Maria: “My cup of tea has lost its taste”

In Ville-Noire, Mahébourg, Maria Bauluck's life revolved around an economy of survival. For this 67-year-old retiree, every meal has become a calculation. “With all the expenses to manage, I can only aim for the essentials. » Especially since the list of products that have become inaccessible to her continues to grow.

What was ordinary yesterday has become, for Maria, an out of reach exception. Today, its strategy is to reduce its purchases in the face of soaring prices. Checkout has become a tense moment at the supermarket. With the price swing on shelf labels, it is not uncommon for an item to be placed in front of the total amount. Reviewing her choices is her new ritual when she goes shopping.

If Maria no longer has children in her care, her generosity shifts to her granddaughter. When she visits her, Maria's priority changes. “I prefer that she eats well even if I have to deprive myself. The main thing is that she can enjoy what she likes. »

I prefer that my granddaughter eats well even if I have to deprive myself”

For her own survival, Maria manages her supplies with military rigor, calculating each portion to ensure that her reserves will last until the last day of the month. She doesn't eat her fill, she eats to last.

Among the sacrifices, there is one which symbolizes all the harshness of the time: his usual brand of milk. It was his little luxury, the one that gave roundness to his daily tea. Today, she can no longer afford it. What she misses most on her table is not feasts but simply this cup of tea shared with herself, without the bitter taste of renunciation.

The weekend no longer offers respite. It's the same fight as on Monday, with anxiety that increases as the end of the month approaches. His tip? She crosses out, she eliminates, she removes from her shopping list everything that becomes too heavy for her wallet.

The fatigue is there, physical and mental. Managing water, electricity, telephone bills, medication and food alone is a burden that gets heavier every morning. Maria is also worried about her family because she sees her own daughter lacking energy in the face of exhausting work and the responsibilities of a mother. In this context, fatigue is no longer just his, it is family.

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