DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / December 30, 2000

LAPLACE – Christmas is the celebration of the miracle of the birth of Christ, and with this Christmas one LaPlace family had another miracle to celebrate.

Zelma Conton had been separated from her family in Haiti, not knowing if they were alive or dead, since she was 9 years old. Last Saturday shereunited with her cousin Sainunnette Aquis, who practically raised her, and discovered new nieces and nephews.

Conton’s story should be one of fiction. Her life has woven through so manyunlikely events that it amazes one to hear.

When Conton was young she used to sit by the water, wanting to see more than her island home. She’d say, “Lord, I wish I could be so far from home,”said Conton. When she was 9 she got that wish, though not as she expected.Bleeding internally and deathly ill Conton was taken by boat to a neighboring island to visit the hospital. While laying in recovery she vividly remembersanother family and another daughter who died in the bed next to hers.

“The father picked me up, took me to the boat and gave my cousin some money,” said Conton. The boat was supposed to stop in Haiti, but it by passedthe island and headed for American shores. As it approached a stormcapsized the boat and broke it in two. The two cousins held onto scraps offloating debris to stay afloat. “A lot of people died,” Conton remembered.As they reached the beaches of Miami, Conton also remembers police, guns drawn and pointing at the survivors. They were all gathered and taken toCuban refugee camps and that the last time Conton and Aquis were together.

Shortly after their arrival a man signed out Aquis, against her will, to serve as a maid for his wife, said Conton. They would not take Conton as well, soshe was forced to stay alone.

Soon, with many of the other orphaned children, Conton was taken to a children’s home. There they were given immunizations and cared for well bythe nuns who operated the home. Conton fondly remembers the nuns, “whocared best for them out of all the homes” in which she stayed, from Miami to New York to New Orleans.

The last time she saw her cousin was in Miami. Aquis had tracked down whereConton was, and went to the children’s home. There she caught Conton in hersights, but she was kept from going farther. After that day Conton neversaw her family again.

The nuns were soon removed from operation at the home, having grown to close to the children, explained Conton. The children were then taughtEnglish, by way of television and such. “If we spoke our own language we werepunished for eight weeks,” said Conton.

By the time she was 10 Conton had landed in New Orleans. As she grew, withno way to contact her family, she stayed in town and eventually married.

It was with her second husband, Trellis Conton, that she moved to LaPlace, and where the miracle of finding her family came to happen.

Around 10 months ago, while she was five months pregnant with her last child, her husband spotted a Florida license plate in a local parking lot. Heasked her if she wanted to go talk to owners and see if perhaps they knew of Conton’s lost family. Conton admittedly thought that was a long shot andkept walking. But her husband made the decision for her. And as heapproached the vehicle and struck up a conversation, Conton followed.

Though the man who owned the Florida vehicle didn’t not know her family, he was unique. The gentleman happened to own a radio station in Miami, and heoffered to take their names, numbers and the name of her family members and broadcast a message in hope that someone would respond. After monthsof broadcasting, eventually someone did.

“When Sainunnette heard her name on the radio, she thought she heard wrong,” said Conton. Aquis waited a while and later heard the message again.From there the reuniting of Conton with her family began. The two cousinsbegan talking and sending pictures of each other’s family. Conton learned ofthe death of her parents, but also of her living brothers and sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Aquis, along with four of her children, prepared to visit for the Christmas holiday.

On Saturday Conton stood nervously, waiting for the call from Aquis to tell her they were at the bus stop waiting for a ride. Excitedly she told the storyof her past, interrupting and diverging into different tales as each one told brought up more memories.

“I remember exactly how she looked. Even though she’s older in the pictures,I knew exactly who she was,” said Conton. She also remembered other timesin her childhood. Her home had a small yard with an orange tree.”I still remember everything. I still remember exactly how to get there,” saidConton.

Her father had raised Conton to be a religious woman.

“I used to sit on daddy’s lap, under the orange tree in the yard, and we’d pray before bed,” said Conton. She remembers their conversations about God andher father’s explanation that one God controlled the whole world. “I don’tremember much, but I remember Daddy was the first one to teach me about Christ,” said Conton.

Though her life has seen much hardship, her faith in God has remained as strong as when she first listened to her father. Conton has seen more “ofmy angels” affect her life than she ever imagined witnessing.

Her angles have come in the form of those strangers who helped her out of the blue: the man who gave them money and help carry her to the boat for Haiti, the radio station owner from Miami, the lady in the supermarket who gave her $40 for a Christmas tree and groceries after hearing her story, Mrs. Bazile, the principal at Leon Godchaux, who has promised to help Contonget her G.E.D. after the holidays, and so many others.”Whatever we’ve needed, we left in the hands of the Lord and God has provided for us,” said Conton.

Saturday was a day of joy for the Conton family. Aquis and her childrenarrived and again the family was reunited. The trip was cut short, though,and Aquis had to leave because of illness. She traveled here sick, not missingthe chance to see her long-lost cousin. Aquis also celebrated her birthday onSunday with Conton. On Tuesday they mounted a Greyhound bus and headedback to Florida. In a few months, Conton is going to try to make her own tripback to her homeland and see the rest of her family, completing a trip that as a 9-year-old she never expected to take.

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