01

? PRESENTATION ?

I'm on the couch, in his arms, we're here and we're watching Banlieu 13, he's breaking my head so that I watch it with him.

HIM: Please don't do that!

Me: But I'm tired, I want to sleep!

Him: It's okay, you sleep in my arms, come on! (opening his arms)

I look at him and move towards him, and settle in his arms, a blanket over us both.

Him: We're fine here, aren't we?

Me: Yes.

He was into his movie, personally this movie is not my favorite so I didn't care a bit, he had his arms around my shoulders, I was between his legs, when he started to caress my belly under my pijama jumper, he knows very well that I'm afraid of my belly, I start to shiver He continues his caresses, He continues to caress me, watching his film, when he puts his hand on my belly, but towards the bottom of my belly, he runs his hand along my long scar which is there, this scar means a lot to me, it represents my past, my tears are starting to fall.

I get up from his grip and go to our bedroom, I get under the duvet and lie on my side, two minutes later he joins me and takes me in his arms.

Him: You still haven't forgotten?

Me:...

Him: It's the past baby, forget it, forget it all!

Me: It's hard, I try wallah I try.

Him: Come here.

I turn around and we are face to face, he takes me in his arms, I have my head against his chest and my hands, he kisses my hair.

Him: I'll protect you now, I told you, it's you and me against them, forget the rest except that!

You don't really understand, do you?

I'm Islem, 22 years old at the moment, I'm medium height (about 1m67), I have brown-black hair, which I've dyed black to my chest, and I'm white-skinned, with brown eyes. For an Algerian woman, it may seem strange to be white, but everyone likes it and in summer I get a tan, so I enjoy the summer!

Him? He's my husband, my man, we've been through a lot together, I won't say more, I'll keep the suspense!

I have my two parents hamdoullah for me, a little sister of 7 years, Sarah, and a little brother of 17 years, Youssef.

When the story begins I am 18 years old, it was the summer of the Bac results.

I went with Bouchra, my best friend, my sister, also 18, of Tunisian origin.

She's a bit taller than me in height, her hair is cut square, her eyes are hazelnut, she's a bombshell, my Bouchra!

?_______ CHAPTERS 01_________?

Part 1:

It's morning, it's 10 o'clock, the results are only posted at 11 o'clock, so in the meantime I get ready, plug in the straightening iron and do my fringes (on the side), put my hair up in a bun, put on some black pencil, and a pink adidas tracksuit

A black t-shirt, and my black satchel (I never move without it).

10:45, I come down from my building, and I call Bouchra:

Me : Hello Bouchra ?

Bouchra : Yeah

Me : Come down, I'm down here !

Bouchra : Come on, I'm coming!

I waited for him and I thought about this damn Bac, if I got it with honours I would be admitted to a 6 months internship in Lyon with full pay, and I would get a salary of 1200Euros per month, if not I would spend my holidays here, doing the housework to earn money for the house.

I could already see myself packing my bags and leaving, when I saw that crazy Bouchra!

Bouchra : We're waking up! It's the results today!

Me: Aren't you stressed?

Bouchra : Me ? No I know I will !

Me : Wow, you are confident!

Bouchra : Yeah, and I bet you that I'm even in the Lyon course

Me : Incha'Allah Bouchra!

If I am accepted to this internship I will be able to find a job more easily, of course I will be away from here for 6 months but I will come back.

We walk up to each other hand in hand, we both succeed, or we both fail, we've always said so.

I look for our names everywhere until I see :

Ben** Isleym : Passed with honours

Ke*** Bouchra : Passed with Honours.

As soon as she saw her name, Bouchra let go of my hand, she looked at me and I was disgusted.

Bouchra : Well, congratulations, you got your internship!

Me : Ouaahh Bouchra, I'm sorry, at least you got your baccalaureate and mention Assez Bien grosse !

Bouchra : Yeah yeah, well I'm going home.

Me : But wait, we were supposed to...

I couldn't finish my sentence, Bouchra had already left, I didn't blame her, she's like her impulsive self, but I know that deep down she's happy for me ! I hope so !

I walk home, with good sound from the village, sayé finishes high school, Hello Lyon!

Mum : Who is it?

Me : It's me, I'm home !

Mum : So, did you pass the baccalaureate ?

Me: I passed, Mum! and I'm on the course!

