I remember way back when I let my mother dress me, or let my mother help me get dressed. Oh. My. God. She made me want to jump out a window. I decided this one time that I was going to wear this outfit or whatever. And then I come out to show my mom. She goes: "Oh oh. Ki sa ou mete. Mwen achte bèl rad pou ou ak pou ou mete sa? Oh oh. My child is crazy. Take it off!" I tried to protest one time and I knew I made a mistake. "Se konsa, ou se yon granmoun kounye." Any time I don't do what she wants, she asks me if I'm an adult now. I don't understand that!
Ok here's something else. My mother doesn't particularly do it but I know some other Haitians who do it. How come everytime they want something, they point with their lips! That makes no sense, your fingers work fine. Also, my mom does this: She calls my name, "Ban mwen bagay nan chanm mwen."
"What thing mom?"
"Bagay la nan chanm mwen akote kabann mwen!" Wow mom, thanks. That helps. And while I'm looking for bagay la, my mother starts yelling at me. "Li devan ou! Ou pa gen je? Na mield (lol I don't think I spelled that right.) Map jwenn li kounye! Apres mwen jwenn li, map bat ou." She wouldn't hit me but just raise her hand like was going to, and then curse me out.
What stuck out to me when I was younger was how impossible it was to convince my mom to let me go over to my friend's house. "Mom, can I go over to my friend's house?"
"Oh oh. Mwen voye ba ou nan lekòl pou aprann, pou pa ale sou nan kay zanmi ou. Gadon timoun frekan oh oh." Long time ago I think I asked my mom if I could sleep over at a friend's house...I don't remember what she said afterwards though.
