3

Isabelle JEUDY

I can't believe Ernso could treat me like that. He didn't look like a boor when I met him though. After all, it wasn't going to be written on his forehead that he's a little jerk. It was up to me to be more critical of the people I associate with.

Hours have passed since I left his home. I am now at home. Yet I still wonder what just happened to me. The shock was to see in the evening that he had blocked me and the next day, he completely ignored me on campus. Who would have believed it ? Such a handsome young man like him with that kind of caveman behavior. It's serious. The habit really does not make the monk as they say.

So I decide to do like him. If he has decided to play the indifferent, it is not I who will beg him to speak to me. He and I weren't born together as we say back home. Now, when I'm on campus, I don't calculate it either. And since all my friends I went to college with were admitted off-campus or not at all, I don't have many friends here anymore. Jessica wants to come back here next year. I hope she succeeds this time. For now, to compensate, I come right on time for class and I'm leaving the minute it's over. It was like that for the first month.

In my class there are only 30 and among this number, just 5 girls. This made it very difficult for me to fit in. Moreover, this is precisely not the case so far. I'm afraid to come across an Ernso 2 as for the boys I've already met. And for what there are girls, they already have their team I believe. I won't piss them off.

This morning I had just arrived when I felt someone pat my back.

- You are Isabelle, right? He questions me while standing right behind me.

I must say that I did not expect it at all. I myself haven't remembered any names since I heard them introduce themselves to each new teacher. So I was quite surprised that someone could identify me so easily.

-Um yes. Yes. It's me. That is why ? I ask him disconcerted.

-You left your tablet in the room yesterday, he tells me, giving it back to me.

I was so happy, I almost took him in my arms after getting my tablet. Indeed, when I got home yesterday, I noticed that my tablet was not in my bag. I looked for it everywhere without success. Unfortunately, no matter how much I went over in my head all the places I've been, the things I've done all day, I couldn't remember where I left off.

-What's your name ? I ask him.

He's a guy in my class. He is quite reserved as a person. A bit like me at first sight. Except that I'm only like this with strangers. With my friends, I am a real fury.

-Sanders. They call me Sanders Elian ACHILLE, he answers me not very warm.

-Thank you Sanders. I'm Isabelle JEUDY, I tell her, holding out my hand.

-There is nothing, he replied, shaking my hand.

And this is how a very beautiful friendship was born between us. We were stuck together all the time. I learned by then that Sanders was Gonaïvien (residents of the city of Gonaïves). It seems that there are only them in this university, frankly, there are so many of them. Or maybe it's me who just attracts them.

Unlike Ernso, Sanders seems very polite to me. He never had to cross the line with me for our first moments as a friend. And if inadvertently this had happened, he immediately apologized. Each time, I wonder when he was going to show his true face. But no, he was always very nice to me. He always pays attention to what I do in college. He has become a real friend.

This morning, coming to class, I found that he had not come to class. I thought maybe he didn't wake up in time and he'll come for the other classes. His place next to me remained empty all day because he never showed up.

Leaving university, when returning home, full of worries, the first thing I did was to go to his house since he lives a few steps from my house. From what I saw, I think I should have called before arriving at his house.

Normally, the houses in the Creole neighborhood (where we live) are very noisy. You don't have to be inside to hear what's going on. It's quite common when you live in a 2 room studio, in real life. Upon arriving at his house, the first thing that caught my attention was the music playing very loudly inside. Having lived here for almost 6 months now because I've been here since preschool, I know what music at full volume means to a student. So I understood that inside things were happening that are not at all for children.

Since he doesn't live alone, I knocked on the door anyway, thinking that he might not be the instigator of all this. After a few minutes, I felt there was movement inside. Then someone's voice coming towards the front door.

-I'm coming !

Which he did. He came to open me wearing only shorts, pectos in the air. He was surprised to see me. For my part, I really do not know what I felt having him in front of me. I died of worry. While for his part, Monsieur lives his best life with I don't know who. It is the height.

-I haven't seen you in class today, I started annoyed. I thought something had happened to you, I came to see what happened to you. I even called you before coming, I didn't find you, I tell him while staying at the doorstep.

I felt him uncomfortable. He scratches the back of his neck staring at the ground.

- Yeah. I see the type. You can go back to your business. I was just passing by actually. Glad you're okay, I let him know.

The girl inside, alerted by my voice I suppose stuck her head out the doorway.

-Who's that baby? She asks him with her princess look.

- Come and let me introduce you to my chip, he proposes to her.

It didn't take long for her to come back.

-She doesn't live in the north of the country from what Sanders said. However, it is she who rushes to come and ask who it is. As if she was going to recognize the person. Cheeps! She wants to show what to whom? That's her guy? Who asked him? She's not even beautiful, I tell myself to myself.

-Isabelle, this is Mia, my future wife. The woman who makes my heart pound with her angelic smile, he tells me before turning to his girlfriend. Baby, she's Isabella, one of my friends, the girl I told you about.

Ah! So like that, she talks to him about me! Interresting.

- Delighted to meet you Mia, I introduce myself to her by holding out my hand.

She looks me up and down before taking the hand that I held out to her in spite of herself.

"Me too," Mia finally lets go, pretending to be happy to meet me.

Not wanting to disturb the lovebirds, I asked to leave.

-I am going now. See you tomorrow in Sanders class. I'm glad nothing happened to you.

-Thank you Isaac. You are a heart.

-Yeah. Goodbye ! Bye Mia!

-Bye! She said waving her little girl hand.

The next day, I learned from Sanders that the Mia in question is his girlfriend since NS2. And that therefore, they have been together for almost 3 years now. That, he hadn't told me when we met. It shouldn't be that important since there's nothing but a friendship between Sanders and me. Why hide his girlfriend from me? It's not like he expected anything else from me. Or maybe I'm not important enough to her. Why would he tell him about me then?

Like him, Mademoiselle is from Gonaïve. He was at the CIC (Collège Immatriculée Conception) and she was with the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Clunie (Saint Pierre Claver). Mademoiselle finished her year at the same time as him. Just that she hasn't been admitted to any university yet. It will surely be for next year since miss refused private universities to be able to be near her man. For that we will see. Already, one thing I can say, I don't like it. She's way too haughty for a guy as quiet as Sanders. And that, I did not fail to let him know the very next day.