09

Very early the next morning, my mother called me to her room where she was now sleeping with Mai, who had seen in her a kind of rampart. It was barely 6 a.m.

- Yes mom ?

- Magguie sit down please

What I do

- Magguie, I had a funny dream last night….

- …..

- We were all at a shore and everyone was sad. We were saying goodbye to someone on a boat offshore but his face seemed distant to me. The big family was there, even your father was present, your sister-in-law too, I saw him, Mélanie. Not his mother. Then suddenly your husband's face became clear to me as the one on the boat and also responding with a face stricken with sadness and remorse at our goodbye. I woke up immediately. Magguie you have to pray. I have generally premonitory dreams. A few days before your father's death, I dreamed that he was firmly holding my late father's hand and that the two were advancing with their backs to me in the middle of a cornfield, while Simon and Mathieu held me back. strength as I screamed at the top of my lungs for your father to retrace his steps and come home with me. A few days later he had a stroke. Magguie your husband is sick?

- He just left for the East for a mission Mom he will come back

- Magguie oooo Magguie don't hide your things from me! If you hide them from me, it is to tell them to whom?

- ……………. Ma'a I don't hide my things from you. I'm just trying to do it right

- Do not do them if they destroy you and harm your children

- Don't worry mom I know what I'm doing

(….)

At least that's what I thought until I realized that my husband, who had certainly left for an indefinite period, had already been in the East for two months. His line that I knew him no longer passed. Our very house he had moved, taking only the bare minimum. I found out when Tata Solange called me one morning to tell me that the landlord, who hadn't had rent for 4 months already, had come to claim his due and had kicked our stuff out. Arthur had left the house taking only his belongings and she had called me in a hurry to come and pick up mine, the furniture, the beds, in short, the whole house.

He had at least had the decency to take only his clothes and his valuable documents, nothing more. I understood that he moved on because I no longer had contact with him, I no longer knew where he lived, his friends when he saw me in town changed course. I wanted to get an apartment but mom said out of the question. We're all going to hang out in the house. Jojo was finally gone so I had his room for me and the kids. We had reorganized the house in such a way that my furniture also found its place there.

3 months later the children started school not far from mum's house. Lloyd was still asking for his father but Mai was not. Her anger against him was palpable. He has not even tried to find out if his children have been to school and where they are registered. Fortunately, I have my small business and my savings! Mom called Papa Jean who told her that he washed his hands on his son because he learned that he is doing unclear things in Douala. He no longer speaks to her and does not even know how to apologize to us for this shame.

(…)

One morning Lloyd was not feeling well. He had yellow eyes and his pee was borderline orange. Her pediatrician being absent, I went to another clinic indicated by a client. There after having examined it, they send me to a laboratory near Bonapriso to do extensive examinations. Here we are in the taxi, my baby and I, he's cantankerous, won't swallow anything, curls up against me. The same taxi takes two young ladies who sit down one in front and the other behind and continue their conversation visibly started outside

- Living I assure you I had never seen anything so pathetic! I felt sorry for the mom there onong!

- It's unbelievable ! Your own child allows herself to be condemned pregnant because she does not believe in the disease?! But AIDS is still a disease that scandalizes who?

- And it seems that the guy is married huh! He left his wife and children to stay with her

- But you think it's for nothing too?! They are sick at two better they die at two! Sure the guy's wife is sane

- But is that a reason to condemn the unborn child?

- I tell you ! I assure you his mom came to find us there in the middle of the restaurant and poured the contents of Maeva's plate on his head! What a cursed child! Damn you! Then she grabbed her guy there by the collar and told him that you succeeded, you killed my daughter alive!

It clicked in my head that Hum! It's not my story we tell here?

- But how the matter there knew?

- It seems that the go is now walking in the city with someone else's husband your foot my foot until they live together and Maeva's little sister, Nathalie told their mother that Maeva is HIV positive

That's my story...

