Chapter 27

Muse
A week after my return to my home country, I informed my father of my intention to return to my mother's house and see how she is doing, as well as my brothers and sisters.
"Are you sure you're ready enough to go back to facing your past? No need to remind you that you'll have to face your past fears?!" He asks me the question with concern. I nod my head telling him
"I think so dad. I can't run away from this past forever. Sooner or later I will have to face it and I think it's the best time right now. If I want to move on with my life, the first thing to do is to face this past that has long dragged me by the arm and brave it."
"Very well my daughter, know that I am proud of you. You have now become a great lady. You are by far the strongest and bravest girl I know! You have my full support!" He said to me, laying on me a look of pride. So I answer him with gratitude
"Thank you dad! It's probably because I met someone as wonderful as you. Without you I don't know how I could have survived. Maybe I would have died this day by suicide in the brothel. I pray that the Lord may bless you abundantly!"
"Thank you my daughter! However, I have a proposal for you."
"Which?" I ask him, doubling my curiosity.
"I would like you to bring your family here. There is enough room in this house to accommodate an entire neighborhood. It would be a great pleasure for me to welcome your family." He proposes to me with a serious air. This man is an angel. I don't believe that in addition to hosting me, he also wants to do it for my family.
"I thank you very much dad, but I don't think they will accept leaving their jobs and coming to live so far away. Being the youngest of my family, I'm sure the others must already be old enough to want to stand on their own wings." I reply with grateful heart.
"Okay. But know that I'm here for whatever you need."
"Thank you dad, you're the best!" I tell his, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Before traveling the next day, I wanted to give to Euniel his birthday present. I haven't forgotten his date of birth. It's a watch that I bought during a stay in Paris. As soon as I saw this watch displayed in the window, I immediately knew that he would like it. Despite the short time I've spent around him, I know him well enough to know what he likes or dislikes. Anyway, I hope he enjoyed this gift. Nevertheless, I returned home in tears. Fortunately, I had been accompanied to his home, at my father's insistence, by my driver. I came out of the gate with my eyesight blurred by tears. I had to stop for a few moments to calm myself and let the torrents of tears that were dripping as if the valve had been opened in my eyes, then I wiped them away, before going to rush into my car. What I have just heard chilled me greatly. So he's so happy that he's already thinking about getting married?! And I who die for love for him! Maybe this is an opportunity for me to integrate this reality once and for all. That's right, Euniel has managed to find a woman he's happy with, plus they match so well together. But that doesn't change the fact that I feel sad and jealous for his happiness. I would so love to be in that girl's place! Has Euniel forgotten me forever? What did I believe? That I was going to show up like this and expect him to include me in his life? But no, he is now happy with the one he loves. But why can't I turn the page? How unhappy I am! What is this love that sticks so close to my skin after so many years? I travel from Euniel's house to ours crying. My tears keep flowing, I'm so sad by the scene I just experienced. The driver takes me home and I go straight to my room so I don't have to talk to my dad and he finds out I look so unhappy. I throw myself on my bed and I shed abundant tears until sleep takes me.
The next day, which is a Sunday, we go to church. After worship, I rest for a moment. In the afternoon, my father and I go to the airport where I have to catch the flight to go to my hometown. It's been almost ten years since I left this city, never to set foot there again. I wonder what it looks like now. Will my mother still recognize me? And my brothers? What had they been told to justify my absence? It is certain that my mother has already cried my death. The poor! It is with these thoughts that I arrive at the airport. I say goodbye to my father, hugging him tightly, then I head to the reception for the travel formalities. I am directed towards the plane which does not take long to take off.
The trip was very pleasant. In less than an hour, we had already arrived at our destination. I take a taxi deposit. I only have a small suitcase and my handbag. I don't plan on spending a lot of time here. My dad asked me to start work in a week. He wants me to quickly take marks in his import-export business so that I can run it later and end up taking the reins of his huge empire. Sitting in the taxi, I admire the beautiful city that saw me born and grow up. There have been so many changes that have taken place since I left here. Buildings sprouted like mushrooms. I can see fairly large supermarkets and malls, something that was non-existent before I left. At that time, there were only small grocery stores and a few small buildings. However, the city was quite airy. We could then breathe clean air at this time unlike now that the air is quite overloaded. All the trees that lined the road were cut down. I then understand that this is the price to pay for the development of infrastructures in a country. Nature is giving way to development, which is knocking loudly at the doors of each city. To believe that nature and development cannot go hand in hand. It's a pity all the same. Fortunately there is no traffic jam, otherwise I could go crazy with this heat to cook an egg.
