YANNDOU
Yanndou
by Loga Virahsawmy
(Loga is a freelance journalist and a gender activist. Her short stories can be read in Boukie Banane I. See address above.)
Dan nou zoli pei Moris ti ena enn madam ek enn misie ki pa ti ena zanfan. Zot ti fer boukou demars pou reysi gagn enn ti baba. Zot ti tap laport tou zinekolog dan Moris. Zot ti al get bann gran-gran specialis dan lezot pei. Zot ti al Lafrans, Langleter, Lamerik, Lafrikdisid ek lezot pei ankor. Zot ti fer latet-lipie me malerezman mem bann gran-gran koko ti dir zot ki zame zot pa pou kapav gagn enn zanfan.
Madam la ti pe plore toulezour. Misie la ti bien kontan so madam. Li ti pe fer tou pou konsol li. Li ti dir li: “Pa fer nanye mo gate! Get komie dimoun peyna zanfan. Moi mo kontan toi, pa samem ki inportan!”
Enn zour letan madam la ti al bazar pou aste legim ek fri, li ti trouv enn vie bonnfam ki ti pe dimann sarite. So linz ti kas-kase lor li. So figir ti vinn frize telman li ti ranpli ar rid. Dan so labous pa ti ena ledan. So lipie ti kouma lipie lelefan. Bann marsan bazar ti pe donn li kout baton mouroung, zot ti pe avoy legim pouri lor li. Zot ti pe zour li. Zot ti pe pous li depi dan bazar. Letan madam la ti trouv sa, so leker ti fermal. Li ti dimande: “Kifer zot fer sa bonnfam la mizer koumsa! Zot pa trouve li mizer? Les li rod so bouse manze! Aret fer li mizer koumsa!”
Bann marsan bazar ti reponn anker: “Enn volez sa madam, li kokin legim, li kokin fri. Kan dimann li kas zame li ena.”
Madam la ti gagn boukou sagrin, li ti dir bonnfam la: “Mo loto dan parking, vinn ar moi mo amenn ou kot moi. Ou pou kapav pran enn bon bin so. Mo pou donn ou enn resanz linz prop pou mete. Apre mo pou donn ou enn bon repa so pou ou manze. Ou pou gete sa pou fer ou boukou dibien.”
Kouma vie bonnfam ti fini manze, li ti telman kontan, li ti fer enn gran sourir e apre li ti dir:
“Beti dir moi ki ou anvi, mo pou donn ou tou saki ou'le.”
“Ou fer moi gagn sok! Ki ou pou kapav donn moi, oumem ou peyna nanye.”
“Pa get laparans beti. Dimoun fer moi mizer. Zot malmenn moi me zot pa kone ki ena dan mo leker.”
“Be, eksplik moi kifer ou pas mizer koumsa?”
“Si mo pa ti viv koumsa beti, zame mo pa ti pou konn mantalite dimoun. Zame mo pa ti pou kone kouma dimoun egois, materyalis. Zot lizie bouse. Zot pa trouv pli loin ki zot bout nene. Zot konn zis zotmem. … Dir moi ki ou ti'a kontan beti. Ou pou fer moi enn gran plezir si ou dir moi.”
“Mo mari ek moi nou dan bien. Nou ena tou saki nou bizin. Lakaz, loto, larzan, manze me nou ena boukou sagrin dan nou leker. Depi pre douz banane ki nou finn marye zame nou pa finn reysi met enn zanfan lor sa later la. Kan mo mari ek moi mor tou pou disparet deryer nou. Nou pou ale koumadir zame nou ti vinn lor later… Nou pa pou les okenn tras deryer.”
“Pa bizin ou sagrin beti. Pa bizin ou gagn okenn traka. Mo donn ou mo parol. Ou pou gagn enn extra zoli garson. Mo dir ou enn gran mersi pou tou saki ou finn fer pou moi. Aster mo bizin ale. Salam!”
Madam la pa ti gagn letan poz plis kestion, vie bonnfam la ti fini ale. Apre de-troi zour madam la ti fini bliye saki vie bonnfam la ti dir li. Li ti kontinie so lavi parey kouma avan.