My mother screamed like a child!

Mum: So the baccalaureate?

Me: I passed, Mum! And I got into the course!

My mother screamed like a child!

She hugged me, my little brother came out of his room

Youssef: Stop shouting, I'm sleeping here!

Mum: Get up! Your sister has just passed her exams!

Youssef: I don't care, I'm not the one who got it, so I don't care!

He left with these words, I'm not surprised, my brother is not very expressive, but we love each other like crazy.

I spent my day at home with my mother, talking about my future, when my father came in.

My father: So the bachelor!

Me: How do you know?

My father: You had to be!

Me: Yes, and you don't know?

My father : What ?

Me : I've been taken to the training course, dad!

My father : The one in Lyon?

Me : Yes! Dad, you promised to let me go!

My father : I didn't say no my daughter ! Vasy but make us proud!

Me : I promise you, (looking at my mother) : I promise you

The next day, I started to pack my suitcase to leave for the training course, I was tidying up slowly, the windows open, the music of the village on full blast, when the door of my room opened : Youssef

Me : What are you doing here?

Youssef : (sitting on my bed) It's my place, right?

Me: Yeah, yeah!

Youssef: What are you doing?

Me : I'm preparing my stuff.

Youssef: Why?

Me: Well, for my internship in Lyon!

Youssef: Yeah shit, I forgot!

Me: Yeah.

Youssef : Be careful there, you're doing the beautiful, because you're all alone!

Me : Mdrrr, you're my little brother, you have nothing to say to me!

Youssef, (slapping me for a laugh): No No, pretend I'm your big brother!

Me : Yes Youssef, dreams are for the night!

Youssef : Mdrr, no sah you will be careful there, stay as you are !

Me : What do you mean ?

Youssef : You never had a gadjo, you are a clean girl, I am proud of you:

Me: That's soooooooo cute!

Youssef: (getting up) say cute again I slap you, I'm leaving!

3 days later I left for Lyon, it was the 13th of July, I had to come back on the 15th of January, it seemed so long!

I had to go to the station alone, I don't want to cry in public with my parents!

The trip went well, it took me 2h30 to get there, (in the chronicle I come from Marseille), arriving there, it's a change from my home town, I already miss Marseille and my family.

I was disappointed by one thing when I came here: not having had any news from Bouchra, during the four days after the results of the baccalaureate and my departure she gave me no news.

To tell you about my 6 months in Lyon, there is not much to say, I did an internship in a company and sometimes in a shop, I tried all types of shops: ready-to-wear, leather goods, cosmetics, accessories, shoes, mass distribution.

I really liked this internship, and I don't regret having worked so much.

My family I heard from every week, I was alone, I didn't know many people, I'm not very confident and I rarely go up to people.

For the new year I didn't do much, I stayed in the small studio I had rented during the internship, the next day at 2pm I was still sleeping, it was my phone that woke me up:

Me: Hummm!

Mum: When are you coming back?

She was cold, distant!

Me: (straightening up): Mum knows?

Mum : Answer, when are you coming back?

Me: Well, on the 15th of January, as planned!

Mum: When you come back you'll owe us some explanations, this story won't end here!

Then she hangs up, but what story is she talking about?

Part 2:

She hung up, I didn't understand at the time, I called back several times, but no one answered, so I called Youssef, maybe he knows what I'm talking about mum.

Youssef: Yeah?

Me: Hello Youssef?

Youssef: What do you want?

Me: Calm down already! What's wrong with mum?

Youssef : Mdrrrrrrrrrr, you're asking me that question!

Me : Yeah!

Youssef : You think we don't know?

Me : What are you talking about?

Youssef: You're not in Lyon, you went to Toulouse to abort your baby!

I didn't understand when he told me that, what was he talking about?

They all knew it was for my internship!

Me: Huh? What are you talking about? I'm in Lyon for my internship hmar!

Youssef : Shut up, BOUCHRA came crying, like she couldn't keep the secret anymore, she told her parents that you went to get an abortion, that's why you don't talk to each other anymore, because you're doing HRAM!

When he told me all this, I felt my heart give out, no no it's not possible my sister couldn't do something like that to me, I was speechless, shocked!

Me : ...

Youssef: You don't have to say anything anymore, you filthy girl!

Beep, beep, beep!