I could attribute my rib pains to anxiety this morning but I just have to face that fact that I’m not immune to the acidic qualities of red wine nor am I accustomed to getting up at 4,00 as I do this morning to get the first navette into town. Thankfully I don’t need additional liquids of any sort to see me through the day as God soon sends all the fluid goodness we’ve been lacking of late!
This week is La Semaine des Langues in Martinique and today we’re having la fête des langues at our school in Chateauboeuf. Elizabeth and I have worked together to create an adventurous programme involving various personalities who go on a journey around English speaking countries to visit and present their friends. It’s not show business at any level - not even Star Ac’ status, but it goes well despite all our fussing. Throughout the morning the kids sing English songs they’ve learnt as well as taking part in mini-dialogues and dramas under the shade of the préau, the surrounding trees in the school yard and the stun-gun glances of their teachers.
There are some stagiaires hanging about the school today. In true Martiniquan style nobody has alerted them that there are no classes this morning but at least they get to observe something more animated than one of Christophe’s classes! There’s countrywide school scandal in the papers today as it’s reported that a book on sorcery was found in a pupil’s schoolbag. It is pretty heavy going for an 11 year-old but with Artimus Fowl and Harry Potter setting the precedent for magic and mayhem it’s no surprise that such a book has made its way into someone’s schoolbag; Les Sept Serpents by Steve Jackson - un livre don’t vous étés le héros (Sorcellerie 1/3).
Jossylene, Elizabeth and I are chilling out and admiring the poster work around the library when the heavens open. Thankfully we’ve already wrapped up the morning’s activities. Its one thing to have children complaining because of the heat but it’s another thing to have them all soaked to the bone. Jossylene teaches in a school in Moutte and they’ve their fête organised for Thursday. It’s a pity I can’t go as I’d love to see their enactment of Little Red Riding Hood, have tea in the canteen or even watch Sherlock Holmes! A school in L’Ermitage has concentrated it’s festivities on Trinidad and there’s news reportage on the action this evening. A school at Morne Calebasse, pretty close to Chateauboeuf, is holding a market with different food produces. I take a notion to go visit though once the rain hits I decide it’d be more of a washout than anything else.
Everyone on the navette is huddled under the sheltered seating area. I spy Majid on the fringe, laden down with bags of shopping – there seems to be more water in them than there are groceries. I recognise an English teacher from Collège Julia Nicolas but we start moving so I retreat to the front for full coverage. I spot J.P as I’m getting off at Anse Mitan. He no longer looks like the castaway creature he did during the weekend; in fact my absorbing glances at his stubble-less visage linger perhaps a fraction longer than they should – he’s easily unnerved! Another person who I supposedly gave the wrong impressions to was Stephen. Nicola arrives home from accompanying him to the hospital and tells me how he thinks I’ve the hots for him. Negative. Supposedly Thomas has taken a liking to my fesses. I don’t even know this chap but it’s enough to know that he’s Martiniquan!
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