Moy and Manman are no longer speaking to each other in strained voices. Even when Manman scolds Moy about going to play dominoes with the boys across the street, it sounds more like she is making a suggestion than giving him orders. Moy tells Manman he needs to pass the time somehow, making it sound as though he would like to obey Manman, but has no choice but to go out and play with the neighborhood boys. Even though I am not trying to listen, I hear Manman complain to Tante Rose that Moy is getting to know too many of the boys in the neighborhood.

“Moy has always been good at making friends quickly,” Tante Rose says. “That’s one of his charms.”

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

The National Police arrested thirteen people who were involved in plotting and carrying out the shootings and bombings. They promised that there would be more arrests.

Among the people who were interviewed on the television news broadcast tonight, some thought President Aristide’s party was responsible for the violence. Others thought the opposition was to blame.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

A teenage boy was killed, another bomb victim. All in all, seven pipe bombs exploded in the city today.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

A seven-year-old girl was killed. She was on a bus, on her way to school. A bomb was thrown at her bus. The girl was killed in Carrefour, where our camion was hit.

This really makes me angry. Why must children be killed? They are not involved in politics.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Tante Rose was so sad when she came home. Both she and the other nurses looked very tired.

“We had a hard day,” Tante Rose said, “but not as hard as the people we treated.”

She did not want to watch the evening news broadcast.

“I have already seen more than I can bear,” she said.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25

President Aristide visited the spot where the boy was killed by a bomb. Manman leaned closer to the television screen to get a better look at President Aristide’s curved back as he knelt down and kissed the ground.

LATER

Papa called. He had been hearing about the bombings all the way in New York and wanted to tell Tante Rose to be careful. He was surprised to find out that we were at her house.

When Manman got on the phone, she told him everything.

I could tell by the way Manman was talking that it took a lot of reassuring words to calm Papa down. His face was probably changing, the way it did when he watched the stars fall out of the sky.

After he and Manman had spoken for a while, he asked to talk to Moy, who assured him again that we were okay.

When my turn came, I couldn’t hold back.

“I am afraid, Papa,” I said. “I want to go to Beau Jour, but we cannot because there are bombs on the road and Manman’s leg is hurt.”