Tezen: My Lovely Friend
()
About this ebook
Nevertheless, a thinly-veiled uncertainty on both sides kept this relationship from blossoming at first, a relationship which I now dream of reliving for its intriguing fairytale charm. In the morning, at noon, and at night in the old village, known as Les Cayes Jacmel, with only the murmuring music of local birds, the villagers knew the time to wake up, the time to eat, and the time to go to bed. The sea is just over 300 yards from my house. During the night, I imagine the atmosphere outside between the fish moving in the sea, the wind's song expressed through the trees; all this seemed magical to me. It was marvelous.
Surrounded by this every night, my imagination found meaning in the steady rhythm of the waves and the harmonious sound of fish jumping all night long. For this, I composed a little song about this extraordinary friendship with Tezen, a company that will impact the rest of my life.
Immersed in this nightly festival of nature and creatures of the ocean, I constantly dreamed of witnessing it one day for real. But as a budding teenager, I was forbidden to leave the house at night. So, tormented by my imagination, I decided to go to the seaside to satisfy this youthful curiosity every afternoon around 5:00.
In Les Cayes Jacmel, I had no friends near the village of Corail, where I lived. The legends often told in the evening, before bedtime, about werewolves' metamorphosis into animals fright me to walk after 7 pm. Besides, my parents were strict, which was why I found a way to fetch some drinking water quickly on my way home from school. The spring known as Nan Kreson is not far from the sea, accompanied sometimes by my little sister Minouche who was only nine years old. It was not Minouche's company that interested me; what I needed was a friend of my age with whom I could share my dreams.
Related to Tezen
Related ebooks
Secret of The Saans Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPaper Boats Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dragon in the Bookshop Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChildfulness: Returning to Self with Love, Compassion and Curiosity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEscape to Pelican Lake: a book of poetry, lyrics, and short stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhispers to the Sky Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPerfect Dreams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Ereph and Other Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDesires of a Vampire (A Southern Tale) A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beekeeper's Daughter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBetrayal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bel of the Brawl: A Belfast McGrath Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsItalian Shoes: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't fuck with me: A journey from bluster to peace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Many Lives of Nathan James Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLoon Child Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEvernight: The Shifter Chronicles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOh Secret Silence: A Collection of my Poems and a Few Good Short Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWings of Time and Fate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProphase: A Present Tale Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Morning Mist: Stories from the Water's Edge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Journey to the Land of Spirits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll the Colours In Between: A Witty and Heartfelt Family Drama Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeeth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Siren's Song: Demons Among Us, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJanis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Man on the Beach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQueen Bee: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Cultural Heritage Fiction For You
The Color Purple Collection: The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, and Possessing the Secret of Joy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lovecraft Country: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prodigal Summer: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Convenience Store Woman: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I, Claudius Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Woman Is No Man: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sunshine Nails: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Yellowface: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Longer Human Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alas, Babylon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bean Trees: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Indian Horse: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Island of Missing Trees: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Final Revival of Opal & Nev Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stationery Shop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Memory Keeper of Kyiv: A powerful, important historical novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Poppy War Trilogy: The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, The Burning God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPavilion of Women: A Novel of Life in the Women's Quarters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Golden Notebook: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another Brooklyn: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lacuna: Deluxe Modern Classic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Flight: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Salt Houses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Against the Loveless World: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human: The Manga Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Tezen
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Tezen - Frantz Jean Baptiste
TEZEN MY LOVELY FRIEND
© 2022 FRANTZ JEAN BAPTISTE
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
ISBN: 978-1-66784-538-8
Contents
PART I
Chapter 1
The Dream Team
Chapter 2
The Charm of the Seasons
Chapter 3
Curiosity and Fear
Chapter 4
Strange
Chapter 5
Superstition
Chapter 6
Indiscretion and Vigilance
Chapter 7
Dad’s Roar
PART II
Chapter 8
Compassionate Deal
Chapter 9
Should We Laugh or Cry?
