CHAPTER 1
Jamila, 20, lives in colobane with her mother.
15 years rather.
Jamila, 05 years old.
It is dark and we are in a corner of the streets of Colobane.
Me: and lo and behold, I managed to set the fire.
Mah: very well my Jami.
Me: mom, don't you have a knife?
Her: what for?
Me: I heard the students in my class say that it is a very dangerous city.
She: God is with us. Nothing will happen to us.
Me: If God was with us he would have given us food and where to live.
Her: JAMILA!
God! I almost lost my heart after that scream.
Her: never say that. It's just a test of life and we'll get through it. There are people who experience misery more than us. And God only gives misery to the people he loves. So said Astafiroullah.
Me: astafiroullah.
Her: and in your life Jamila, whatever happens. Whether you are happy or unhappy, poor or rich, always say alhamdoulilah, astafiroullah,
subkhanallah and lahi laha illalah.
Me: but mom, alhamdoulilah is not the expression to thank Allah?
Her: yes
Me: so if I understand correctly we must always say Alhamdulilah even if we are in a state of distress.
Her: You all get it. We have to thank him because we are still alive. Go lie on my thighs.
I do and she covers me with the newspaper sheets and massages my head. I am a child but I really feel the pain. When will my father return? When will this nightmare end? but good alhamdulilah.
Me: Dad when will he be back?
Her: soon my daughter soon.
Me: But the students at my school are laughing at me saying he's never going to come back.
Her: don't listen. He will be back.
Me: you know that I love my hair too much because it is very beautiful. And you're the only person who will touch them.
Her: mdrr, so don't leave them like that. I'll tie them up for you in a bun so no one touches them. And you will veil because a Muslim woman must wear the veil From the age of puberty. It is Allah who said so.
Me: but mom many Muslim women do not wear the veil. Why?
Her: I don't know, but they have disobeyed Allah and whoever disobeys Allah has gone astray in certain error. The SWS prophet said to a woman: Take a hair out of your head and it won't matter if you're n***d.
Me: Laylaaa. Mom buys into me.
Her: it's not obligatory for you at the moment but from the age of puberty it will be obligatory. Sleep now.
Me: *yawn*...ok mom good night.
Her: Good night my dear.
And I'm off to wonderland.
2 years later
Jamila, 7 years old.
I'm in our house combing my hair, actually it's not really a house. It's an old cabin that we found while walking and we redid it a bit. We get used to it.
??: TSS, this girl is going to kill me with her hair. muttered my mother.
Me: it's just that you're jealous.
She takes off her veil and lets down her smooth, long, black hair like......uh forget it. I'm not very strong in comparison.
Her: you see this marvel. You inherited that hair my daughter. Nevertheless mine are still more beautiful.
Me: oh my mom.
Her: ohlala yourself. No I'm kidding. Your beauty is something you can't compare with anything else.
I smile.
Me: I go to school mah.
Her: you don't eat.
Me: tkt not for me. Eat for me.
I leave without giving her time to answer me. I'm sure she won't eat anything because she has nothing. Logical no?
I arrive at school and I see that there is a strike.
I'm walking towards the way back when I see this thing there to clean the shoes. I take it and see that it is brand new. Ouuuuu luck!
I sit down and wait for passers-by. And someone passes by so I wake him up and he greets me and I politely return it.
Me: Sir I can clean your shoes for you.
He leans over to me.
Him: is that your job?
Me: yes sir.
Him: such a young and beautiful w**********l. where are your parents
Me: my father will return and my mother....
Him: will your father be back? Where is he?
Me: my mother told me that he will come back. He left to get us something to live on.
Him: How long has he been gone? Me: I don't know I've never seen it.
He looks at me for a long time and resumes.
Him: are you studying?
I do
Him: in which class?
Wahhh he asks too much deh and my mother forbade me to speak to strangers. But it doesn't matter if it's to get money, it's good and anyway there's a lot of people here, I'm going to shout in case he wants to take me.
Me: CE2!
Him: ah! you look very young.
It's because I'm a young jerk.
Me: actually I'm only 07 years old.
He looks at me surprised and looks at my notebook on the floor. And then he gave me a little pink bag he was holding in his hand.
Him: take it, it looks like you don't have a bag.
Me: uh...thank you sir.
He hands me a piece of 500f.
Me: what is it for?
Him: you work, don't you? Take it.
