07

How could he?! In view of the date on the document, he has known it for a short time…. It fits with all those times when instead of going to work he goes around town and drinks too much. He knows he has HIV. But…. He doesn't tell me?! When exactly was he planning to do it? And if we had resumed service in bed what would have happened to me? What doesn't even tell me that I'm sick too?

- Oh Lord!!!!

I get up like an automaton and put the bags back upstairs. I shower quickly and I take my bag

- Anita, I'm going out, sorry, finish the cleaning I started.

My mother-in-law who heard me from the living room calls out to me

- Maggie!

- Meuma?!

- Za'a (come)

I join her in the living room

- Where are you going ?

- I have an urgent errand to do Meuma I'm coming

- Hum! And you let a stranger into the room you share with your husband, how? You know what she's going to put in it?

At the point where we are she can even take it as a gift!

- Meuma I have to go out. I will be back.

Without waiting for more I get up and go out. I go to the pharmacy and take a test to do in 3min. I bring him home, but my hypochondriac side has resurfaced so I run to a lab and ask to take the test. They tell me that I won't have the results until the next day. It seems far away, but I have no choice. 1 hour later I am back and lock myself in the bathroom I do the test by following the instructions on the leaflet to the letter. After 3 minutes I have the answer: it is negative. Nevertheless, I will be more reassured with that of the laboratory. I can't wait to get the results.

The same evening, we are at the table but I can't swallow even a bite. I look at Arthur and I feel like I never knew him. He lives with us, his wife and children, without telling us what he is suffering from. Without taking the necessary precautionary measures so that no one is contaminated. What does not tell me that one of the children did not inadvertently find himself contaminated? It's not long since Lloyd cut himself with a blade lying around the bathroom.

- Eeeee aaaaa my children!

- Pardon ?

- No no I thought aloud excuse me!

- Hum! Arthur I was even telling your wife this morning that she never lets a stranger into your room.

- A stranger ? How is Magguie?

- She's talking about Anita. I had an urgent errand to run in town so I started cleaning our room and had to ask her to finish it for me.

- What urgent errand that couldn't be done after cleaning?

- I tell you ! Reinforce his mother

- A race that I will tell you about behind closed doors

- Camera nal wa tiné ya? (What does it mean ?)

- That means she's going to tell me about it when we're just her and me, mom

- Ahhhh okay okay. Ah A Magguie if that's the good news tell us once! Your last one is already 3 years old, you already need his brother

- Ah Meuma with times that are difficult here you can still have fun giving birth anyhow?

- What times even that are difficult? Your husband works norrr you have a small activity you only want the villa? I raised my 3 kids here in a 2 bedroom house there they didn't make it?

And now his speech resumed. I listen with a distracted ear to tell me how much we love the ease how much we don't know how to make sacrifices how much x how much y. Except what she doesn't know is that her damn son is HIV positive! I still need to assimilate the information before we see a common future. We finish eating and I clear

- Good Meuma I'm going to bed. Good night

- Oh ha! Before please make me a cup of herbal tea first. Don't make it too hot like last time

I go to the kitchen and get to work. I serve her her cup and stay with her and her son in the living room until she finishes it. She takes her time, it irritates me but I don't let it show. When she finishes I clear out and say goodnight. In the bedroom, another quarter of an hour goes by before his son shows up.

- Arthur we need to talk

- Enough to ?

- From U.S. How do you see our future Arthur?

- I do not understand the question

- Maybe your mom is right? Maybe we should have another child?

- You are not serious ?! I don't want it anymore

- And why that ?

- Because ! Mai and Lloyd are fine with me.

- Hmm. You forget the one outside too

- …

- Arthur, don't you have anything to tell me?

- About what ?

- Of you

- What do you have at the end tonight to do riddles?! And then what was this emergency that made your maid come into this room today?

- The urgency was to go for a serological test after discovering yours

- Hum!

- You still have nothing to tell me?

- …

- But what did I even do to you Arthur? Tell me a bit! Women after their maternity are slouched and neglected I neglect myself so much that you fuck the whole republic to the point of catching HIV?! Now how do we manage our future Arthur? Will we still have reports one day? Where are we going ? Do you take care of yourself?

- You make a whole mountain of nothing at all! I don't believe in this bullshit invented by white people to make us dependent on them and their drugs that kill us more than anything else. I am not sick. I feel good

- So you don't take care of yourself???

- I already told you that I'm not going to take that bullshit. Stop bothering me!

- Lower your voice! Your mother can hear

- But you're the one who wants to piss me off with that!

- How can you take this problem lightly? You could use blunt products that would contaminate the little ones! We can no longer have sex if they are not protected!

- Me ZOGO sleeping with my wife until I put the condom on that?!

- Do you forget that you are sick? We can no longer take this type of risk!