Chapter 10
The Advent of Tezen and his Species
Chapter 11
Fabulous Nature
Chapter 12
Unexpected Encounter
Chapter 13
Passion and Compassion
PART III
Chapter 14
Greatest Friendship
Chapter 15
Tezen’s Trouble
Chapter 16
Species in the Neighborhood
Chapter 17
Alicia and Tezen in Danger
TEZEN MY LOVELY FRIEND
PART IV
Chapter 18
A Sealed Friendship
Chapter 19
Attempt to Kill Tezen
Chapter 20
Seaside Unforseen Encounter
Chapter 21
Desperate Conquest
Chapter 22
Fear of the Truth
Chapter 23
In the Shark’s Belly
Chapter 24
Accomplished Adventure
Introduction
Haiti is a land filled with history, culture, natural fauna, and flora. In this remarkable story, the author, Frantz Jean Baptiste, wants to show the world our connection to nature and how all species on this planet can coexist peacefully. The author illustrates that through a touching relationship between Alicia, a little girl from the countryside, and Tezen, a beautiful fish from the famous spring Nan Kreson. This story shows us how nature can be cruel and forgiving and our ability as human beings to understand that. It is a tale based on trust, loyalty, love, and friendship. It gives us an idea of how even the most insignificant relationships can bring joy to our lives. So, let the heat from the Caribbean Sea warm your heart and the shine from the bright sun put a sparkle in your eyes and embark on this beautiful journey.
By Laure-Ginie Jean Baptiste
TEZEN
MY LOVELY FRIEND
PART I
Chapter 1
The Dream Team
The best days of my first year as a teenage girl were my encounters with Tezen, a lovely fish, who always called me by my first name, Alicia, in the land of Haiti. I still remember our conversations, each of us desperately wanting to discover the universe of the other. There was a mystery somewhere for both of us to unearth. How do humans live? How do fishes live? Our questions sounded similar because our worlds were each unknown to one another.
Nevertheless, a thinly-veiled uncertainty on both sides kept this relationship from blossoming at first, a relationship which I now dream of reliving for its intriguing fairytale charm. In the morning, at noon, and night in the old village, known as Les Cayes Jacmel, with only the murmuring music of local birds, the villagers knew the time to wake up, the time to eat, and the time to go to bed. The sea is just over 300 yards from my house. During the night, I imagine the atmosphere outside between the fish moving in the sea, the wind’s song expressed through the trees; all this seemed magical to me. It was marvelous.
Surrounded by this every night, my imagination found meaning in the steady rhythm of the waves and the harmonious sound of fish jumping all night long. For this, I composed a little song about this extraordinary friendship with Tezen, a company that will impact the rest of my life.
Immersed in this nightly festival of nature and creatures of the ocean, I constantly dreamed of witnessing it one day for real. But as a budding teenager, I was forbidden to leave the house at night. So, tormented by my imagination, I decided to go to the seaside to satisfy this youthful curiosity every afternoon around 5:00.
In Les Cayes Jacmel, I had no friends near the village of Corail, where I lived. The legends often told in the evening, before bedtime, about werewolves’ metamorphosis into animals fright me to walk after 7 pm. Besides, my parents were strict, which was why I found a way to fetch some drinking water quickly on my way home from school. The spring known as Nan Kreson is not far from the sea, accompanied sometimes by my little sister Minouche who was only nine years old. It was not Minouche’s company that interested me; what I needed was a friend of my age with whom I could share my dreams.
Chapter 2
The Charm of the Seasons
It was already dawning when I left home to fetch water from the spring. I didn’t stop running with my calabash underarm until I reached my destination. As I liked to sing, I always hummed a little song. The water was clear, and the wind was light. I took a piece of a banana leaf then placed it at the outfall as the water filled the calabash. Suddenly, I heard a weird sound from which the water was coming, like a flute. I raised my head silently, looking everywhere, but I saw nothing. I moved to try to satisfy my curiosity. I walked around the spring to see where that weird noise came from. I feel crossed by fear and doubt. The silence seemed too frightening to me. I did not see anything. I didn’t understand either. What is this mystery? Only the sound of the birds and the river’s waterfall, not far from there, could reassure me so far. I continued to fill my calabash while humming a song. After filling the calabash, I closed it with a stem of corn.
When I stood up to leave, I heard the same sound. This time, having the impression that the sound came from within the spring, I looked insistently at the outfall of the spring to capture with my eyes the slightest fact and gesture of something, but I still did not see anything. To my great surprise, the water became dirty under my eyes. Invaded by fear, I placed the