Troi moi plitar, letan enn zour mari la ti pe pas lame lor vant so fam, so figir ti sanze. Li ti gagn enn gro traka, li ti dir so madam: “To vant kouma gro koumsa! Li pa normal sa! Mo koir to finn gagn enn groser. Degaze, degaze mo amenn toi kot dokter avan sa vinn pli grav. Fode pa badine ar sa bann zafer la. Peyna enn minit pou perdi.” Toutsouit mari ti met so fam dan loto pou al kot dokter. Letan dokter ti fini ekzaminn madam la li ti dir: “Vremem ou pe gagn enn groser dan ou vant…..” Dokter pa ti gagn letan fini so fraz, mari la ti dir li: “Dir nou si li danzere dokter. Dir nou si bizin opere.” Dokter ti reponn: “Ou pa les moi fini mo fraz. Ou madam ena enn groser dan so vant, oui. Enn groser ki pou kontinie vinn gro, oui. Be les nou gete kifer? Kifer? Parski groser la pou amenn boukou boner dan ou fami. Ou madam pe atann enn ti baba.” Zot ti telman kontan ki zot ti may dokter, zot ti anbrase.
Letan zot ti retourn lakaz, mari la pa ti les so fam fer louvraz. Li ti donn li tou latasion, tou lamour ki li ti kapav done. Li ti donn li enn tas dile lor lili toule gramatin. Ti servi li so manze so-so. Zot ti fer tou soping pou ti baba ansam. Tou saki madam la ti dir aste, mari la ti aste. Zot ti mem dekor lasam ti baba ansam.
Baba la ti ne enn ledouz zis nef moi apre ki vie bonnfam ti vinn dan zot lakaz. Zot ti apel li Yanndou. Yanndou so mama ek so papa ti telman kontan ki zot ti finn reysi met enn zanfan lor later apre douz banane maryaz, ki zot ti donn pli gran fet ki zame pei Moris ti finn kone.
Zot ti invit tou dimounn ki zot ti kone pou sa fet la. Ti ena bann dimoun ki ti sorti inpe partou dan lezot pei. Ti bizin loue kanpman lor laplaz pou bann dimounn ki sorti lezot pei kapav reste. Asoir apre gran dine kot ti ena douz kalite manze, ti ena enn gran fedartifis kalite lor kouler. Premie foi dan pei Moris ti trouv sa kalite fedartifis la.
Mama Yanndou ti fer latet-lipie pou reysi trouv vie bonnfam pou invit li dan fet. Kan vie bonnfam ti vini, bann dimounn ti pe dir: “Enn zoli fet koumsa, zot invit sa kalite dimoun la. So plas pa isi sa. So plas dan poubel.” Mama Yanndou pa ti'le bles so bann invite. Li ti prefer res trankil; li ti les bann dimoun la pas zot komanter. Ena ki ti mem dir: “Pa les sa bonnfam la apros kot ber sa piti la. Taler li met move sor lor li. Taler li fann so mikrob ar li.” Mama Yanndou pa ti ekout zot.
Kouma vie bonnfam ti apros kot ber baba la, li ti fikse Yanndou dan so lizie. Li ti poz so pla lame dousman lor latet baba la, li ti dir: “ To gro lizie noir kouma lagrin logann, to long sil noir kouma lasoi, to long seve noir kouma satin, to zoli sourir kouma Krishna, to lapo kouma pes. Enn zour to pou vinn enn gran dimoun mo garson. To lizie pe briye kouma zetoil dan lesiel. To pou vinn extra intelizan.” Apre li ti tourn ar Yanndou so mama ek so papa li ti dir, “Mo espere mo pou reysi trouv sa gran dimoun la dan mo vivan.”
Letan Yanndou ti koumans grandi li ti interese ar enn sel zafer. Kamion. A sak foi dimann li ki li ti'a kontan gagne li ti dir “kamon”. Okenn magazin pa ti kapav met konpetision ar Yanndou so koleksion kamion. Li ti telman gate, tou dimoun ti telman kontan li, ki zot tou ti pe donn li kamion. So papa ti pe dir “Pa posib sa. Mo koir vie bonnfam la finn fer erer. Peyna sime li vinn enn gran dimoun. Pli sir li pou vinn kamioner.” Mama la ti pe dir “Les li! Pa fer nanye! Pa fer nanye si li vinn kamioner. Ki ena ladan? Pourvi li fer so travay bien.”
Kan Yanndou ti gagn enn banane, vie bonnfam ti paret divan laport ar enn ti kamion dan so lame. Bann paran Yanndou ti gagn sok, zot ti dir li: “Kouma ou kone ki sa piti la kontan kamion? Ena enn zafer ki ou pa kone! Piti la pa pou vinn enn gran dimoun kouma ou ti pe dir. Li konn zis kamion. Nou, nou pli sir li pou vinn kamioner. Dan so vokabiler ena enn sel mo: ‘kamon'. ”
Vie bonnfam pa ti reponn, li ti donn Yanndou so ti kamion, li ti ale.
