Mensen zijn bang binnen te slapen
We ontvingen bericht van onze tijdelijke correspondent in Haïti en de directeur van het gezondheidsprogramma voor gehandicapte kinderen dat er weer aardschokken hebben plaatsgevonden en dat de angst voor een nieuwe grote aardbeving groot is. Lees het verslag.
Door correspondent Daniela: As the last rays of the sun leak out of the day and night descends quickly as it does every night in Haiti, the bell rings at the chapel: eight children´s bodies have been found in a school, and an unknown man on the street. They were brought here for prayer tonight, mass tomorrow and after, eternal rest.
It has been quite a day. We were woken up this morning at just after one in the morning, for the second night in a row to an earthquake of 4.7 magnitude. It shook us out of sleep and sent everyone racing from the buildings. The patients in the hospital have refused to go inside and the courtyard of the hospital is now covered with mothers, children and nurses, mattresses and cots and small babies wrapped in sea green towels.
There is a rumor going around that another quake is about to hit us, and this rumor frightens people. And who can blame them? The memory of the January 12th earthquake is too close, and our patients will not take the risk of being inside. Who wouldn’t want to sleep outside to avoid the middle of the night sudden waking of fear?
Door Gena Heragty: It is shortly after 5 am and we have been up for hours. The tremors are back- with a vengence it seems! Shortly before one in the morning we were awakened by the shaking house. Up and out for some, while others slept through it all. I looked at the shaking staff and felt myself shaking as well, not being able to find words to speak. A feeling of “here we go again” pervaded my spirit and that of my Haitian family here in Kay Christine. We told the two kids to go back to bed who gotten up and they were happy to go back to bed – not too bothered.
Carmelle, Rosemite and myself were sitting in the bedroom chatting when we had another one! Out the door we ran and this time more children were up and they rushed down the stairs to go outside. Out! Out! Out! As I went down the stairs with them and they skedaddled out the front door, I veered to the left and went into the bedroom of the children that will never be able to rush anywhere – the severely disabled kids. In my mind I had one thought…whatever happens next, I will be with these kids.
When I entered the room I immediately heard laughter. Who else would be laughing at this moment but Tifle! Our dear Tifle was laughing her head off probably because she saw the staff panicking and running outside.
Dear Tifle with her crooked body was full of smiles for me when I rested my head next to her. She just laughed and laughed as if to say, what is wrong with you? And she was my comfort. If we were to die then how nice to die in the company of a laughing young woman with shining eyes full of love. I looked around the room and most of the other children were fast asleep – oblivious to the panic and fear that had invaded so many of us. After a few minutes, I went outside where the older children were shivering in the cold air and we all went inside to the therapy room to join our voices in prayer and song.
We prayed for protection and we prayed for strength as we the adults were feeling weak. Our responsibility weighed heavy on our shoulders and yet I kept thinking of Tifle and her message of laughter. As I prayed with the kids I reminded them that before the orphanage existed, we were all strangers. We knew nothing about the lives of each other and some of the kids were not even born 20 years ago! And yet somehow we have all been gathered together to form a family. And we have a beautiful family. I told the kids and my staff that we are family, brought together by a love and belief in God. If then, our family was thus created, from love and faith, we must remain firm in our love and faith. We must trust and we must leave our lives in his hands.
Meanwhile my phone kept ringing as survivors of the earthquake (mothers that lost kids and now have amputated children in the hospital) rang to see if I was okay and if the Kay Christine kids were okay. They have never even met the Kay Christine kids and only have known me since January 12th and yet they were concerned!
And Tifle? I learned a lot this morning from Tifle. When I was going down the stairs, I chose to go to the kids. I chose a possible death over a safe exit. Fear would have led me out but love brought me to the kids, and I always try to make any decision based out of love, not fear. I did this out of love for the kids that cannot move and get out. I made this choice because if they are to die in an earthquake, I want to be with them. When I made this choice, I was greeted by the smiling face of Tifle, the smiling face of God, telling me I had made the right choice! Telling me, “Gena, do not worry. I am here with these kids. See, they are sleeping peacefully and those awake are laughing and smiling. Do not worry – you are not alone. I will not abandon my children”. Was I afraid? Of course I was afraid, shaking in my sandals! Does this mean I will not be afraid again? Of course I will be afraid. I am still a wobbly human and will always be in the face of such forces. However, whatever happens, one thing is a little bit clearer to me…I am not alone! Gods love does not keep us from trials, but sees us through them.