- I am sick, what illness did you give me? MESSI don't annoy me sorry! You've been talking about sex ever since you made me want to. Come a little here

- You dream eh ZOGO really so much negligence coming from a 35 year old man it's to fall from the clouds! We have to go to a doctor who will tell us from now on how to have sex and what can or cannot be done and you have to treat yourself Arthur. Otherwise you will go wrong. I'm still young I don't want to be a widow...

- Ah!

He pulls me to him and tries to kiss me by force

- No ! Stopped ! Arthur stop! I'm serious !

- Me too ! I want my wife and I'll get her tonight

- No Arthur not like that. Let's go to the hospital then we'll advise

Arthur can't hear me. He totally rips off the babydoll I'm wearing and tries to force my feet apart

- Arthur no! Do not do that ! You also condemn your children! NO !

- Stop it now! You are my wife and you have duties towards me so I want you to shut up and spread your feet there!

- NEVER !

I manage to free myself and get up quickly. I leave the bedroom half-naked for the living room. I'm out of breath; Meuma Tclaire appears there

- Ekie Magguie A ne ya (what is it)?!

- It's nothing meuma

- Magguie come back to this room QUICKLY! Do not get on my nerves !

I am in tears. I have the impression that in reality Arthur understood that he is seriously ill and he decided to leave with someone: me

- ZOGO, how is it with your wife at night?

- Ask her she refuses to come and sleep with me

- Eeeee woooooo! Zamba has beleuh louali! You want to kick your man out?! Is that what you want to do girl? Aren't you ashamed to cause a scandal for something the law requires you to do?! Look how you expose your couple!!! No ! My son ! I had asked you to take a more mature girl! Look where it takes you. The woman orders you in the house that you pay? You have to negotiate with her to taste a little?! Eeeee aaaa my son you really disappoint me! A little girl like that threatens you. I'm going to bed. I leave you with your real boss: your wife! As for you, my daughters told me that in this house it's not my son who wears the panties, I didn't want to believe it. Now I confirm but tell yourself one thing: as he married you there he can leave you and remake with someone who really knows his place. A housewife who has the housewife… the children of the rich! And it's my son you have found to help you in your delusions of grandeur Ossombo (better of you) you have arrived! I'm sorry, I'll leave you!

She left. Arthur and I look at each other like earthenware animals

- Are you happy with yourself now? Are you happy to expose the problems of your relationship like this?

- I will sleep in this living room and tomorrow I will leave your house. I understood your game Arthur. If you want to die don't drag me down with you. Train Maeva.

- If you don't come into my room, you're going out of my house.

- Hum! Ok, so I'm going to change and leave

- Change where? What house do you pay the rent for? Out ! You want to order me norrrr Out!

-Arthur! at 11 p.m. you kick me out in a torn nightie?

Already he's not listening to me anymore and is pushing me like a slob out of the gate. I found myself in front of the gate almost naked. I went knocking at Tata Solange who opened her gate after two minutes

- My God ! Maggie?! What happened ??? Did he beat you?

- Tata Solange I will explain to you in the morning please find me a kaba and even 1000frs. I'm going to sleep at my mother's house

- No do not do that. Stay here tonight tomorrow morning you're coming home

- Tata Solange for us has exceeded the level of covering himself there. I'm not gonna end up dead for my mom to say how I went through all this and I didn't tell her. I've already killed too many things better I go home to my mother first

- Are you sure my daughter? From experience I know that in couple problems when the family gets involved nothing can be saved.

- If our destiny is to separate, let us be separated!

We talk like this while I dress in her yard. She hands me 5000

- Here my daughter, give news ok? Do everything to save your couple. Evil lurks...

- Ok my mother thank you very much. I'll pay you back I promise

- None of that between us! Go and report

I hail a motorbike in this deserted street and it drops me off in front of Mom's gate. It's almost midnight when I ring the bell insistently. It's Joel who comes to open the gate for me

-Maggie??? But how is the night?! Is that your type?! What did he do ?!

- Joel, please let me in first!

As soon as I cross it, mom joins us

- Who is Joel?! Zamba (God)! Maggie?! The night ?! How is it at midnight! What happened !

She grabs me by the shoulder and we enter. I go to see my children first. They sleep like angels. She joins me in the room where the little ones are sleeping and sits down on Mai's bed, all worried. She lets out a long sigh

- What happened ?

I tell him my story and the tears begin to flow as I advance in my story. I've been telling him about my problems with Arthur for quite a while now and I purposely decide not to tell him about his illness. I just tell him that I didn't want him tonight and he wanted to force me to. As I insisted on no he kicked me out. She listens to me staring at the wall in front of her without interrupting me

- No one makes fun of my blood with impunity. If you're hungry there's something to eat, otherwise go to bed, you're sleeping. You only go back there if he comes to ask your forgiveness here in the presence of your family.