09

**** Agonkan Creed ****

It's been 10 years since I heard from my family who disowned me. Now Judith and Eli are my only family. But strangely, I'm still terrified, I can't be alone with a man, the only man I support is my brother Eli and he's more protective of me than Judith.

Anyway, Judith doesn't need anyone to defend her, if today I'm making my dream come true, it's thanks to her that it's been a therapeutic way for me to cook. My dream has always been to have a restaurant and today thanks to my family it has come true. The three of us have equal shares, but I have all the powers concerning the contracts and the kitchen. Tomorrow we will honor a big contract, it's the biggest since we started. With this money we will grow the restaurant and save for our brother.

Eli: What are you doing in your corner? What are you thinking my darling sister?

Me: Hello Eli. How was school?

Eli: Yeah, so?

Me: I'm thinking about tomorrow, I want everything to go well, I hope Madame Marie Claire isn't going to put a spoke in our wheels this time or provoke Judith.

Eli: This woman is boring thankfully we took her away from Judith.

Me: We need that money, so I'm gonna hunker down.

Eli: But don't let yourself step on it too much.

Me: I don't let myself be fooled, but you yourself know the children who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they think they're the almighty in the world so I let them do their thing.

Madame Marie Claire is the one who supervises everything. It was with her that I chose the menu. At first it was not with us that she wanted to deal but as the deadline was short, all the catering services were taken so we had to come to our house because one of her friends had eaten with us and he was satisfied. It's thanks to him that we got this order, but the girl thinks she's the Queen of England and I let her do it. My problem is that everything is going well. Judith is unaware of this girl's whims because if she does, she is able to call it all off or talk bad to her. She is not afraid of this girl (laughs).

Eli: Tomorrow I don't have class so I'm stuck tight with you all day. What do you think ?

Me: Don't worry you can go see your girlfriend.

Eli: Hum ayiiiiii what girlfriend? I don't go there for girlfriends, but to work.

Me: AHISSOU you, do you think we are blind or what! Now that everything is seasoned, we're going to start at 4 o'clock tomorrow.

Eli: Where is Judith?

Me: She left to buy the latest stuff and make the order for tomorrow very early for the fruit.

Eoi: As soon as we save we can buy a second-hand truck to move the food instead of renting each time, right?

Me: It's a good idea but we will also need a driver so he will always have more expenses.

Eli: Any of us can go to driving school, can't we?

Me: We'll see. When we have the meeting at the end of the month, we will talk about it.

Yes, at the end of each month we have a meeting to find out if we have achieved our objectives for the month and to give everyone ideas on how to improve our business. Phone ringing, I look at Eli, we have the same ringtone.

Eli: Why are you looking at me? Your cell phone is ringing.

Me: You saw me with what eyes.

I'm looking at it's the pain in the ass, I hope she's not going to change the menu yet otherwise I'm going to freak out.

Me: Hello?

Marie Claire: You also have to add the red rice.

Me (sighs): Good evening. In this case, we will leave the white rice?

Marie Claire: No you do both. Do not forget the banana and the gratin, the food must be varied. There will be strangers.

Me: Ah no that's not what is agreed in the contract madam. It's either one or the other. I know there will be foreigners, we will do everything except for the rice. You choose

Marie Claire (cold): Mademoiselle, I took your little restaurant there out of pity. It's not even luxury, so if you want more money, I'll give it to you. Anyway with the poor it's all about the money

I breathe deeply so as not to lose my temper. But this girl is going out on my pores.

Me (calm): Ok we'll do both and I don't want your money.

She hung up.

Eli: You see what I was saying, you let yourself go. It's not the fact that we have a contract with her, that she has the right to disrespect us.

Judith: Who is disrespecting us?

I look at Eli to warn him not to say anything.

Me: Oh, we were talking about a girl who had come to eat at the restaurant and was acting like in front of the food.

Judith: You show me this girl and I don't want to see her in our restaurant anymore. I mean no one will disrespect us anymore. When we were drooling here, there was no one who came to our aid even though we are not rich, no one will disrespect us.

I look at Eli again, begging him not to say anything, because I know how Judith will react.

Eli: So we're going to spend the night here?

Judith: You don't have class tomorrow?

Eli: No I'm yours all day.

Me: Judith, did you find the girls?

Judith: Yes they will be there tomorrow at 6 o'clock.

When we have events like that, we take the few girls in our neighborhood, especially the privileges of the young mothers who have no support from their family or their spouse to help in the kitchen and give them the money at the end of the day with food.

Judith: I will be at the Dantôkpa market (Cotonou market) early for the fruits and vegetables that come from the village.

Eli: I'll make a fruit salad.

Eli is very resourceful, he watches and learns recipes on the internet. Sometimes we spend the day learning everything on YouTube. On that side, I'm not afraid we're going to show them off because we're the best. We started work very early and miss annoying me all day but we finished and we wait.

Judith: Concerning the servers, they are 15.

Eli: More like 16. I'm in the mix too.

