The moment they left beautiful Pacot, Rosanna and a quiet Davernis entered the real Port Au Prince. Both sides of the streets were filled with desperate vendors proclaiming in sing-song the miraculous virtues of their produce. There were beggars at every intersection, their hands outstretched, pleading, "Please, give what you can! I am dying of hunger!"
Rosanna intervened and said,"No, Davernis, at least have some pity for this child!" Then she took a Haitian twenty-dollar bill out of her purse, rolled down the window, and handed it to the woman. As their fingers met, Rosanna could see the layer of grime and mud on the woman's hands. No matter how often she was a part of such a transaction, it never ceased to maker her feel guilty for the way she grew up. If Aunt Solange hadn't taken her in, perhaps she too could have been on the street, hungry, begging.
Now deciding to forsake the aspirin, Rosanna shoved Aunt Solange's surprise deep into her purse. There must be at least a thousand Haitian dollars in there, she thought. Then, out of nowhere, two well-built men who looked like they might belong to a SWAT unit, approached her. "Get out of here! Get lost!" they ordered to a group of people surrounding her. "Leave this beautiful lady alone!" They shouted at the beggars as they chased the crowd away. They were responsible for security in the area, they told her.