Morning. Nice sunset. Miami wakes up. Downtown buildings. Highways. Suburbs.
Little Haiti still sleeps. Nice street. Middle class. Appartment blocs. Houses.
Porches still deserted but inhabited with toys and shoes
3rd house/ Paint falling off. Toys. Rocking chair. Ash tray
Calico cat opens the door. Calico cat welcomes camera
Big living room.. Comfy couch with three old familiar depressions. Big screen TV. Baby toys. Pics. Cross above the door.
Kitchen. Large. Old style.. Big table. Already set up.4 sets.
Lots of cupboards. Clean sink.
Plants. Traditional coffee maker. Plantains. Coffee jars. Radio. Calendar.
Fridge is covered with magnets. Postcards. Family pics. Dentist reminder.
Outside, crows call each other. Kitchen has windows.
Backyard. Concrete. 2 parked second hand minivans. Little garden patch, half finished. Toys. Other backyards.
Back to the living room. No. Wait. Door at the back. Room.
Calico cat pushes the door open.
Tiny shape under blankets. Tiny shape shaking and crying.
Old Black woman crying in her sleep. Old Black woman with tears of joy.
Old Black woman waking up crying. Waking up happy. Looking around The commode. The plants. The pictures. Grounding herself back in her room Tasting her tears Trying to go back to sleep.
Credits
She went to church. She waited for him to appear. He was young. He limped.
He grunted when he sat down She went up the confessional She talked to the priest.
She started wearing black.
She went to visit her first son. The one with the nice house in the nice neighborhood.
He was kicking the ball so hard the garage door shook. Like he used to do when he had a tantrum. He put his smile back on when he noticed her walking up the sidewalk.
He greeted her. He showed her his new car. She watched how his children were afraid of him. How his White wife was afraid of him. He showed her his new computer.
They ate American food together. They watched TV together. They watched the war together. He drove her back home. He put the music on. He ranted about his boss He ranted about the war He ranted about the wife She kissed him on the cheek.
She went to church. She confessed. The priest listened. Looking for eye contact. Approving. Questioning. Reassuring. Letting her tears run Blessing and leaving her.
She went to the funeral parlor. She got incensed at the prices. She choose to be cremated.
They asked her for her will. She promised to bring it soon.
She stood across the street. She watched. Pawn shops. Pizza parlors. Front joints. Three young crackheads. One of them was pregnant. Her pimp waited nearby smoking cigarettes. The pregnant crack whore followed a customer/ Second hand stores and pizza parlors. Dealers and police cars. She summoned her courage and went in.
Her second son opened the door. He didn't recognize her. But he promised he would pass her message.
She choose the music for her service.
She went to see her first daughter. She worked in the financial district. She was an executive secretary. She made good money. Her daughter was quietly hysterical. She was four months pregnant The father was a soldier. He had just been sent to the war. She missed him like crazy.
Will you keep the baby? No. Yes. No. Yes. No.
She went to church. She confessed. The priest listened.
She hummed her music. Her grandson heard her. He recorded her without telling her.
She tried to see her second daughter. The one who worked nights. Her White lover answered the phone. Her White lover was suspicious. The two women politely fought.
She went to church. She confessed. The priest listened.
She pulled out her husband's pictures Took the prettiest one. The one where he smiled happy. She burned a red candle besides it.
She went to the kitchen and started cooking Smoked herring, boiled plantains and eggs
She made Haitian coffee. The granddaughter was back from school They chit chat Any good movies recently? Any good dreams recently? The coffee was ready. She added one egg yolk in the cup.
Yes, I had a dream the other day. In that dream, my own grandmother was there. My own grandmother took me by the hand . And she told me to get ready. Cause the trip would be long. Dreams. So funny.
The old lady took the plates and the cup. Went back to her bedroom Placed them by his pictures.
She went out with her granddaughter. Went to the bank Waited in line. Took all her money out. Her granddaughter was curious. It's the war she explained When there is war the banks lie.
She kept humming She confirmed she was happy.
At home her grandson was waiting He didn't bother fighting with his sister. Although she tried to hook him He gave the old woman a CD. Insisted she played it right away.
He had made a track bed with her voice. Added some beats. Distortions. Loops. Sampled some lyrics. He played the CD in the living room.
She laughed her head off. She laughed so hard she almost fell. She took him close and thanked him. The granddaughter was green. The granddaughter was sad. The two kids started fighting again. Fighting ugly.
So the old lady cried watching them. Cried all the way to her bedroom.
She had another dream. She woke up angry.
She checked the Yellow Pages Found a notary. Spent an hour discussing her will. Paid the other old woman. Almost forgot her papers. Took the bus back home
Watching people come and go Buildings and cars, life moving on Life moving on in Miami...
The father was a junkie. She had lunch with her daughter. The baby was HIV positive The daughter wanted to keep the baby. Without the father. Just the baby.
