CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN
2010 - Bèlè With Bwa
Three days before we were set to leave Haiti, Hopeton and I had Édo set up a sit down with Bwa, over in Bèlè. Josny drove us.
“Okay, Hopeton,” I started. “This time you’re gonna lead the conversation. Édo and I will translate, and I’ll jump in if there’s anything that I think we need to cover.”
“And to be clear, we’re just trying to see what reach Bwa has in Bèlè, and if he has enough pull to hold down anything we might get going in Croix de Bouquets and Carrefour?” Édo asked.
“Exactement,” Hopeton replied. “We need muscle and staff. Let’s see how he approaches it.”
“And just so you know what you’re walking into, Bèlè is kinda like what that area over by Vandeveer projects was like in the mid to late 80s. Definitely rough. Too much gang shit. But a lot of dope fuckin’ artists, a lotta music and deeply vodou. It’s a cultural touch point, even though most people don’t want to fuck with Bèlè anymore,” I explained.
“Yeah, too dangerous,” Édo agreed. He looked at Hopeton and said, “To put it in your terms, think of it as what Trenchtown was to Bob Marley but with more history behind it.”
I gave Édo a thumbs up. That was the perfect way to sell this field trip to Hopeton.
We met Bwa in front of a small church. He hopped in the truck and directed Josny to a small house tucked out of the way up a long, narrow side street. We all entered the front yard and sat on backless benches, arranged in a semi-circle under a surprisingly healthy-looking shade tree.
Hopeton kicked it off. “Please tell Bwa the general idea of what we’re working on and what we’d need.” But before Édo could really get into it, Hopeton interrupted to remind us that we needed to translate both what we were telling Bwa and Bwa’s response.
The discussion wound up taking a few hours, what with having to double translate for both Hopeton and Bwa. I noticed that this time Josny sat and paid close attention- once we’d brought Bwa into the equation and conversations were bouncing between both English and Kreyol, it was obvious to Josny that we were getting to the point where our scheme might need his participation, as well.
By the time we were ready to wrap it up, Hopeton seemed as confident as he could be at that stage in the game that Bwa had the ability to set up what we needed.
“Tell Bwa we’d like him to start doing some ground work on getting crews together,” Hopeton directed. “No gang members, no gamblers, no one with beef on the street.”
Édo and I both laughed and shook our heads.
“Yes,” Hopeton agreed. “I know that significantly cuts down on the labor pool, but we need that kind of rigor.”
Édo translated to Bwa, who nodded his head and said, “Pa gen pwoblem.” I confirmed Édo’s directions to Hopeton.
“And let Bwa know I’ll be back sometime between December and January to meet with him again,” Hopeton continued. “At that point I’d like him to introduce me to his people here and people in Croix de Bouquets and Carrefour. We’re going to need to hit the ground running come February.”
Once again, Édo translated to Bwa and I let Hopeton know how his message had been phrased.
“One last thing,” Hopeton said. “Get his phone number for me and tell him to keep that number alive. He needs to keep his phone credits up and make sure to answer any time one of us calls.”
“Pa gen pwoblem,” Bwa repeated once Édo gave him his marching orders.
With that, we gave fist bumps all around, said good-bye to Bwa and had Josny drive us back to Karibe.
On the ride home, Hopeton asked Édo if he could come out to Panama in the next week or so, for a sit-down.
Édo, of course, said “Pa gen pwoblem.”
I spent my last two days in cool-out mode. Took Hopeton up to Furcy to meet my family- we all jumped on a Facetime call with my mom. Submitted my UN application, and reached out to Torsten to give him the heads up. Spent an entire afternoon lazing around the pool, drinking rhum sours and eating platters of kibbeh and hummus.
On our last night in Port au Prince, Hopeton informed me and Édo that he was taking Mireille out to dinner.
“Alright, Hopeton,” I ribbed him. “Make your move right before you bounce!”
“I’m going to text Mireille and tell her to speak to you only in French,” Édo piled on.
“Go ahead,” Hopeton replied, obliquely. “I need the practice.”
Next morning, Édo drove us to the airport- he was going to stay on in Haiti, spending some time with family out in La Boule.
He wished us safe travels and told us he’d see us in Panama in two weeks.
“Send me your flight info, once you have it,” I said. “And it was good to see you out here again.”
“Lakay nou,” Édo agreed.
Hopeton shook Édo’s hand and said he’d see him soon. Then we went to check in for our flight. We’d be splitting up in Miami- Hopeton would be heading back to BK and I’d be on my way to Panama.
Time to deal with Mundo once again.
