02

The next morning when I return from work, my uncle Rodrigue's wife comes to wake me up. My uncles wanted to talk to me. I wake up exhausted.

Ashley: Hello Uncle Joseph. Hello Uncle Rodrigue.

Joseph: Hello, did you sleep well?

Ashley: Yes Uncle. You wanted to see me?

Rodrigue: What happened yesterday with your big sister?

Ashley: Uncle I was about to leave when she came to reproach me for not having warned Sonia that Uncle Joseph was coming. We talk and she accuses me of wanting to steal their family home. All of a sudden, she tries to knock over the food that I have prepared with her foot. I got carried away and we fought.

Joseph: Thank you Ashley go rest please.

Ashley: Uncle, it's great that I find you both here.

Rodrigue: Do you want to tell us something?

Ashley: Yes Tonton I decided to leave the family home. I've already found a small house not far from here at a lower cost.

Joseph: Are you crazy or what? You will leave this house on your wedding day, but not before. Did you understand me correctly?

Ashley: Uncle doesn't take it badly but my parents are already dead I don't want any problem and given the way things are going in the house, I prefer to leave with Idriss. Aunt Eliane and her daughters are capable of anything. I can defend myself but Cédric is still too small. He has just started school.

Rodrigue: What are you talking about my daughter? I don't understand anything at all.

Ashley: Uncle, apparently Aunt Eliane thinks I want to steal Uncle Joseph's family home. My father had nothing so Idriss and I will not discuss anything with anyone. This is not the first time that this sentence has been thrown at me. It's better that we leave before we are accused of anything.

Joseph: Listen, your father was at home here. The pavilion you live in belongs to your father. It was your grandfather who gave it to her and this lesson belongs to all of us and if that crazy Eliane says anything else, she is lying.

Ashley: Uncle I understand but please I want to go live there. Besides, I'm not going there alone because Grandma will also come with me.

During the day, I'll be here and in the evening, we'll be there with the old woman.

Rodrigue: That's out of the question. Now go to bed.

I leave them alone and go back to the pavilion to sleep but I quickly realize that sleep had left me. I'm about to get ready to go to the market when suddenly a man dressed in a suit and tie approaches me in front of the house.

Lawyer: Hello lady, I am looking for the Mensah home.

Ashley: Hello. It's here. I can help you ?

Lawyer: I'm looking for a certain Ashley Jennifer Mensah.

Ashley: It's me. What can I do for you ?

Lawyer: I am Master Djogbénou, Mr. Luc's lawyer.

Ashley: He's my dad but he died two years ago. Come in, my uncles will be able to enlighten you.

Lawyer: No thank you. Tell me, do you have official ID?

I answer him yes by taking out my identity card from my wallet and showing him. He immediately flashes a big smile.

Lawyer: It's been a year since your uncles have been turning me on a loop.

I did not understand anything and asked me to follow him. I hesitate but I resign myself to it.

We went to a restaurant nearby and the lawyer gave me the painting of my uncles' real faces.

Lawyer: Miss, Mr. Luc, your father left a considerable inheritance to you and your little brother, thus appointing you as his legal guardian from the age of 18. I have been going back and forth to get to know you for almost a year now and each time your uncles told me that you traveled that they were your legal guardians. With this right, they ask me to expose your father's will to the sky, which I have always refused.

Ashley: I have never traveled in my entire life.

Lawyer: Your neighbor, Mr. Stéphane, told me about your life situation this morning. Miss, can I now read you your parents' will?

Ashley: Not here lawyer.

Lawyer: Don't worry. Come tomorrow morning to the office of the notary Charbel Adjasse for the reading of the document. If you have time, we can go together.

Ashley: No I have an appointment that I can not miss. I can come around 2 p.m.

Is it right for you ?

Lawyer: Yes, but avoid coming with your uncles, it's safer.

Ashley: Don't worry about that.

In the afternoon I finished putting my Attièkê on the fire and I ran to beg Stéphane to take me to see the lawyer at this notary.

I walk into this office alone and what I learn from my father's will leaves me speechless. I consider everything and go home with Stéphane, who was preparing his little corner of coffee. My father didn't leave us a lot of money but land on which to build which had been taken care of by the notarial service until I was 18 years old.

On Monday morning, Stéphane takes me to see each of these fenced and well-maintained sites. I burst into tears. My father did not leave these children with nothing. Stephen calms me down.

Stephane: My neighbor calm down now. You have to do everything to build before your uncles come and get their hands on it.

Ashley: Even if I work and I sell Attièkê for 5 years, even the Foundation of a lot I cannot finance.

Stéphane: At least start by saving on your account.

We head back home. Sunk in my thoughts, I couldn't believe that my father had left us something to get out of trouble. I take care not to mention it to Amandine. I know my grandmother she risks reprimanding my uncles and I don't know how to defend all her property. I leave to put the documents in a safe at the bank and I return home to finish cooking my Attièkê. So that was why my uncles wanted to keep me in the family home. According to our customs, my father's property went to the men of the family, which meant my little brother.