Me: And who will stay in the kitchen with me?

Judith: I'll be there my dear.

We put everything in the truck heading to 300 hundred meters. It's not far, we are shown the kitchen, I watch everything and I put the hot dishes in a corner where it won't get cold quickly.

Me: Eli have you looked at their outfits if all are clean and well ironed?

Eli: Breathe, everything will be fine. I have already checked everything. The guys are there and the girls too. We're just waiting for you to give us the green light. They have already started putting out the appetizers and the bottles of wine. On the other hand, the champagne bottles are cool, we will take them out afterwards.

Yes it's true that I'm stressed, I even heard that there will be a minister there, I hope we will still have a lot of customers. I'm happy everything went well except for some people who wanted to touch the buttocks of one or two waitresses. Other than that, everything was top notch. Most enjoyed the food and Eli was there to hand out cards and the minx handed me the check.

Me: I'm going to the bathroom.

Judith: Do you want me to come with you?

Me: No, it's just around the corner.

Judith: Ok go ahead, I'll start arranging for us to leave these people who are abusing their person.

There, she is right but there is nothing we can do about it. I arrive at the corridor and I find a little girl who looks lost. I squat.

Me: Hello princess what are you doing here?

Princess (small voice): I got lost. I am looking for the restroom.

Me: Me too, I'm looking for them anyway, it's so big that everyone gets lost, me it's Crédo and you?

Princess (small voice): My daddy says I shouldn't talk to strangers.

Me: But that's good advice princess, I'll leave you to look for the toilet alone.

Princess: Soon I'm going to pee in the clothes, this time you're not a stranger, my name is Luna.

Me: Nice to meet you Luna, very pretty name.

Luna: Luna means the moon in Spanish and I'm 6 years old.

We find the toilet, I help her pee and I relieve myself too. As we go out, I only see a man coming to pull me. I was so scared, why do you want to hurt me

Me (shrinks up): Please don't hurt me sir.

I start screaming and crying as I struggle like crazy.

***Charbel Nicolsonne Adjasse***

I just spent a crazy month between trips and picking up my daughter in France from her crazy mother, this time she didn't get me, I went to court. I didn't want to do things amicably anymore. I don't want to be fooled anymore. She was surprised that I was going to a judge for this, but what's good she gave me sole custody of my daughter without asking for something for once, I know it's because she found a another pigeon, but it's over with me. I bought a ring for Marie Claire, we've been together a long time, I have to propose, but I'm going to give her time to adapt to Luna first, as soon as it's OK, I'm starting. So I was saying I ran a marathon this month and today I'm looking around the room at the great work we've done, out of the 3 of us I'm the only one who wasn't born into a rich family, but now we also have a name because I worked hard, I really worked very hard. From a very young age, my father had sold his land so that I could have a better future and now I am among the best parties in this country. My brothers have their own bosses too and I made my parents proud. Their sacrifice was not in vain, I watch Marie Claire wandering everywhere with her cousin who was unwanted here. But I don't see my daughter, I go to her.

Me (worried): Where is Luna?

Marie Claire (casual): She's somewhere, surely not far.

Me (angry): I entrust my daughter to you, not even 10 minutes, are you abandoning her?

I look everywhere but I can't find her, I don't ask if anyone has seen a mixed-race girl, I turn everywhere and I start to panic, what if she has been kidnapped? I arrive on the corridor that goes to the toilets this is where I see this child thief pulling my daughter, I pull her towards me to ask her why she is doing it and who are her accomplices, but the girl looks at me terrorize, and starts screaming as if I'm the culprit.

Me (snarling): You're going to tell me who your accomplices are.

Unknown (crying): Let me go please don't hurt me, I'm not going to do this again, please.

Luna: Dad leave it, Credo just wanted to help me, I wanted to pee and she helped me.

The time I was going to answer I see a girl and a boy come to block between her and me, the other girl looks at me with hatred.

Unknown (furious): I hope you're happy to have terrorized him.

Me (icy): Tell your girlfriend not to touch my daughter anymore.

Unknown: Judith we have to take her to the hospital she is having an anxiety attack.

The famous Judith is talking to me but I'm not paying attention, I'm just looking at this girl who is shaking.

Judith: Soon when you have a demonstration, tell your hen not to call us for food. It's not because you're rich that you're above everyone else.

Marie Claire: What's going on here? Charbel the partners want to see you.

I don't look at her.

Me: don't take him to the hospital, I have a doctor friend who is there, he will examine him.

Judith: Thanks, but we don't need your help.

Unknown: Judith, we don't have much time to take her to the hospital, let her.

Judith: Eli, it's all because of him.

I left and called my friend to carry the girl to a room and gave her a light sedative.

Doctor: It's an anxiety attack and her problem is very deep, she must see a psychologist to help her, she has suffered a trauma.

The others remained silent, but looking at them I see that it is the truth.

Eli: Can I go home with her?

Doctor: Of course, she needs a lot of rest, here's my card call me if there's a problem.

