My husband and I were surfing the net today in search for news in French when we saw this big bold red heading. It read, ****Flash Flash Jean Claude Duvalier back in Haiti! We were shocked. We thought it was a publicity stunt. I got on my cell phone texting all my brothers and sisters. They, too, were shocked. "Why now?!" "What now?!" "What's on his mind?!" were the questions on our minds.
I assume that journalists are going to swarm over him like flies tomorrow as he tells them that he came because he missed his country.
I assume that in Haiti, some people might even take to the streets protesting his return and demanding that he be tried for various crimes and theft.
And I assume that his supporters will take the stand and just welcome him.
But only a troubled nation will assume that he's back to lead the country once more.
Every Haitian-born citizen that has left the country and stayed away for a long time always has this yearning to go back. I don't care what religion, social class, or Department they belong to. Once they hear the Haitian drum, it's like Haiti's sweet papaya breath calling you, "Come back my child, come back!" ...you can't ignore it.
That yearning would have intensified after the 1/12/2010 earthquake. You just want to go back and feel the island's breath once more as if you were checking to see if she's still alive.
After much thinking about it, all of a sudden you find yourself in Haiti, you're driving through the busy, noisy, smelly, filthy streets. You don't recognize this seemingly detrimental place any more. Your car is bumping up and down against neglected roads and infinite pot holes, but you are smiling because it just hits you: you're home again.
Whatever Jean-Claude's reason for returning home, no matter how many grilling questions the journalists will ask him, no matter what mixed homecoming greetings he'll get, his biggest challenge will be to get reacquainted with his ailing country once again.
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