The chief of Grand
Bassin
When we arrive in Grand Bassin on Thursday 13
March 1997, the first person we meet is "Madame Nativel". Standing in
Front of a small hut used as a kitchen, she's awaiting for us for
lunch. "Comment va mes grand z'enfants ?" (How are you doing my
children ?) say's she when we get exhausted into the dining room
after the long walk down the mountain. She speaks creole, a language
derived from French used in the French tropical islands. Olivier, our
mission leader, has a hard time to understand and to translate. With
her blue large hat, long grey hair and her old flowered dress, she
looks like a perfect "chief of the village" of this remote place.
With her expressive and funny face, she immediately seems nice and
friendly. She's probably the oldest person living here.
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Madame Nativel surrounded by the
special envoys and their mission leader
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Born in 1924 in Bras-de-la-Plaine, an
other small village nearby, she spent most of her life time
here : "always, always here in Grand Bassin !". After
spending only one year in school, she started to work in the
village. When she was about 14 years old, she used to go
walking up and down the mountain several times a day. It's
not the case anymore : "My last time up there is 2 years
ago". We are not sure that she will be able to go up soon...
but who knows...
She brings the typical food of La
Réunion : rice, vegetables (bredes), some kind of
beans (grains), meat (carry) and a very hot sauce
(rougaille). It feels like we are her own children. Maybe it
reminds her of the time when her 8 kids were sitting at the
table. "Today they are all married" she says proudly. "And I
have 17 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren." A quite
big family !
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In 1974, she opened this restaurant with her
daughter. Then in 1986, they built some bedrooms for the walkers
coming to rest down here. Since then, she is full time busy and does
not have much time to devote to her passion : "I love flowers. I
don't sell any. It's just for my pleasure that I grow them". Before
being a lodge keeper, she was a cook for the Grand Bassin primary
school. Unfortunately, it was closed 3 years ago because there were
only 4 kids left
She waves at us when we leave the next day after a
picture session: "bye my children !". We wave back and start climbing
650 m which separate us from what we call "civilisation". We are not
sure we know what this means anymore.
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