Photo credits: Mélisa Madanamootoo
I was born and raised in the coastal village of Le Morne, where I took up my father’s trade as a fisherman at a young age. Life has always been a struggle, often forcing me to sleep on an empty stomach due to the scarcity of resources.
Three decades ago, my trials escalated when a seemingly small act of sharing cannabis with a friend led to a two-year prison sentence for trafficking. My inability to afford good legal representation left me at the mercy of an unjust system. However, this was just the beginning of my struggles. When most people anticipate cyclones for the additional holidays they might bring, I am filled with dread, fearing the potential loss of my home. The catastrophe I feared the most struck when Cyclone Dina hit Mauritius; my house was leveled, and I lost everything. It was a long and strenuous journey to rebuild my life from scratch, but my faith remained unshaken.
Although I’ve been divorced for a while, loneliness has never been an issue for me. My ex-wife and I maintain a friendly relationship, and we jointly care for our grandchildren. I recently left my lifelong occupation as a fisherman and took a job at a hotel.
Happiness for me isn’t defined by extravagance; two square meals a day and a shelter above
my head are all I require.
My only wish now is to build a concrete room, a secure shelter to keep my family safe during adverse weather conditions and cyclones.
****
Mo’nn ne dan vilaz Lemorn. Depi zanfan mo ti abitie al lapes ansam ek mo papa. Laplipar ditan lavi ti vremem difisil. Ti bien konplike pou nou zwenn-le-de-bout. Ase souvan, mo ti pe dormi san manze.
Mo’nn temwin tou sort kalite zafer dan mo lavi. 30 an desela, mo ti ferme pou de-zan. Sa inn zwe kont mwa donn enn kamarad inpe marirwana. Kan lapolis inn aret li, li’nn donn mo nom. Koumsa ki mo’nn tonbe pou trafik. Mo ti kone ki santans-la ti exazere, me ki mo ti kapav fer. Mo ti mizer ek mo pa ti kapav affrord enn bon defans. Lavi-la inzis parfwa. Me sa ti zis koumansman mo bann problem.
Mo pa rev gran ek mo kontant mwa ar seki mo ena. Mo akeyir tou seki lavi donn mwa avek enn sourir.
Kouma nou kone, sak fwa enn siklonn koste ar Moris, laplipar dimounn espere letan-la pa korek mem, koumsa kapav gagn enn-de zour konze anplis. Pa mwa, okontrer. Mo priye pou ki siklonn res lwin ar nou, tansion mo lakaz kraze, mo nepli ena enn twa. Ti ena siklonn Dina, pa tro lontan desela. Mo’nn perdi tou dan sa siklonn-la. Mo lakaz inn kraze ek tou seki mo ti ena inn ale. Inn pran mwa boukou letan ek zefor pou kapav re-dibout. Mem si mo ti dan detres ek dan soufrans terid, mo ti touzour gard lafwa.
Ou pa pou kwar, me depi de-trwa tan mo’nn divorse. Mo pa santi mwa tousel selman. Ofet, mo pa bizin boukou pou ere. De repa konsistan par zour ek enn plas pou reste ase pou mwa. Mo ansien madam abit enn lakaz deryer seki pou mwa. Nou ankor an bon term, ek nou vey lor nou bann ti-zanfan ansam, kouma enn fami.
Enn mwa desela, mo’nn gagn enn travay dan enn lotel. Apre plizier deseni, mo’nn bizin kit travay peser. Mo pa rev gran ek mo kontant mwa ar seki mo ena. Mo akeyir tou seki lavi donn mwa avek enn sourir. La la, sel zafer ki mo anvi se konstrir enn pies an beton pou protez mo fami dan move letan ou siklonn.
