Chapter 05

Afsatou Fall

Today, I don't work. It's Saturday, and with Hawa we had decided to have a day with girls and enjoy together, which we don't have much time to do with work but we do with it. Above all, I wanted to talk to him about what happened yesterday in front of the park even if it was perhaps insignificant.

I didn't have time yesterday, I had to free myself and understand what had happened by what I have a whole new feeling that speaks to me. It was the first time something like this happened to me, I wanted advice, and he is the person best able to help me, after my mother.

In my bed, I took my time to enjoy the softness of the sheets and the sun that came to caress my face. I don't know about you but when I get up and then stay in my bed for a few moments I feel so good

It was eight o'clock when I decided to join the others downstairs.

I greeted them all and had breakfast before joining them in the living room, to spend some time with the family before everyone went to go about their business.

●What are you doing today? Ahmed asked me.

●I'm going out with Hawa.

●Don't tell me she's coming here!

●And if, I laugh.

●But no!

I explain to you: Hawa and Ahmed are like dog and cat when they see each other. Always there to get confused, throw pikes, compete to find out who is the funniest when none of them is... In short, they are real kids.

●Eh Afsa, I have a good one! He resumed.

●Oh no...

●Do you know the wardrobe joke?

●No.

●Well, it's not convenient, he said, laughing out loud.

Everyone laughed, not because the joke was funny, but because his laughter is communicative

●Wow, worse and worse, huh, I said.

●Tchip, furious.

I remind you that he is twenty-six years old

●Leave your brother alone, my mother intervened.

●Thank you ma', he told her, kissing her on the forehead.

● Get up, said my other brother Oumar. We're going, before we're late.

●Where are you going? I asked them.

●Do big things, replied Oumar.

●You're not funny.

●It wasn't my goal

●I'm sulking

●But no, princess. Don't worry, we're just going to do a little run, nothing interesting, he told me while kissing my forehead.

●I love it too much when you call me like that, I say with a smile up to my ears.

●Me too, he said.

They finally left, so only my parents and I were left. I turned to them to see them talking. I really admire them, but I left them alone to sneak into my room.

It was eleven o'clock when my door opened on someone who jumped on my back. Unsurprisingly, you probably guessed who it was.

●Ah you crush me! I shouted at him.

●Just say I'm fat, too! Hawa replied.

●OK, you're fat.

She threw me a pillow.

● Are you sure of yourself? I told him.

She tried to run away but I caught up with him. That's where a battle began. But, as I expected a little, we each received a tap from my mother.

●Are you not ashamed?

●It's her! Hawa and I tithes at the same time.

●I don't care who started and who finished, put that away for me, bastard! (Insult in Bambara language)

And she left. With Hawa, we looked at each other and burst out laughing. Then we finally tidied up my room. I changed, and we went down to say goodbye to my parents.

●Pa', ma', we're going to go.

●Don't come home too late, my father tells us. Good day to you

●Have fun, and no nonsense, says my mother.

●You know us.

●Precisely!

●But! We exclaimed Hawa and I, falsely outraged.

We were all laughing before Hawa and I let. We took my car, heading to the mall.

We had been shopping for three hours now, and I was tired. I'm not particularly addicted to repeat purchases, I just buy what I need. But Hawa is quite the opposite, she buys without ever stopping. Fortunately I'm here.

●Hawa, I'm tired. We're done enough, don't you think?

●But no, we're just getting started!

●Are you kidding or what? We started three hours ago!

●One last shop, and it's over Insha'Allah.

●A fô wallah *swore* (bambara language)

● wallah *I swear*(bambara language)

● Okay, I sighed.

●Yay!

We ended up spending an hour more there, and in the end I dragged him to a nearby restaurant to be able to breathe a little.

●You will no longer drag me into your delusions. It's over, crazy room.

●Roh it's okay, it's not the end of the world either.

●No, but it's the end of my feet!

Then a waitress came to take our orders. I was so hungry that I ordered a double ration, but this crazy woman did worse

●What's going on? Hawa began.

●How?

●You look bored since earlier. Go, tell aunt Hawa everything, my child.

She knows me too well, it's abused...

●OK.

I took a deep breath and started.

●Do you remember yesterday when you came to pick me up in front of the mosque and I was somewhere else?

She nodded in response.

●I had bumped into someone. He was a man, about one meter ninety, brown eyes, a very imposing size...

I continued my story while she listened to me carefully. That's what I liked about her: when you tell her something, she makes sure that you are comfortable and that you can talk to her freely without any embarrassment.

●Wow, she said at the end. What a story. And is it now that you tell me about it?

●Sorry, yesterday I was completely confused, I didn't think about it.

●He was handsome, huh? She said, dancing her eyebrows.

●You're crazy, but yes, he was.

We continued to talk about everything and anything: his license, work, our contracts... Then madam insisted that we continue our shopping, which I categorically refused. So we ended up going to see a puppet show at the mall, then we went for a walk in a park. Like girls, we chased each other.

We bought ice cream, and we chased each other again to finally end our day in style. It's been a long time since we had fun like this. With the work that was accumulating, we were both very taken. It felt good to let go.

Then I dropped it off at her house, and I finished the evening with my family, at home.