Article by A. Travis and O. Treml
Published on March 18, 2019.

“This is why we tell the story.”

That statement is from the 2019 play production, Once on This Island, performed last month by the Cab middle schoolers, but what does it mean? Just as the play says, let’s tell the story!

The story starts off in a storm shelter and all the people are asleep, but all of a sudden, thunder boomed and lightning struck! The noise awoke a little girl and she began to scream. The rest of the people heard the scream of terror from the youngest sister. To keep the wailing child quiet, an older sister begins the tale of Ti Moune.

Once upon a time, there was an island. This island was split between the wealthy and the poor. These two types of people kept to themselves and never bothered with the other. Then, a storm hit.

After the storm, two poor but loving parents, Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian, (played by S. Brick and B. Nourie) found a scared little girl in a tree. They weren’t so sure about taking her, but decided to take her under their wing. The little girl was named Ti Moune (Young Ti Moune played by M. Yucis). Over time, Ti Moune (played by A. Travis and A. Nourie) grew up.

One fateful day, a car crashed, and a boy named Daniel (Played by C. Mayo-Jimenez) was injured. Ti Moune rushed over to help the injured boy. The gods wished the boy to die, so Ti Moune made a deal with the gods—her soul for his. If he didn’t agree to marry her, she would die for him to live. Her nights became restless as she tried healing the boy and went days without food. Mama Euralie became worried about Ti Moune’s health. Ti Moune insisted that she should keep helping the poor boy. As time passed, Ti Moune fell in love with him.

When the boy was strong enough, he was taken back to The Grand Hommes. Ti Moune insisted to her parents that she was in love with him. Convincing her parents to let her travel to her soul mate. She and Daniel talked for hours—chatting about their future together. Little did Ti Moune know, he was promised to another woman.

The gods came down and told her that she promised her soul for Daniel’s. But since he had betrayed her, this was the chance to kill him! Ti Moune refused. She was kicked out of Grand Hommes, but waited for Daniel to come out. Waiting for him proved difficult, and she died in the lap of the mother that took her in. The gods looked after her, and then Ti Moune was blessed and became a tree.