CLEMENCY
Chris was crying profusely; since he was five years old, I have never seen him in tears; while hugging him, I remain silent to let him release his pain. Don't we often say that tears rekindle broken forces? There are times in life when our deepest feelings can only be expressed through tears; it is not a sign of weakness, but of relief; Besides, each tear that falls is a weight less in the heart; let him cry!
After a moment, Chris pulled away and questioned me, his gaze fixed on mine.
Chris: finally mom, who should we trust in this world?
I sigh for a moment and then tell him that no one should be trusted in this world.
Me: Nobody; Chris, don't trust anyone; I have, however, told you many times;
Chris: But, mom, how is it possible that you can't trust anyone? You, you are my mother; can I not trust you?
Me: In principle, yes; but, reality has shown that no one should be trusted; parents sometimes betray their children and vice versa; a being, even a dear one, can betray you by blackmail, by constraint, and even sometimes voluntarily by malice or jealousy; as long as he's a human being, you can never answer for him; you can never know what will be! So trust God trust your distrust;
Chris: What a pity mom!
Me: My son, so is life; go my boy, dry your tears; a man does not cry; listen carefully: never cry again for someone in your life, because those for whom you cry, do not deserve your tears; and those who deserve them will never let you cry;
Chris (sobbing again): I know; mom ; but it is difficult ; these are two loved ones so dear to my heart!
Me: time heals almost everything; here is what you are going to do my darling; you will very quickly put aside what has happened and you will recover;
Chris: Mom, I'm in pain; I don't know if I can help but think about it;
Me: You have to Chris though; you must be strong ; a strong person is not one who never cries; but she's the one who sometimes bursts into tears and then quickly recovers;
Chris (wiping away her tears): but mom, they're going to pay me;
Me: They don't have to pay anything because they don't owe you anything; they owe to nature, to God. It's to him they owe because they did what he forbade; they have transgressed its laws; because nature has its laws, my son; therefore leave it to God to sanction them; but don't waste your energy on it; you risk hurting yourself by wanting revenge; you know, when I was younger, I would have probably thought like you; but my life experience makes me think otherwise; my son, revenge advises badly; revenge is as futile as wanting to go back in time; the old philosophy of the eye for the eye has never made anyone but the blind; even if you took revenge, you wouldn't feel happy. Chris, you are a man; the best revenge is to move on.
Our precious mother and son discussion was interrupted by the entry of my husband Honorat.
Honorat: what's going on?
Me: it's Chris; he is very upset but I have already spoken to him; life is still not chocolate to savor and he has to understand that;
Honorat: listen, son, God has funny ways of giving us messages; what happened just means these two don't deserve to be in your life; sometimes we bring people into our life who are like viruses and disorganize our whole system; these two are of that caliber; get the message and get on with your life! Why whine like a child? There are more serious things going on; what you experience is nothing at all; I don't like your attitude; pulled yourself together ; life goes on ; two lost, ten found! Chris, you have to have a mind of steel to go through this life;
Me: your father is right; thank heaven for showing you their true faces while there was still time; otherwise, one day, they might poison you since you will be an obstacle; go, wash your face and come back to dinner; I cooked your favorite dish;
Chris: ok mom; I don't know how I could have gotten through this without you and dad. I feel supported. It is so much easier to face problems when you have family behind you.
I answered him with a weak smile; I'm trying to comfort my son, but the truth is, it hurts for him. Chris is my younger brother; I introduce myself; Madame Clémence Mavula; I am the mother of three boys who I adore: Hospice, Chris and Mario.
CHRIS
My name is Chris Lumvuensitako Mavula. I am an Architect by profession; I am twenty-eight years old and have been running a practice for four years which was opened to me by my father after my training; I got married two years ago to Murielle and everything was going wonderfully; well, that's what I thought, until I caught him committing adultery with Marcos. Ah Marcos! I believed in his friendship; I thought he was my best friend, my alter ego, my brother to another mother; the one from whose hands I could eat with my eyes closed! Since college, we have remained inseparable. I couldn't stand; for the first time, finally, as far as I remember, I cried; I was in pain, very pain. The worst part is that my nine month old baby boy is not mine; it is that of my wife and my best friend.