Letan Yanndou ti gagn dezan, li ti vinn enn exper lor kamion. Plis enn kamion gro plis li kontan kamion la. Ofiramizir Yanndou ti pe grandi so lamour pou kamion ousi ti pe kontinie grandi. Li ti pe obliz so papa amenn li get kamion lor lari. Kan li ti pe trouv kamion salte, li ti pe tap so de lame, li ti pe dir “kamosal”. Papa la ti dir: “Mo ti koir piti la ti pou vinn komioner, asterla mo trouve li pe sanz lalign. Pli sir li pou vinn lever salte. Kitfoi li va fini dan bazar parey kouma vie bonnfam la. Bonnfam la va ramas legim pouri, piti la va met li dan kamion.” Enn zour li ti mem obliz so papa amenn li promne dan enn kamion. Mem mama la ti bizin sede divan kapris so garson. Li ti vann so loto pou aste enn ti kamionet parski Yanndou ti refiz voyaz dan loto. Li ti pe dir “popom kamon, popom kamon. Non, oto non, pale oto, Yanndou kamon!”
So bann paran ti pe gagn boukou traka. Zot ti fini fer bann gran-gran plan pou Yanndou. Zot ti fini fer aplikasion pou met li dan pli gran lekol prive ki ti ena dan Moris. Apre so letid sekonder zot ti pou avoy li Lamerik pou al fer letid dan lekonomi, finans ek kompyouter. So mama ti fini aste enn kompyouter pou fer so ti ledoi gagn pratik ar maous. Yandou ti kontan so kompyouter me li ti touzour prefer so bann kamion. Get kamion salte pase samem ti so pli gran plezir.
Parfoi kan Yanndou ti pe sorti lekol, li ti pe asiz kot so lafnet, ferm so lizie, ekout kamion pase; apre li ti pe resit bann mark kamion dan so latet. Li pa ti konn zis mark, li ti konn ousi dan ki pei bann kamion la ti sorti. Li ti pe repet tou sa bann mark la sistematikman koumadir ti enn devoir lekol. Li ti fini par konn tou mark kamion ki ti ena dan zoli pei Moris.
Malgre ki so bann paran ti fini perdi lespoir lor Yanndou so lavenir, zot gran konsolasion se ki piti la ti kontan so lekol. Li pa ti enn zeni me li ti pe fer bien dan lekol. Apre so lekzame sinior so bann paran ti desid pou avoy li Lamerik. Papa la ti dir: “Vomie li ale asterlamem. Nou bien sagrin pou avoy enn zenn zanfan koumsa dan enn osi gran pei. Me, ki pou fer, kitfoi dan enn gran sant, li va sanze. Kitfoi kan li trouv lezot kitzoz li va bliye kamion inpe. Li va ena kitsoz nouvo pou okip so lespri.”
Apre so letid iniversiter, letan Yandou ti retourn Moris, so bann paran ti dimann li ki li ti'a konta fer. Zot ti gagn sok kan Yanndou ti reponn “kamion”. So papa ti santi so latet vire. Li ti kapav tom sankonesans: “ Mo finn pey tou sa banane letid la pou toi dan pei Lamerik, pou to dir moi to pou vinn kamioner! Ki nou pou fer ar toi! Nou ena enn sel zanfan. Nou ti koir to pou fer loner to fami!”
Yandou pa ti reponn.
Lespas detroi zan apre Yanndou so retour, ti ena bann kamion kalite lor kouler lor tou sime ek partou kote dan zoli pei Moris. Koumadir ti ena enn revolision kamion.
Ti ena ti kamion, gro kamion, kamion remorker, kamion derik, kamion 10 tonn, 20 tonn, 30 tonn, tousort grander, tousort longer, toutsort poi. Ti ena kamion ki ti pe ramas salte; ti ena ki ti pe fer demenazman. Lor tou sit travay ti ena gro-gro kamion. Ti ena kamion lor sit konstriksion, dan lepor, lor sit CEB. Ti ena kamion ki ti pe sarye travayer, sarye siman, sarye marsandiz. Ti ena osi kamion ki anvole, ki roul lor dilo ek anba lamer.
Me tou sa bann kamion la ti ena enn zafer an komin. Lor zot tou ti ekrir ‘YANNDOU'.
