He felt like he was empty. He kept crying and screaming. At that moment, he thought back to his words that his father told him "you are a man, a future great type of this nation. A man must be strong" but today he felt like it was just an illusion. He saw his dreams fly away. He had no more hope. Only the salty taste of his tears added a bitter flavor to what he was going through. Where was he going to go? Cry, cry and don't stop crying his inner being told him. Let these tears drain you so that you can forget what is happening to you. He walked without knowing where to go. He was guided by the wind and the loneliness. When, he knelt in the middle of this empty street. This street full of wandering rats. In the dark, he couldn't see anything. Luckily the little torch light on his phone was helping to light him up. "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." he prayed.
Chapter 1 1
Seydou: hello sir
Mendouga: ah sacred Seydou. I see you in good shape today
Seydou: not really sir
Mendouga: what is going on? What could make you out of shape on such a sunny morning?
Seydou: we are going to leave the city sir
My father quickly put down the newspaper he had in his hands
Mendouga: I don't understand
Seydou: I'm going back to Garoua with my family. My children need some grounding
Mendouga: but, why now?
Seydou: it had to be. I've always been putting off this moment but now it's imminent
Mendouga: I hope it's not because of the problem that there were weeks back huh
Seydou: wailay! Sir nothing to do. I spent a lot of time here in Yaoundé I was as reliable as I could by your side. You are a good person sir. But, I also have a family that calls me. I want the best for each of my children
My mother listened to their conversation. She hid herself and was even very discreet. She seemed to know everything Seydou was saying as words.
Mendouga: in any case, I won't find another like you huh
Seydou: it goes straight to my heart
Mendouga: I'm coming!
My father had gone up to his office and had come down with an envelope that had filled it well. He had given it to Seydou who for his part was happy
Seydou! Thanks a lot. Sir, take care of your children. Watch over Gideon this child is an angel fallen from heaven
My mother had come out of her hiding place. When Seydou saw it, he hid his envelope directly in his pocket.
Sarah: Hello. What is happening here ?
Seydou: I'm leaving Madam... Lowering her eyes
She had had no sympathy
Sarah: oh
Mendouga: I will explain everything to you
Seydou: I'll leave you. Have a good day
Mendouga: thank you for everything Seydou. Best wishes
Sara: goodbye
Seydou was gone. He had gone home with his head held high. He was reunited with his wife and three children.
Wife: my husband
Seydou: I'm here
Woman: how did it go
Seydou: I spoke with the chef. 9a went well. He gave me this envelope
His wife opened the envelope. She was shocked to see such a sum in her hands.
Woman: oh allah
Her husband looked in the envelope
Seydou: oh Al-hamdu li-lah (expression of thanksgiving)
Woman: He's a good man
Seydou: he was disappointed that I was leaving. Luckily he gave me this before his wife arrived
Woman: What did you tell him?
Seydou: what I was supposed to tell him. We are going to live in Garoua with the children
Wife: his wife was really mean
Seydou: it works on everyone, you know. She's a well-placed woman
Woman: she is lucky
Seydou: we are as we are. We live on what we have. You have nothing to envy him. Life is like that
Woman: Yes you are right. What do we do with this money?
Seydou: we're going to keep that and already start counting it
They were happy. It was a kind of thank you for all these years of loyalty.
A few hours later, someone knocked on their door. Their daughter Khadîdja had left to open.
Khadidja: are you coming to see dad? Hello
She let the person in and rushed to her father's room to warn him of the visit. Seydou was surprised to see who was facing him
Seydou: Mr. Mendouga?
Mendouga: Seydou
Seydou: but take a seat
Mendouga: oh, I won't be long
Seydou: is there a problem?
Mendouga: none. Just, I don't know why you left. If I am certain of anything, it is that you will not go to Garoua
Seydou: I don't want any trouble sir
Mendouga: you will have no problem
Seydou: Okay!
Mendouga: I know that the atmosphere was no longer the same after what had happened with my eldest son
Seydou: yes it was no longer easy to be looked at as a thug by your wife
Menduga: I know. I just came to tell you that your choice is completely respected. I know you are a straight man
He gave her a card
Mendouga: on this sheet, there are the contact details of a friend of mine. He's looking for a driver and I know your abilities. He wants a driver on site who will be housed with his family
Seydou: what?
Mendouga: if you agree, he accepts you whenever you want. He moves around a lot, which is why he takes care of the family's accommodation.
Seydou: what a coincidence
Mendouga: It's not really a coincidence. He was looking for a faithful driver because the other had stolen from him. He hasn't found anyone since.
They laughed
Seydou: I will talk about it with my wife
This one was in the corridor and listened to everything. She purposely left
Mendouga: oh Aminatou
Aminatou: Mr Jean
Mendouga: how are you?
Aminatou: yes, very good. I take this opportunity to say thank you for the envelope
Mendouga: It's nothing. Alright, I'll leave you
They had said goodbye. Mendouga, my father, had gone back to his usual occupations.
With us, everything was going well. Life was as usual nothing had changed in everyone's behavior at home. Seydou had been taken on as a driver but he had made it a condition not to start until the next school year. The time that his children end up in the school where they were. Which had been the case.
A year had passed and there was nothing new. My brother and I still didn't love each other more than that. My mother always had this rather unpleasant behavior with the people around her. A few months later, we were off to college.
My brother was even worse. Worse than usual. It did not improve over time.
Four years later
While we were in the fourth grade, things were going to get even worse. My father had gone on a business trip for a week.
A party had been organized by some of our comrades. They had voluntarily skipped class. My brother was among the disorderly gang.
They had organized an orgy. There was everything at their mini party. Alcohol and other narcotics they wanted to test.
My brother was with fifteen to seventeen year olds. It is true that Aristide was tall for his age. It worked in his favor to mingle with delinquents bigger than him.
Their party had gone wrong. They were at a young second and the big brother of this one had returned unexpectedly. He wondered where that noise, that smoke, was coming from.
When he entered his house, he noticed that there were young people in the middle of an orgy. Young people who didn't care and filmed themselves half-naked.
The big brother of this sophomore was angry and he showed it. Except that while chasing his offenders, things had turned into a fight and a young girl in third grade had been seriously injured by a beer bottle that had been broken on her head.
They panicked and many fled. Including, my brother.
The older brother who had arrived in a hurry had informed her parents and had led the young girl to an infirmary. He had called our establishment to report the girl who had been recognized by the absence list.
The accident was serious. So serious that the principal of the establishment had gathered all the students in the course to make a speech on the deviant behavior of young people.
Principal: I know that today is not Monday. But, I wanted to bring you all together because a member of this establishment was affected. Young people had fun fleeing class to party yesterday. One of these young people whose only practice is truancy found herself affected and is still today in a hospital bed with loss of consciousness.
Dear young people, if you are on these benches, it is for your future. Avoid skipping class for alcohol or drugs. It won't do you any good except destroy you
When the principal had finished, we all left for our respective classes. My brother lived as if nothing had happened while he was present at this party
The parents of the young Embolo Natacha had come to complain. They wanted to know all the young people who were at this party. But others were quickly gone. They didn't all know each other. My brother, until today had never been accused. His name had been crossed off the list of absentees.
My mother had arranged everything with the general overseer.
My father had never known about this story. It had passed just like many other such stories. This was a background from my childhood. Now you know everything about me. Who is this Sarah, my beloved mother? This Aristide, this business father and myself. Who are we really? We were the perfect family in front of several people. But, things were much deeper than that. Each family has its own particularity and growing up, I understood that.
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