The taxi drops me off, without my noticing the time passing, in front of the gate of our house. The driver takes my suitcase out of the trunk and I give him his money. I stay a short moment in front of the gate watching our house. It hasn't changed much, just a few repairs such as the painting on the fence and the gate, as well as the plastering of the wall. I open the gate wondering what awaits me inside the house. I can't find anyone in the yard. So I walk to the front door. I knock and wait for someone to open the door for me. After two minutes of waiting, the door finally opens. My sister, the one who comes before me directly in the siblings, is standing behind the door. At first, she didn't recognize me. His gaze on me seems neutral.
"Hello Audrey!" I stammer with a shy voice, without failing to show her a friendly smile.
My sister Audrey stares at me straight in the eyes, scrutinizing me for a long time, as if trying to remember my face. As she continues her visual examination, I hear my mother's voice asking behind her.
"Why are you standing in front of the door Audrey? Who is it?"
She immediately appears behind my sister and falling on me, she cries out, tears already beading her cheeks as if they only heard an opportunity to be seen.
"Muse, is it really you my daughter?"
"Mum, mum..." I whisper in my turn on the verge of tears. Audrey who is still under the effect of surprise because not believing that it is really me, also shouts with an emotional air
"Muse?"
We all throw ourselves into each other's arms, flowing profusely with tears. We stay in this embrace for at least ten minutes. The emotion is at its height. Our tears flow without stopping. After we manage to calm down, we loosen our embrace. My mother does not let go of my arm. We enter inside the house glued against each other. My sister follows us, pulling my suitcase. She continues to the bedrooms. My mother and I will take place on the armchairs in the living room. She no longer takes her eyes off mine. It looked like she's afraid I'll fly away.
"My daughter, is that you?" She asks me feeling me all over the body.
"Yes mom, it's really me Muse your little girl." I answer to reassure her.
"But where have you been? I was told not to hope to see you again one day because you would probably be dead. But my heart of a mother could not believe that. I knew that one day, the Lord would hear my prayers and bring you back alive." My mother tells me while still shedding tears.
"Mom, it is truly God who has protected and guarded me all this time. It's a long story."
"Why did you run away from your uncle's house when you had everything available to you there? Even if you wanted to run away from his house, you could still have come back to your home here. I don't recognize you as that. Your father and I never taught you to be a delinquent and to lead a bad life. By behaving like this, you showed ingratitude towards your uncle, this noble man who wanted to offer you a better education." My mother says to me, looking indignant.
"But mom, why are you saying all this? I never ran away from my uncle's!"
"Ah? My daughter, your uncle and his wife certified me that you took the pregnancy and that you ran away from home without telling them who was the author of this pregnancy. They made you look for but they couldn't find you. I couldn't believe it was you my daughter Muse who could behave so badly. I cried hoping that you would show up at least here at home, but you didn't" My mother tells me sadly.
"I understand everything now mum. Pauline, my uncle's wife, took it upon herself to lie to everyone about me."
"How can you say such a thing about this kind-hearted woman my daughter? She too was sad about your running away. She always showed me her unconditional support for all these years that I mourned your passing. Please don't be rude to- to her, please!" My mother replies with a stern tone. I look at her understanding her attitude. She was tricked by Pauline, it's normal for her to act like that. So I decide to briefly tell her the truth.
"Darling mom, things didn't turn out the way Pauline told you. I never ran away. I was actually pregnant and that's what caused all this upheaval. Pauline is a hyper wicked woman who made me experience the worst naughtiness i have ever experienced. That at least I endured patiently while waiting to pass my exam and leave his house. However, my senior year, there is a man who is came to live with my uncle. She introduced him to us as her brother, even though he is her lover..."
"What? Pauline has a lover?" My mother exclaims, cutting me off at the same time.
"Yes mum, and they didn't even bother to fall in love all day long behind my uncle. But the worst part was when he raped me. Twice mum!" I exclaim, bursting into tears.
"No, that can't be true. He abused you my child?" My mother asks me as if she had misunderstood what I just told her. I catch my breath before continuing my story.