I was supposed to be traveling for three weeks; well, that's what was planned; but I cut my stay short by three days to surprise my wife on her birthday; for this reason, I did not say anything to him; So she didn't know I was going to come home. Certainly, I felt them very close! But what could be more normal? Before going home, however, I warned Marcos; he was even supposed to pick me up from the airport. Except that bad luck for them, my flight did not stop as planned; So I arrived three hours earlier. Once at the airport, I didn't want to wait any longer; I was impatient to see my wife; I then took a taxi; I arrived home. My guardian told me my best friend was there; nothing surprising; it is he who watches over Murielle and the child in my absence. Happy, I head for the building; the salon was open; certainly so that the keeper does not suspect a thing; I rush straight to our marital room; it was open; the baby was sleeping there; I go to the kitchen; it was empty; but where is she ? There are four further bedrooms upstairs; certainly she rode with Marcos for one reason or another; so far, it's not worrying; it's Marcos anyway! Nothing to fear ! I decide to go upstairs; three rooms were open but one closed; I heard voices; but why are the two of them locking themselves up? I stick my ear to the door out of curiosity without really making films; but great was my surprise to hear moans of ecstasy. I thought I was in a dream. So, I wait quietly outside the door. About thirty minutes later, the two scoundrels finally deign to open and fall into my hands; they almost passed out. That is clear. Marcos lowered his head and continued on his way; my wife knelt down, begging me it was the devil and patati patata; poor devil ! He is accused of everything.
The sky was falling on my head at that moment. I demanded that my wife go that same day; it was non-negotiable; I insisted on taking my ten-month-old son from her, but she objected; I took the child from him by force; It was there that she confessed to me that the child was not mine and that I could not keep him. When I asked her who the father was, she wouldn't tell me; with a knife in my throat, I threatened to kill her and bury her if she did not speak; there were only two of us. Eventually, she blurted out the truth when she told me that he was Marcos' biological son. This is the total! The two brats had been sleeping together for a long time; they had a baby and stuck it on me! My heart was broken that day; I will never love a woman so much as to make her my wife.
CLAIRE
This hysterical! What's the matter with shouting my name like that? A lazy girl like that! She doesn't like to do anything! If it wasn't that I needed the money, would I be serving her? She's not even beautiful! Some people are really lucky in life! Since arriving in this house, I have always wondered how she managed to marry such a handsome and rich man? When you look at her, other than her money, she's got nothing better than me! I am beautiful, but since I cannot afford to maintain myself properly, my beauty is marred by suffering. Because she wears nice clothes, nice shoes and she puts on makeup, she thinks she is pretty! She is my boss; she is the hostess and I am her servant. Vanessa is her first name.
I keep letting her scream my name. After having turned a deaf ear for a long time, I ended up responding to his call; did I have a choice? I dragged my steps anyway, then finally presented myself in front of her; as usual, she yells at me:
Vanessa: But Claire, since I called you, is it now that you introduce yourself?
Claire: I didn't hear quickly Madam;
Vanessa: Go clean your ears! Bitch! Thrrr!
She looked at me for a moment before continuing:
Vanessa: Good, I'm going out; but, Monsieur will be there at noon; you cook him fat rice with braised chicken; you also squeeze some orange juice; Okay ?
Claire: Yes Madam;
Vanessa: You can go.
As I left the room, my boss called me back; I retrace my steps. She scrutinizes me, glaring at me, then says:
- I don't want to see you wearing that kind of clothes anymore.
I look at myself then retort:
Me: I didn't understand Madam;
She (sternly): You didn't understand! So I repeat: your mini-skirts and your tank tops showing your belly are unbearable to me; some of your clothes stick to your skin; why are you disguising yourself like this with your big buttocks, they look like watermelon balls? From now on, put yourself in a loincloth.
I frown on my face to show my boss that I don't approve of her name calling or her treatment of me; I think she understood my gaze as she replied to discourage me:
- Listen young lady, if you stand up to me, I'm going to fire you; you are warned; now get the hell out of it.