Me: but I haven't cleaned your shoes yet.
Him: It doesn't matter.
Me: no sir, I would like to have my first salary by working very hard.
Him: hmm! This is an ambitious girl.
I clean at shoes and he gives me the 500f.
Ohlala was watching how it shines.
Another passes ten minutes later and stands in front of me.
He is cheum (ugly) him.
Him: *dry* what are you doing?
Respect he does not know. I look the other way waiting for him to greet me.
Him: young girl?
I turn back to him.
Me me?
Him: but what insolence!
Me: what a beautiful day!
Him: cleaning my shoes.
Me: respect sir, respect. Him: NO BUT......
Me: don't shout, there are passers-by. Shhhhh.
I would say that I don't need the money.
He leans towards me and pinches my ear.
Me: ayayayaay. Sorry sorry smeh (sorry) sir sorry.
I never thought I would end up like this.
Him: I can be your father so speak to me better.
Me: but you come and you don't even say hello.
And he pinches again.
And a few seconds I managed to bite him. I take my clicks and clacks and walk away like I'm a flash girl.
I hear him scream but he's too crazy.
At least I managed to get something.
I sit down in a corner and continue my work.
I'll give you like 2 hours. And it looks like it's work is serious. I won coins. I will count them later. But I am tired.
I was returning home. But I see a familiar face sitting on the sidewalk begging for alms and that's my mother. And I see that people there reject without pity.
Oh the bastards.
I cross the road and face her.
She was reaching out and I put my hand on yours and she looks at me surprised.
Me: A Fekir's hand should never be below. Never accept that again mom.
Her: you weren't supposed to be in school.
Me: yes but it's strike.
Her: and where have you been all this time you know this town is dangerous.
Me: yes but I won some money. I hand her the coins I had and she looks at me surprised again.
Her: we go home and you explain to me.
Hehe, Rip for me.
She holds my hand and walks quickly and arrives........I swallow my saliva and bite my cheek to keep from crying. We have lost everything. I watch my mother who remains frozen in place watching our only place go up in smoke. And if I say smoke, it literally means the cabin is burning.
Who screwed this up? God yes, it's him. Alhamdulilah.
Me: everything will be fine.
Her: We lost everything.
Me: no mum, you have me and I have you. We say Alhamdulillah.
She looks at me and smiles then takes me in her arms.
I break away from her.
Me: what do we do now?
Her: you begin by explaining to me where and how you took this money.
Me: I worked hard yemma (mother)
Her: explanations.
I explain to him all and with the bag and the second gentleman and how I put him back in his place and also how he pulled my ear.
And she bursts out laughing.
She: God is truly with you. You're lucky dh.
Me: I miss my dad. If he was there, we might have a solution.
And there I see her lowering her head.
Her: I would like to tell you something.
Me: go there.
Her: in fact you are now a big girl and you have the right to know.
Me: I've always been a big girl
Her: mdrr.......in fact your father abandoned us when you were two years old.
Me: ??? Her: I'm not kidding Jamila. That is true. He's a monster, your father. And he left leaving us alone, knowing that we were poor.
I listened to him without saying anything.
Her: he.....*cries*....he left when you were only two years old, I was sick because my delivery was too hard for you, he got fed up and left without us leave a penny. I had nowhere to go, my parents were in town and I'm not going to leave, nothing apart from you. I even decided to take you to the orphanage while I make a decent living. But how to give you you, you were my only hope in life.
Me: It's my fault he left. I made you sick and...
Her: f**k you. You are my daughter.
Son of a b***h I'll burn it.
I approach my Mother and wipe away her tears.
Me: don't cry because of that bastard. He doesn't deserve your tears. He doesn't even know what he lost. Know that from now on you are under my responsibility.
And she starts laughing.
Me: I'm sah(serious) mah.
Her: you can't. I am your mother. Me: yes you are but I would not accept any tears from you and I swear to you that this i***t who serves as my father will regret having come into the world. He did you a lot of wrong. A tear I swear to you that I would not accept it any more and I would never forgive myself for it. And I'm not kidding, I'm going to take care of you. And I promise you you're still crying I'm not Jamila Fatima Fekir anymore.
She laughs then takes me in her arms.
She: Let's go find a job.
Me: I already have a job.
Her: Take care of your studies, it's better
Me: but I can accumulate both.