"The worst thing is that after these rapes, I got pregnant and when they found out about my pregnancy, they carried me at night and left me at the entrance to a town very far from where we lived. I didn't know anyone, and I didn't even have a penny to buy a loaf of bread to eat. Worse still, I had no idea I was pregnant. A restaurant woman made me feel welcome. and while I was delighted to have found a benefactress, she was rather a pimp who had me brought to a brothel. I won't tell you about the horror I experienced there, Mum! atrocities and thank God no one abused me. I got out of there with the help of a very generous man who adopted me as his daughter. He took me on a trip to Britain to pursue my studies and today, he puts me in one of his companies. It was after my return from Great Britain that I came to see you."
My mother cried for a long time and I really felt sorry for her.
"My child, if I had known even a little of the atrocities you were going through, I would have gone to look for you at your uncle's without wasting time." She tells me with tears in her eyes.
"Mom, I want you to calm down. God has already restored me. I'm perfectly fine. Don't bemoan the past anymore."
"No my darling, I cannot accept this evil that has been done to you. I am going to go to your uncle's house and say a word to them. As for his wife and her lover, I am going to strangle them with my hands!" My mother retorts in a black anger. His look has one of those gleams which terrifies me greatly. I had never seen her in this state. I decide to calm her down. I speak staring into space, but with a bitter soul
"Don't worry mum, I'm going to take care of Pauline and Pen. No one but me has to handle this case. I've got one of those surprises in store for them that they'll never get over. For now , they must not know that I am alive."
I knew what I was saying. At first, I will first tackle the brothel where I had been held captive. I think luna and mama and those innocent girls deserve a normal life like everyone else. Then I will personally take care of Pauline and Pen. These are the two projects that I have focused on maturing for the past six years. I have already planned everything. Pauline and Pen won't be able to escape me. They just have to enjoy recess again, but it won't take long.
The first evening spent with my mother was very moving. However, the following days were more relaxed. My mother has become more cheerful. What has happened since I left home has affected her immensely. But I managed to reassure her.
"Meeting Mr. Hawam is by far the best thing that has happened to me after all this calamity. You will see, he is a very good man."
"God bless him my daughter!"
I thank my mother, then look up at her. I hadn't noticed when I arrived yesterday, but my mother looks in bad shape. She has lost considerable weight. I even manage to see his bones, whereas my mother has always been fleshy. I then ask him with a look of concern
"Mom, are you feeling okay?"
"Of course my daughter!" She responds with her reassuring smile.
"But why did you lose so much weight?"
"Ah my daughter, it's the disease that ends me like this." She replies by lowering her head with a hint of sadness on her face. I'm sad to hear it and I hasten to ask him accordingly
"What disease do you suffer from mum? And how long has it lasted?"
"I have diabetes. It's already been three years since the doctor diagnosed me with it. To tell you the truth, I feel that this disease is going to kill me eventually."
"Don't say that mom. I just found you and we still have a lot of time to spend together." I rush to tell him.
"What do you want me to tell you my daughter? I feel weak day by day. Besides, I will finally be able to rest from all this suffering."
"Is there a treatment you have been prescribed? Are you at least following it?" I ask myself worried.
"I only take insulin injections. I was also forbidden to eat certain foods. But that's a disease of the rich. With my financial condition, I barely have enough to eat. But then, when it comes to making a quality choice, I can't afford that luxury unfortunately." She replies looking sorry.
My mother's situation affected me. In the evening, I decide to call my father and tell him about my mother's health. He offers me to bring her to his house, as well as my sister. However, when I made this proposal to Audrey before sleeping, she was not of the same opinion.
"I am an adult Muse, I am 27 years old and I will not feel comfortable living with someone, moreover being maintained by them. I am looking for a job and with a little luckily I might have some by then."
"I understand you perfectly well, but know that this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you don't take it now, you may regret it later because it won't come again." I insist in order to convince her.
"I don't know Muse. If at least it was with you or one of our brothers. I couldn't feel good depending on a complete stranger."
"Okay, here's what we're going to do. For a start, you're going to come with us and live at home. Don't worry, Mr. Hawam will find you a job in one of his companies and as soon as your first salary, you can rent your apartment. Think about it very carefully before making any decision. I still have two days to spend here."
Audrey listened to me and finally agreed to come with my mother and me to the Hawam residence. A new page thus opens in front of me.