I had asked Manman that question once. The answer was that until a few weeks ago, Papa still hadn’t been “legal” in America, and if he had come to see us, he would not have been allowed to go back.

Was America a prison that once you entered you were never allowed to leave? Would we be “legal” when we got there?

As we walked the rest of the way down the mountain (Manman rode the mule so as not to strain her leg), I kept thinking of returning to Beau Jour one day to visit with Granmè Melina, Granpè Nozial, Thérèse, and Madame Auguste, or just to look at the stars the way Tante Rose did last night. This made me feel a little better.

LATER

Raymond was waiting for us with the borrowed car after the river crossing in Léogâne. We said good-bye to Granpè Nozial and Granmè Melina before climbing into the car. They did not sniffle or cry. They just told us they would see us soon.

I think this is the proper way of saying good-bye, telling someone you will see her soon. This takes a lot of sadness out of it.

Granpè Nozial and Granmè Melina watched us take our seats in the car and then started back across the river and up the mountain.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18

At the consulate, we were interviewed by a lady with amber eyes and hair like corn husks. She asked Manman for our documents and examined them and then examined the ones she had in her own dossier.

After reading all the papers, she asked Manman a few questions, like when she and Papa were married and who was there, on what dates Moy and I were born. She then asked who our sponsor was in New York. Tante Rose spoke up and said that Papa’s friend Franck, who owned several restaurants in New York, had written many letters and made several phone calls on our behalf.

“All seems to be in order,” the lady says. “The only thing is …” She looks up at us, then searches the documents for our names. When she finds them, she says, “I need for you, Madame Aline, and for Celiane to have another medical examination.”

It was just a precaution, she explained. Since we had both been hurt in that bombing in Carrefour, she had to make sure we were not going to the United States for medical care we could not afford, for which the city of New York would have to pay.

The woman handed Manman a piece of paper with some doctors’ names. As soon as she received the results of our examinations, she said, if all was fine, she would approve our visas and we could travel immediately, if that’s what we wanted to do.