Ayiti

Home is an island in the Caribbean. Some call it a jewel.

Why do men always assume women are angry when they are honest?

For many years, we didn’t realize our parents had accents, that their voices sounded different to unkind American ears. All we heard was home.

Back home, he was a journalist. In the States, he slices meat at a deli counter for eight hours a day and pretends not to speak English fluently.

Why do men always assume women are angry when they are honest?

My grandmother leans in to me, says my aunt is stealing her money. I listen carefully. I take her seriously. She’s not allowed to have money. She’ll use it to bribe Maria to bring her cakes and other confections. She has always had a sweet tooth and Maria is corruptible. My grandmother’s tongue, like my son’s, is awfully fond of sugar.

I am the devil she knows.