Dancing in the Baron's Shadow by Fabienne Josaphat Page A

supposed to do?”
    â€œWhat did you do?” Nicolas asked, his voice hollow.
    â€œI told them to get in and the Macoutes chased me around Cité Simone,” Raymond said. “They thought they could catch me, but they didn’t know who they were dealing with. I know every dark alley in Port-au-Prince, so I stepped on the gas and…”
    Eve groaned softly, dropping her head as if she’d been struck.
    â€œDid they get your license plate?” Nicolas asked, his voice burning.
    â€œI don’t think so,” Raymond said. He squeezed the handle of his fork.
    â€œYou don’t think so?” Nicolas echoed, nodding repeatedly as he made his point. “What if they did? What if they find you? They could show up any minute. Are you a complete idiot? You’re endangering us just by being here.”
    â€œThey didn’t see it, okay?” Raymond dropped his fork.
    The table wavered slightly between them. The goblets of fruit juice and ice water sweltered in unison. Raymond took in the raw cotton of Nicolas’s shirt, the stiffness of his collar, the perfectly trimmed Afro, and the elegant sideburns. In the corner of his eye, there were the red nails of this woman he sometimes longed for, the trophy child, the glass and the gold.
    â€œRelax,” Raymond continued. “I know what I’m doing. I always do. You should know that.”
    â€œThis isn’t child’s play,” Nicolas spat.
    â€œDo I look like a child to you?” Raymond replied.
    â€œYou’re going on and on about knowing your back alleys like it’s something to be proud of,” Nicolas said.
    â€œI’m not ashamed of what I do,” Raymond responded calmly.
    Eve gulped some cold water as the brothers stared each other down. Raymond felt his jaw twitch. There was so much he wanted to say to Nicolas, but what was the use? This was his house, after all. Raymond was only a guest who had come to beg. Thewhole thing was a bad idea in the first place. He didn’t want to fight, but he also didn’t want to put up with this kind of condescension from his brother.
    â€œYou don’t see how what you did was wrong?” Nicolas said.
    â€œI saved their lives! Since when is that wrong?”
    â€œVery noble, but what’s wrong is when you jeopardize the lives of others trying to be some kind of hero.”
    â€œI’m sorry you don’t approve of my choices,” Raymond said. “Maybe you’re right. I should have left him and his wife and their baby, younger than Amélie… I should have left them to be slaughtered in the street.”
    Nicolas rested his elbows on the table and leaned in closer. “I don’t think you’re hearing me—”
    â€œI’m hearing you,” Raymond retorted. “It’s you who’s not hearing me. You can’t, because we’re speaking different languages.” He pushed his plate away. He regretted the way the utensils clattered aggressively, but his heart was racing with the familiar rush of anger that overpowered him whenever he tried talking to Nicolas.
    â€œYou are not a kamoken rebel,” Nicolas said. “You’re just a taxi driver.”
    Raymond bristled. “So you keep reminding me. Ever since we were kids. Do you think you could make it through just one day without giving me shit about how I make a living?”
    â€œPlease,” Eve said, clearing her throat. “Let’s not get into all this now.”
    Raymond pushed on. “I’m just a cabbie. I’m poor. Why does that offend you so much? I do honest work, always have, while you sat around like a prince, like labor was beneath you. Do you seriously think you’re better than everyone else? You and your snobby friends sitting in your study, drinking whiskey, smoking, running your mouth about politics, like you have any idea what it’s like out there.”
    Nicolas raised a menacing finger in