Una Abuelita Nregra Y Muy Gorda.

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On the ferry, 20 febrero 1990.

It is 10.30 in the morning and I watch with interest how this old wooden ferry is filling up with passengers. Mostly black people, the men in suits and bowler hats, the women in colorful dresses that remind me of my trips to africa.

Black people have something with colors.

The admosphere is merry and the people already aboard chat happily in a mix of sing-song belizian english and guatamalteca spanish, I can hear the ocassional conversation in, what I presume must be Caribe.
The dock workers are busy loading enormous packs aboard carrying them on naked sweaty backs that are black like coal. Drops of swaet rolling down these dark brown bodies glimmering in the hot morning sun like pearls.

I'm really captivated with all the sights and sounds around me while James is busily reading his book "Darwin, the origin of species".

There is some commotion on the dock now, an enormously fat black Momma has just come out of a horse-drawn car and is walking akwardly toward the ferry, there is a sudden hush while she approaches, a young woman in tow carrying two ancient looking suitcases.

The young woman looks familiar somehow but that incredibily fat woman dominates anything within the pherifery of my eyes.

She seems the have that effect on the rest of the passengers as well when she walks aboard, it feels like the ferry is gonna tip over, or is that just my imagination.
Only when she has taken a seat, she actually needs two seat, do I recognise the young black lady that carried the suitcases.
It's Maria I had dinner with last night. Is this her abuelita - little grand mother - she talked about last night, this enormous bulk of black female flesh??????
She has recognised me as well by now and hurries over giving me a kiss on the cheeks whispering in my ears "estoy muy contenta a verte, Hans". I indroduce her to James and tell her I'm happy to see her too still having my arm around her hip feeling strongly it belongs there.
She switches to english for James' sake asking us if we already have accommodation.
If we want we can stay at her abuelita's place for a small fee.

Hahaha, we are not even in Livingston yet and already have a place to stay, good start.

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Photos

Maria
from Livingston.