Krik? Krak!

Princesse, a 16-year-old girl living in Ville Rose, leaves school just as a noisy cockfight begins. In the yard, an old drunk man smoking a pipe tries to hex his wife. As Princesse walks closer, she studies his face and wonders why he’s living in Ville Rose. As she passes, the man grabs at the hem of her dress, and asks if she’d like to place a wager. Princesse says no, and walks away as the cockfight ends.

Princesse is on her way to see Catherine, a painter from the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe whom she was introduced to as a reward for earning good grades. Catherine, who is 27 years old, but looks older, greets Princesse warmly, and encourages her to make herself comfortable. Princesse fully undresses and poses on a white sheet that Catherine has laid out on the veranda. She is anxious not to be seen by anyone but Catherine. Meanwhile, Catherine thinks about one day convincing Princesse to run and pose fully nude on the beach. She reassures Princesse that her name will never be attached to the painting, and that no one in her village will ever see it. Catherine says that one day Princesse’s grandchildren will see the painting in a museum in Paris.

As she paints, Catherine tells Princesse about her time in Paris: She also posed as a model, and found it very difficult. Catherine tells Princesse that once you’ve found a good model, it’s hard to let them go. She shares her theories of painting: No two faces are the same, and the eyes are the most important part of the face. Princesse adds that the mouth is also important, and Catherine agrees. At the end of the day, Catherine gives Princesse two gourdes (approximately 2 cents). As she walks home, Princesse sees a man weeping as he buries his rooster. The old drunk man she saw earlier chastises the man, telling him he should eat the rooster. The drunk man calls out to Princesse as she walks by, and she thinks that a good painting would be able to capture his attitude and moods.

The next day, Princesse returns and Catherine paints her fully clothed on a rock on the beach. Catherine tells Princesse about how light is used in paintings, and says that her dark black skin adds immeasurably to the canvas. A few days later, Catherine paints Princesse inside, with red candles in her hands. Catherine tells Princesse that her favorite and best teacher died in Paris the previous day. The following day, Catherine does not paint Princesse. Instead, she drinks rum and asks Princesse questions about the color of the sky. When Princesse returns the next afternoon, Catherine is not at home. She waits for Catherine until nightfall, watching the stars and thinking about how she would paint them.

Catherine returns a week later, explaining that she had to go to Paris in order to see the gravesite of her former teacher. All of the paintings of Princesse are gone from the house. However, Catherine gives her a small painting she made while in Paris. The painting depicts Princesse lying naked on a beach rock with a candle in each hand. She also gives Princesse two T-shirts from art museums. Princesse leaves with a newfound sense of purpose as an artist. Walking home, she passes a man carrying a dead rooster away from a cockfight. Princesse sees the old drunk man and his wife arguing, and finds a patch of grass to sit and watch them. She begins to draw their portrait in the dust, imagining the wife as a ballerina towering over her husband. As she walks away, she hears the sounds of another cockfight beginning.