When I arrive in my room to change, I swear a long curse; why is this nasty woman going after my clothes? Oh yes I see ! She fears that her husband will be seduced; it shows that she lacks self-confidence; but she is fortunate that it is the money my concern and not her husband; a lazy girl like that! Instead of doing the cooking herself, she entrusts it to me; even her marital room, she has the laziness to tidy up! It's me again who's going to come and put up the sheet she and her husband are fucking on! Pfff! These are the women we are talking about! Lazy to the bone!
My boss is getting ready; she is sparsely dressed; it is often so. She runs a store selling clothing and other accessories for women. She spends the whole day there before returning in the evening. Her husband, my boss, works in a bank; he often spends the day there but sometimes he returns at noon.
Shortly after my boss left, I change into panties and a tank top; I feel good about doing housework; I was doing the dishes, standing, facing the kitchen sink when I felt someone close their eyes with their hands from behind; I smile because I imagine who it is:
Me (smiling): Adjokè! Stop eh!
Adjokè (laughing): how did you know it was me?
Me: you too! Only you come to see me here! The keeper wouldn't dare to act like that though!
Adjokè: your very guardian! Pfff!
Me: what is it?
Adjokè: he looks at me like a man; you have to tell him that I am a luxury boniche; I am not of his category;
Me (laughing): Leave the poor guard alone since he hasn't said anything inappropriate to you; by the way, where's the baby?
Adjokè: His mother is on leave; she decided to go and spend a few days with her parents in the North; she went with the little one;
Me: suddenly, you're free during the day since the other two go to school;
Adjokè: yes; go in the evening to wash them and feed them both; and then that's all ; but say, it's always me who come here; you, you never come to see me;
Me: my dear, it's not my fault; wanting to go out every day, my boss loads me so much that I don't often have time to move; here, for example, today when I thought I would give myself a little rest, she asks me to cook for her husband because he comes home at noon;
Adjokè: your boss is really boring; mine cooks for her husband herself every morning and puts food for him in a thermal bowl; I'm just getting the ingredients ready; in the evening, she cooks herself; I only do these things in his absence!
Me (envious): hum! You are you! Mine can't even fix her room; I'm still doing it; yet she never fails to reproach me; a while ago she attacked my clothes and my butt;
Adjokè: why?
Me (shrugging my shoulders): she asks me to change them; that from now on, she wants to see me in a loincloth; I assure you my girlfriend, if it wasn't that I was looking for money to pay for my apprenticeship, I was already going to leave! It is too difficult. Not even three months and I'm tired!
Adjokè: is she afraid that you will take her husband from her or what? But my dear, patience; all this is still bearable; you have a goal in sight; you have to reach it; now I understand why the servants don't last with her. In the three years that I have been working in the neighborhood, she has already changed four servants!
Adjokè is my friend; we grew up in the same village; she has been working as a domestic for a while for lack of means; his dream is to save enough money to one day open a department store; she wants to be a trader. As for me, this is my second experience; I had initially worked with a lady for six months but when she wanted to travel, I quit; I had been back in the village for almost a month when Adjoke came to tell me that she had a job for me; his boss's neighbor needed a cleaning girl. That's how she came to offer me the job and I accepted. As we work in neighboring houses, Adjokè always comes to visit me when my bosses are not there.
While we happily continue our comments on my boss, Adjokè receives a phone call. His exchanges are so naughty that I do not prevent myself from questioning him at the end of his discussion.
Me: apparently you have a man in your life;
Adjokè: and not just any!
Me: serious? You didn't even bother to tell me! Me, your girlfriend! I am angry !
Adjokè: don't get angry my darling; I was waiting for the relationship to be effective; I didn't want to rejoice too quickly;
Me: come on, give birth;
Adjokè (happy): I hit the jackpot;
Me: Really?
Adjokè: a handsome, elegant and well-off man!
Me: Great! Recount ! Where did you meet him? And how come he's interested in you? Are you sure he's not bluffing you?
Adjokè: do not be pessimistic; I believe in his love;
Me: my dear, be careful;
Adjokè: why do you think a rich man cannot like a boniche? Am I not a woman after all? Nature has only given me what I want; and that's all ;
Me: give me details about him;
Adjokè: he's the boss's little brother!
What me !
Adjokè: why are you surprised?
Me: you're joking; I do not believe you ; it's nothing more than an adventure; it cannot be possible;
Adjokè: in any case, I believe in my lucky star.