©Loga Virahsawmy
Boukie Banane I :
www.boukiebanane.orange.mu
Boukie Banane II :
http://morisien.blogspot.com/
Boukie Banane III :
http://poezi.blogspot.com/
Yanndou
Translated into English by David Coy
In the beautiful country of Mauritius there was a woman and a man who were unable to have children. They had tried many treatments to have a little baby. They had knocked on the doors of all the gynaecologists in Mauritius, they had been to see the top specialists in other countries too. They had travelled to France, England , America, South Africa and many countries besides. They had searched high and low, but unfortunately even the greatest minds around had told them that they would never be able to have a child.
The woman cried continuously. The man loved his wife very much and tried everything to console her. He said: ‘It doesn't matter my darling! Look at how many people don't have children. I love you! That's the important thing!'
One day the woman went to the market to buy some vegetables and fruit; there she saw and old woman begging on the charity of passers by. Her clothes were torn, and her face was lined with age. In her mouth she had no teeth at all. Her feet were swollen like the feet of an elephant. The merchants in the market would hit her with sticks and throw rotten vegetables at her. They swore at her and they pushed her out of the marketplace. When the woman saw this her heart was filled with pain. She asked: ‘Why do you treat this old woman like that! Can't you see that she is poor? Let her find some food to eat and stop treating her so badly!'
The merchants replied saying: ‘She is a thief, she steals vegetables and snatches fruit. When we ask for payment she never has any money!'
The woman became very sad and told the old lady: ‘My car is in the car-park. Come with me and I will take you to my house. You can take a good hot bath and I will give you some clean clothes to wear. Then I will give you a good meal to eat. You will soon feel much better.
When the old woman had finally finished her meal, she felt very contented. She smiled broadly and said:
‘ Tell me what it is that you want, I will give you all that you ask for!'
‘You surprise me! What can you give to me when you yourself have nothing?'
‘Don't judge me by my appearance! People make me sad. They abuse me, but they don't know what is in my heart.'
‘Huh! Explain what you mean.'
‘ If I had not lived like this I would have never known the mentality of people. I would have never known how people can be such egotists, so materialistic. Their eyes are closed and they can't see further than the ends of their noses. They think only for themselves! Tell me what would make you happy, you would please me very much if you told me.'
‘My husband and I are well off. There is nothing that we really need. We have a house and a car, money and plenty of food, but there is a lot of sadness in our hearts. It has been nearly 12 years since we were married and yet we have not been able to have a child. When my husband and I die all we have will vanish behind us. It will be as if we had never existed…there will be no trace left.
‘Don't be so sad. There's no need for you to worry. I give you my word. You will have a beautiful son. I must thank you for the great kindness that you have done for me. Now I must go. Farewell.
The woman had no chance to ask any more questions, the old woman had already gone. After two or three days the woman had forgotten what the Old lady had told her. She continued to live her life the same as before.
Three months later, there came a day when her husband stroked his hand across her stomach and the expression on his face changed. He became a little worried and said to his wife: ‘Your stomach is larger! This is not normal! I think you must have a tumour. Quickly, let me take you to the doctor before it becomes more serious. It's best not to joke about these things, there's not a minute to waste!'
Straight away the man put his wife into his car and drove to the doctor. When the doctor had finished his examination he said: ‘It is true that you have something growing in your stomach…' but the doctor was not able to finish his sentence.
‘Tell us if it is dangerous' said the man, ‘Tell us if you have to operate.'
The doctor replied: ‘You didn't let me finish. Your wife has something growing in her stomach, and it will continue to grow. Can't you guess why? Why? Because this swelling will bring much luck to your family. You wife is expecting a child!'
The couple were overjoyed at the words of the doctor and they kissed him.
Later, when the couple returned to their house, the man refused to let the woman do anything. He gave her all his attention, all the love that he had to give. He gave her a glass of milk in bed every morning. He served her good hot food. They went out together to buy all the things for the baby.
The baby was born exactly nine months after the old lady had been brought to their house. They called him Yanndou.
Yanndou's mother and father were so happy that they had brought a child into this world after 12 year of marriage that they gave the biggest party that had ever been seen in Mauritius.
They invited all the people that they knew to the party. People came from many other countries. They had to hire a bungalow by the beach to accommodate all the people who came from abroad. In the evening after a grand dinner where a dozen kinds of food were served, there was a tremendous fireworks display of such colour and spectacle that it was the first time that Mauritius had witnessed such a quality display.
Yanndou's mother searched high and low to try and find the old lady to invite her to the party. When the old lady came the people said: ‘ A beautiful party like this and they invite a person like that! This is no place for her, she should be in a dustbin.'
Yanndou's mother did not want to hurt her invited guests and so she remained quiet, she let the people pass their comments. One even said: ‘ Don't let that old woman get close to the child, she will put bad sores on him, her germs will go onto him.' But Yanndou's mother didn't listen to them.
