And you'll never believe where I saw Mayòt today?

Non.  M pa konnen.

No. I don't know.

Mwen wè li nan yon azil pou moun ki san kay?

I saw her at a homeless shelter?

O O!

Men wi.  E kisa w kwè li t’ap fè?

Yes.  And what do you think she was doing?

Petèt li t’ap chache yon kote pou l rete?!

Maybe she was looking for a place to stay?!

Non. Mayòt t’ap sèvi kòm volontè.  Li t’ap sèvi rezidan yo. Li t’ap bay yo manje.  Li t’ap pran swen yo.

No.  Mayòt was working as a volunteer.  She was helping the residents.   She was feeding them.  She was caring for them.

Ala yon benediksyon fanm sa a ye!

What a blessing this woman is!

Track: Sa Nou Ye? by Fernand Marlu

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