Me: I'll tell my driver to drive you home.

Judith: We don't need your driver sir, Eli lifts there, I'll see if all our materials are in the truck.

When they left I had a twinge in my heart, I see the door open suddenly.

Marie Claire (angry): Why did you humiliate me in front of these worthless girls? With everything I do for you, is that how you thank me?

I look at her and see that my mother might have been right.

Me (furious): It's all because of you, instead of taking care of Luna, you abandoned her among strangers and if someone had raised her, what were you going to tell me? And when you say worthless, is it because they're not daddy's girls like you? I teach you that I too was poor, is that why I was worthless? And finally so everything you do for me I have to be indebted? And when I really think about it, I don't see what you're doing for me.

Marie Claire (head bowed): No my cock, it's only a way of speaking I'm sorry I left Luna, I thought she wasn't going to move.

I am Charbel Nicolsonne Adjasse the best friend of Amèdée Hounye. We are like the 3 brothers and I am 35 years old future husband of Marie Claire. I don't know if I can still propose after the behavior she displayed today.

**** Aurora Fakonin ****

Saturnin (furious): Pull yourself together, you're not the only one who has lost a child, I'm tired, look at you, you've become like a person who sells stuff in the village.

I look at him, I start to cry, yes I know that I no longer take care of myself because of my miscarriage, that's why my husband's mistress and her friends laugh at me and Saturnin who no longer respects me . I'm in love with my husband but being wrong with his friend's wife's cousin?

Saturnin: Get ready, we have a company party, at least you can do that, can't you? And for the moment, I don't think I'm going to get into your in vitro stuff there, I need to think.

He leaves slamming the door, I think my marriage is over and now what am I going to do?

My name is Aurore Gambiyi, I am 27 years old. I have been married to Saturnin for 5 years. From my first year, I got pregnant but after 12 weeks I had a miscarriage and since then, I no longer get pregnant, I no longer take care of myself, I was born into a family neither poor nor rich. . Since I was born, my parents have always given me everything so I have never envied anyone. With Saturnin, it was mad love, but now I think it's over and above all he's cheating on me with this prostitute. She taunts me every time, I've changed so much. I neglect myself, what annoys me about all this is that Saturnin never supported me during my miscarriage and I think that was the trigger for my current state. I take my shower, I wear a brown dress, I find him in the living room in a suit. He looks at me and shakes his head in disapproval of my outfit but doesn't say anything. We arrive at the reception as usual the spades, and the insults, my husband doesn't say a word, I get lost in my thoughts. When I notice my husband's absence, I get up and start looking for him. I can't find it, I don't know how much courage I take, I start looking everywhere, I see Diane coming towards me.

Diane: Aurore, did you get lost?

Me: No, I'm looking for the toilet and you?

I don't like this girl, I don't know why, she wants to show people that she's perfect, but strangely with me, it doesn't work, so I avoid her with her gang. I look at her well, it's like someone who cried.

Diane: If it's the toilets you're looking for, it's on the second door right.

She left, I wanted to go where she showed me and I see a beautiful dark skinned girl smiling at me. His smile is like a ray of sunshine.

Unknown: She showed you the wrong way, the toilets are on the left, I'm going there too.

Me: Thank you, I don't know why she wants to cheat on me like that

Unknown: I'm Judith, we're the ones who made the meal for this reception.

Me: Aurore, I'm a housewife and I don't know how to cook and your meal was great.

Judith (surprised): What? Are you Congolese?

Me (amused): Yes 100%.

Judith: And you don't know how to cook?

Me: No, but it's a long story.

We go into the toilet, we continue to chat.

Judith: If you want, I could give you cooking lessons, but you can come and do them at the restaurant.

Me: Ok when do I start?

Judith: Whenever you want.

Me: Thank you so much for making this evening beautiful for me.

Judith: You know in life never let anyone put you down. I don't know your story but your eyes show that you are very sad and never let yourself down.

Me: Thank you you are my guardian angel, can I have your number?

She gives me and I take leave of her. I don't know why I'm going where Diane wanted me to go, I open the first door, nothing. As soon as I open the second door, I see this bitch above my husband and him with his pants down, as soon as he sees me, he wants to get up and the bitch looks at me with her triumphant eyes. I walk over to them and start punching him.

BAM BAM BAM BAM, by the time she realizes what I'm doing, the last slap is so strong that it propels her away. Gerard pulls me aside.

Me: I loved you Saturnin and I know you were cheating on me but I didn't know you were doing it with an HIV-positive person. Believe me Saturnin, you're going to pay me, I wanted a divorce but not anymore my dear, I hope for you that you didn't infect me. As for you filthy tramp, if I see you again with my husband, I'm going to post you all over this country.

Both look at me astonished by what for real myself I am astonished, but what audacity.

Saturnin (cold): Aurora......

Me (icy): You fucking shut it.

Thank you for my guardian angel, I think it is thanks to her that I took this courage, now the war can begin. Run for your life.