Between the Pool and the Gardenias

One day, Marie was walking on the Port-au-Prince, she found an infant abandoned on the street. The trauma of her miscarriages blinded her eyes and mind, she ignores the baby's lack of life. She took it back home and took care of it. She named the baby "Rose" by the letters on the embroidered little blue dress that the girl was wearing. Marie was working as a maid in a wealthy family. She brought the baby to work, luckily nobody cares about the baby, they did not even realize. Marie kept the baby, she tells Rose story about herself every night. She said she likes this baby because she is quiet and really good at listening, she wishes all the children can be like Rose. Rose stayed really quiet in her arms at the same position for a whole night. After a couple days, Rose started to smell bad. Marie said it was because those pig instants that a man brought. But, it is actually Rose's body is starting to decompose. Marie bathed Rose several times a day, and even put a lot of perfume on her. Marie even used a whole bottle on Madame's perfume without asking, but Rose still smells really bad and it is getting worse. Finally, Rose's body is attracting a lot of flies to come, Marie knew that she could not hide it anymore. So, she went out to the garden and buried Rose, however, the Dominican Pool cleaner found out and saying that she ate the child which clearly points to another witch and Voodoo thing compare to the story "Nineteen Thirty-Seven".

In this story, I think Rose is a completion of Marie's imagination of a good life. Marie loves her husband so much, but her love does not get payback from her husband. Also, she lost her child too many times, that her husband started to think she did that on purpose. Rose sort of appearing on a right time and right place for Marie. But not in a good condition.