- But it's you who djoss with her norrr. What does she actually tell you?

- Guys, she lives on another planet with her guy there… Uhhh Arthur here and she takes care of herself natively, the things of the whites there, it's to kill her body. He would be separating from his wife they are going to get married

- But what about the child then?

- Mother, what am I going to tell you? I told you what she told me too

- It's unbelievable my sisters really advise your friend. She is a real fool. The very guy she's with is very bad! she has HIV she does not take treatment because he encourages her not to do so what does not tell her that he is taking treatment in secret? She is going to die there, he is going to return to his wife with the child she will have given birth to. Said the driver who got involved too.

I am silent. So like that my husband lives in a marital relationship with his AIDS patient and they took it easy while patiently waiting for their baby to come. Cheer !

More fear than harm for Lloyd. The pediatrician told me he feared hepatitis, but it was just severe malaria. I told the story of the taxi to my sisters and my mother who told me that it was high time for justice to separate Arthur and me. I was still wondering if there wasn't another way to close the gaps in this story when I received this phone call that changed my relationship with my husband forever...

(…)

- Woyooooooooo To mama ooooo I'm finished. My mother ?! My mother ?! Womooooooooooooooo

The news fell two weeks ago. Mama Tclaire went to bed the night before and didn't wake up the next day. A NLONG at her place. How did I learn it? By mom who herself learned it from the family. In the panic I even thought of going there as soon as the news fell but Mom reminded me that given the current conjecture of our relationship to my husband and me, I have no more homework than that. She suggested that I wait until the bereavement program was established to organize our trip and our stay there. Because she didn't intend to let me go alone. My aunts, her sisters, all got up as one person and we went to NLONG two days before and took up residence in a guesthouse of ours offered by one of my aunt's darling, who is widower; also a widow herself. He would be from NLONG too.

Papa Jean received us and welcomed us with all the warmth of the father-in-law towards his beautiful family. And this is how, without any a priori, we organized the mourning at our kitchen level, maintenance of the home, reception of family members. My dear and loving husband showed up and disappeared like a bandit, avoiding my family and me like the plague. I felt no anger towards him. Arthur made me very sad, he seemed really thin and sick. I had the support of my family throughout my stay there. My husband, the father of my children, Arthur the man to whom I entrusted my virginity and my sex life over 10 years practically buried his mother by avoiding me as much as possible. He even had the nerve to show up with his Maeva and his prominent belly.

But we have all witnessed the scene where Papa Jean deliberately ignored her outstretched hand and told her that she was not welcome in his home. Arthur is only known to have one wife, that is. And then he pointed his finger at me. Arthur flew into a rage and pulled his little one out of the room. She followed him proudly, smirking at me. They both hurt me. Arthur has no idea of the embarrassment in which he put his loved ones because even his friends when our paths met they did not know where to go or how to react. I was content to remain polite and send them my greetings. My sisters-in-law also ignored me superbly. My father-in-law walked with us and his brothers and cousins and stoically buried his wife without a regard for his children.

Sad moment for everyone. We all shed a tear because each of us experienced something with her, good or bad. Too bad I couldn't provide emotional support to my husband at that time. I just sympathized with the whole family, supporting my father-in-law as best I could. The children arrived the morning of the burial with Marc. In their pretty mourning uniforms. They came to stick to me. I didn't want them to greet a lot of people. So I stayed behind with them in one of the rooms of the house while waiting for the precise moment of the burial. Their presence created the only moment of communication between Arthur and me; a very embarrassing moment. He stayed in the living room when he started calling them

- May ! Lloyd!

Both gave me a questioning look

- Go say hello to your father. Did I say

- No ! Mai answered firmly

That's good corn all spit

- May ! Lloyd!

The footsteps are getting closer. Then he's standing in front of us

- Didn't you hear me calling you?