My uncles would have taken everything from us on the pretext of wanting to protect the interests of Idriss until his majority. In short, my little brother and I could put an end to all of this. It was now clear that I could not move. The money in a studio is a bundle of cement.

I'm going to kill myself. I have become a machine; I cooked Attièkê on Attièkê. One evening while I was dozing in front of my stand, three luxury cars stopped in front of us. A group of men in well-scented suits and ties, accompanied by their wives, are heading towards us. One of them orders for a total of 3 thousand francs. I finish the order and I receive the money.

While they were starting the car, I noticed that there were 5 thousand francs too many. I wave to one of the drivers who rolls down the window of the vehicle and hand him the 5 miles.

Ashley: Sir there are 5 miles too long.

Unknown: Keep it, it's for you.

He rolls up the window and they leave, leaving me speechless. The rich give 5 thousand francs to someone like that just at will. At least they had almost finished half the basin. I hadn't seen Stéphane's eyes, who had a big smile. Our other galley companion, the seller of skewers, grilled pork had noticed.

Neighbour: Stéphane, why are you laughing like that?

Stéphane: You don't know this gentleman?

Ashley: Hey Stéphane you know everyone. At this rate you're starting to scare me bro.

Neighbour: In any case, I'm a fan of you, Stéphane.

Stéphane: I'm busy, that's all. My darling, the gentleman who gave you an extra 5 thousand francs is Yayi's right arm.

Neighbor: Which Yayi?

Stéphane: President Yayi Lee of course. Nia get ready because this guy is not going to let you go.

Ashley: Excuse me leave me here oh I have enough trouble as it is. What will he even want from an Attiékê saleswoman? I'm sorry, wait, I'm going to feed the little one.

Two hours later, another big car comes to stop at our level. Looking closely, it was the same car as before. A different man gets out of the car and comes towards us.

Driver: Good evening miss. Mr. Yayi Lee would like to know if you would be kind enough to join him tomorrow noon for lunch and to discuss business.

Ashley: Cheeky driver, you didn't take the wrong address by any chance? Here we are talking about Attiékê and not business.

Driver: Don't worry, I've come to the right address.

Ashley: What kind of business are you talking about?

Amandine: Hey, go tell your Yayi and his ministry that I, the grandmother, refuse. Goodbye driver.

Thread closed. End of the file and the driver leaves. At the same time, my grandmother warns me.

Amandine: I don't want to see your feet there. Did you understand me?

The days will pass and I'm not distracted between my little brother's school and my business. I had even almost forgotten Idriss's birthday. I didn't know what to buy him so I took him to the glacier accompanied by Stéphane and gave the little one a great day.

Mom didn't play with her birthday. I didn't want anything missing. I don't know why but as long as he was happy, I was happy.

While the little one was enjoying his ice cream, Stéphane pulls out a new phone from his pocket. What amazes me, this coffee business can't buy a phone like that.

Ashley: Stéphane you scare me lately I tell you.

Stéphane: And why is that? Am I off the scent or what?

Ashley: Where are you getting the phone from? Hmm you there huh.

Stéphane: Honey, it's my new meter that sent.

Ashley: Ah ok okay I understand better now. In any case, you are serious with him, I hope so!

Stéphane: In Cotonou can we be serious in my category? My darling, don't dream.

Ashley: Why not? Relationship is relationship bro.

Stéphane: Listen, not everyone accepts femininity.

Ashley: Stéphane as long as you yourself are happy with your life, the others don't care about them.

Stéphane: We can't give a damn, my darling, because they could kill me at any time. I live to risk and my sponsors too.

Ashley: Your sponsors you say? Wait how many are there?

Stéphane: Only 4 but hey, I'm calm. They are married with wife and child.

Ashley: You're not serious you can't take someone else's husband.

Stéphane: It's someone else who doesn't know their spouse who has to complain. Anyway, I didn't flirt with anyone first.

While we were discussing, a person comes towards me and it is again the driver of this Mr. Yayi.

He gives me his boss's card and I put it in my wallet selflessly. My grandmother had been clear with me about this and I didn't want to disappoint her. Idriss, who was still in shock over the death of our mum, had already started calling me mum.

The pediatrician had told me that it didn't matter, that he was projecting his love on me that he had to be given time. Stéphane and I had given my little brother a great day.

In the evening lying in my bed, I asked myself questions about my future, how am I going to do to raise Idriss.

The more the days pass, the more it grows, the more it costs. I can still manage but soon it will get complicated and I wasn't expecting much. I was responsible for my grandmother, Cédric, not to mention my uncles who started by seeing me as a bank. Here we are in the usual place three days later to sell when a representative of the town hall comes to see us giving us a notice to sell.

We were no longer allowed to sell at the roadside. News that almost killed me. Where will I go? Stéphane decides to go to the town hall to find out more.

When she returned, the neighbor and I were spinning around like caged lions. As soon as he gets out of the car, we run towards him but he confirms the decision of the town hall. I was devastated. We had until the end of the month to clear the floor. I wanted to make as much money as possible.