When the Old Lady approached the cot where the baby lay, she stared into Yanndou's eyes. She placed the palm of her hand gently onto his head and she said: ‘Your big eyes are as black as longann stone, your long black eye-lashes are like silk. Your black hair is like satin and your beautiful smile is like Krishna's, you skin is like that of a peach. One day you will become a great man my son.. Your eyes will sparkle like the stars in the sky. You will be exceptionally intelligent.' Then she turned to Yanndou's mother and father and said: ‘I hope I will see this great man in my lifetime.'
Later, as Yanndou stared to grow, he became interested in just one thing. Lorries! Everytime you asked him what he liked he would reply ‘lorries'. There was not a shop that could rival Yanndou's lorry collection. He was constantly spoiled, and everyone loved him and they always gave him lorries! His father said: ‘ This isn't possible! I think that Old Lady made a mistake. There's no way he will become a great man. It's more certain that he will be a lorry driver!' His mother said: ‘Let him be! Don't do anything! It doen't matter if he becomes a lorry driver, what's wrong with that? So long as he does his work well!'
When Yanndou was a few years old, the Old Lady appeared at the door with a lorry in her hands. Yanndou's parents were surprised and said to her: ‘How did you know that this child loves lorries? That's something you couldn't have known! This child will never be a great man like you said. He only likes lorries! We are certain that he will become a lorry driver. In his vocabulary there is only one word: “Lorry”!'
The Old Lady did not reply. She gave Yanndou the little lorry and left.
When Yanndou was 2 he had become an expert on lorries. The bigger the lorry was, the more he liked it. As Yanndou continued to grow, so did his love for lorries grow also. He would make his father take him to see lorries on the roads. When he saw the rubbish collection lorries he would clap his hands and shout ‘Dustcarts'. His father said: ‘I was sure that he would become a lorry driver, but now he seems to have changed allegiance. It's more certain that he will be a dustbin-man. Perhaps he will end up in the markets just like that old woman. She collected rotten vegetables and he will collect them in his lorry. One day he made his father take him for a ride in a lorry. Even his mother had to give in to her capricious son. She had to sell her car to buy a small van, because Yanndou refused to travel by car.
He would say, “Go lorry! Go lorry! No car, no! Don't want car! Yanndou want Lorry!”
His parents began to have serious worries. They had already made great plans for Yanndou. They had made the application to send him to the best Private
School in Mauritius. After his secondary education, they would send him to America to study economics, finance and computing. His mother had bought him a computer, to help him become used to using them, but still he preferred his lorries. Seeing a Garbage truck was for him his greatest pleasure.
Sometimes when Yanndou came back from school, he would sit by the window, close his eyes and listen to the lorries passing by. Then he would recite all the different makes stored in his head. He not only knew the makes, but also the countries that they came from. He would repeat all the makes systematically as if he was doing homework. He already knew all of the makes of lorry that could be found in the beautiful Island of Mauritius.
Even though his parents had lost all hope for Yanndou's future, their greatest consolation was that their child loved his school. He was no genius, but still he did well. After his ‘O' level exams, his parents decided to send him to America. His father said “Better to send him now. We are very sad to send such a young child into such a big country. But what can we do? Maybe in a new place he will change. Perhaps when he sees other things he will forget about lorries a little. He will have new things to think about.
After his university studies, Yanndou came back to Mauritius and his parents asked him what he would like to do. They had a shock when Yanndou replied “Lorries”. His Father felt dizzy and nearly fainted: “ Have I paid for all those years of study for you in America, for you to tell me that you want to be a lorry driver! What can we do with you, you are our only child, we had hoped you would bring honour to our family”.
Yanndou made no reply.
A few years after Yanndou returned, there were all kinds and colours of lorries to be found in all corners of the island. It was as if there had been a lorry revolution.
There were small lorries, big lorries, recovery trucks, crane trucks, 10-ton trucks, 20 ton, 30 ton, all sizes, all shapes, all colours. There were lorries to collect the rubbish, removal lorries. On all work-sites there were giant lorries. In construction sites, at the docks, at the CEB. There were lorries carrying workers, carrying cement and carrying goods. There were also lorries that flew, that went on the water and under the sea.
However, all of the lorries had one thing in common. On each of them was written ‘YANNDOU'.
©Loga Virahsawmy
Boukie Banane I :
www.boukiebanane.orange.mu
Boukie Banane II :
http://morisien.blogspot.com/
Boukie Banane III :
http://poezi.blogspot.com/