Lloyd looks at his father like he doesn't really know who it is; Mai didn't even look at him

- Come, let me introduce you to someone

- No ! Mom won't let him take us! Said Mai

- Hello Arthur. Did I say to this one

- (Without looking at me) … Hello! May ! Don't waste my time huh! Come here !

Lloyd was already advancing resigned when instinctively I held him back.

- And if it's not too much to ask, who do you want to introduce them to?

- It's none of your business!

- I think so. They are also my children.

- Just as they are mine too until proven otherwise.

- Hey, so you finally remember?!

- Tsiup! Come here !

He tries to hold them both by force. A tough clinch ensues between him, Mai and me. Lloyd started to cry. Mai bit her father so hard that the mark of her teeth remained on her father's hand. He wanted to hit her luckily I opposed in time and his gesture went in the wind

- A sort of…. ! Are you biting me?! You are sick ?

She was crying now still angry

- Leave us! Mom let's go home!

- There…. There…. It's finish. Do not Cry. Arthur get out of this room immediately! You forgot that we exist continue in this direction!

- You snotty loser like that! Stay with your foolish children even

- Yes, that's it, I accept, go to your AIDS girlfriend and your child condemned from birth!

PAM! He had just slapped me but it was without counting on me. I fell on him with all my strength between blows cries tears I hit with all my strength the remains of my husband. He made me feel good. The din attracted cousins of his who joined in the dance to separate us, his father and my mother found themselves in the same room

- How is Magguie?! It's what ? He hit you? Tell me

My children and I were crying without having the strength to answer my father-in-law. But Lloyd finally spoke up

- Dad hit mum Dad hit Maï

- What ?! You're going to hit us all today Arthur! Said my mother who took off the scarf she had on her head, tied it around her waist and tied Arthur as she continued

- Your madness there I will show you that it does not exceed my share.

She slapped him with all her might while he was just protecting himself. Out of respect for the matriarch I guess. Papa Jean was no longer the only man in the room, his brothers were there too and they cleared Mama

- ZOGO Arthur Junior as true as I am your father, I ask you to leave my house and wait for my death to come back. Get out of here !

- Yes ! I leave ! That she stays even with these imbeciles of children

- You fool yourself! Stupid like that there living corpse

He comes back to me to hit me but his uncles are stronger than him and prevent him by chasing him like a scumbag from the house.

- Magguie take the kids we're going home. What did you marry like that?! An idiot who has no respect for you or me or his own father?! He abandons you with the children and comes today to hit you?! I tell you that this marriage ends here!

- Calm down, Catherine. The child there has lost his head...

- No John! The madness there we can all have it. I'm really sorry that you are going through this on this sad day but the cup with your son there is full. We stop everything! Your grandchildren will always be your grandchildren. You will never be refused them, but where my daughter, my grandchildren or myself will be, your son will not set foot.

- Mom, we're waiting for the burial, we're leaving

- That's what I've been trying to tell him from Magguie too. Talk to your mother. Me, they are waiting for me outside

Papa Jean came out and Mama the children and I remained in conclave in the room, quickly joined by my aunts who protested at having missed an opportunity to paint my husband's portrait again. One of them even told me that she knowingly gave her Maeva who had just asked her for water to drink without knowing who she was, a glass of water in which she had put salt. The poor thing spat out the first sip she tried to swallow.

A few hours later after the burial, we went to say goodbye to my father-in-law and headed back home. Arthur did not attend his mother's burial. He brought his sweetheart home with him right after the incident. Mom meanwhile was not angry. She told me that if the divorce procedure hadn't been started by Arthur yet, I was really going to start it the following Monday.

Except that at 9 p.m. that same evening, comfortably warm in my bed with my children, I received a call from an unlisted number.

- Hello ?

- Yes, good evening Marguerite, it's Lionnel

- Good evening Lionel. How are you ?

- I do, but I have sad news to tell you. I am currently at the Yaoundé University Hospital with your husband. He had a terrible accident while returning from his mother's funeral. It is not well Magguie, it is necessary to come….