Her: your mouth.
And I am silent.
I was laughing with my mother but deep down I felt such pain. A disappointment that I don't even have the words to describe. So my father had abandoned us all this time and left us in misery and starvation. If he knew he didn't want us then why give birth to my Mother and then leave her. I don't know what PD means but I know it's mean so my dad is a big PD. The father of PD. Ahhh son of khra, if you only knew how much I hate you.
You made my Mother suffer. I will never forgive you and the day our four eyes meet I will f**k your mother. I also don't know what "f**k" means, but I know it's mean. So let's f**k him. Him and who he is with.
Mah: don't think too much about her.
Wesh how she know? Mah: I am your mother and I know you. Even if it was someone else he will know it because you have a very despicable look and you squeeze my hand like I used to. Don't do anything, even with your age you're the best of everything. You're too nervous like...your father.
I let out a laugh.
Me: He's not my dad. He is the son of a dog. And ps compare me to a dog.
We walk for a long time and my Mother rings again at a door.
A really ugly lady opens the door. I'm not going to laugh my mother raised me.
Lady: yes?
Mah: Salam, I am looking for work.
She ogles us and resumes.
Lady: You? With your beauty, you want to steal my husband.
This is the umpteenth time I hear this expression.
The lady: and seeing your daughter, she seems to me to be a real case with those eyes.
Me: uh, what do you have with my eyes? Already you're too ugly with your chimpanzin face there.
Mah: she's not wrong.
I even thought she was going to give me a good slap.
She let us know from her house when we weren't even inside. She closes the door in our face and we almost eat the floor.
Mah: they take me too much for a w***e.
Me: thiiip. They are the w****s.
We go back to another door. The woman tells us to come in. And when we sit on the sofa. Karim my God. The sweeter you die.
They blablablablabla and she accepts and the coolest thing is that she also accepts that we spend the nights here after my mother told her about our situation. In addition to being nice, she is beautiful.
The next day I wake up and get ready for school. I come out of our room and see my mother cleaning up.
Lazy of you to write the greetings.
I go to school and at recess I do as usual. I admire the sky.
But then I notice that three boys in my class are bullying a girl. I've never even seen him. And what am I getting into.
I had refocused on my admiration but I turn back to her and see that fools
beat her up and she cries. Cry for it?
I get up and walk over to them and help him up.
Me: you can't fight someone your size. And it's obvious that you're older than her, plus she's a girl. Shameless pfft.
One: oh the young, she lectures. Clear!
They try to take the other one who was behind me but I stop him with my hand. Chehh where do I get all this courage from?
Me: I'm not even kidding.
And they start laughing.
Me: oh bastards.
I take the other by the wrist and there come back with me and we sit on the bench and I wipe her tears and I take her in my arms.
Her: thank you
Me: it's nothing. I'm Jamila
Her: Aliyah.
After a long discussion, I knew that we were born on the same day and the same year. And that's where a beautiful friendship begins.
4 years later
Jamila, 11 years old.
We left the place where my mother worked 2 years ago. And it turns out that Alya's mother, my best Shab (friend) is also my Mother's best Shab and when they saw each other she didn't stop crying with joy, I did say joy. Her name is Ouma and suddenly she put us up in her house since we had nowhere to stay. Now these three people mean the most in my life.
Right now, I'm in 5th grade with Alya. and I do carpentry. Cool isn't it? My mother tells me to take care of my studies first. But I made my promise, in fact, she didn't believe me when I told her that I was going to take care of her. In the end, she accepted. And Alya also helps me, she's another thing. A true friend Wallah. But the latter also works as a maid during the holidays.
And also Ta Ouma is not rich, she just has the house left to her by her late husband?. He died during a strike in Thiès.
5 years later
Jamila, 16 years old.
Booon I grew up and then it poses a problem?
Guess what I am now. I am a mason, a worker but I had to stop because this year it is the terminal with Alya. We are strong, at 16 we do the BAC. And I veiled myself. I reached the age of puberty and Alya too.
It is currently 9 p.m. in our house .... end in Ta ouma's house. But I always try to save money to rent an apartment for me and my mother.
I said it's 9:00 p.m. and me and Alya feel like going out for a walk.
We go to the living room where the two bags are. My mother and your ouma if you got it.
Me/Alya: We're going out.
Mah: you ask permission or warn.
Me: a bit of both.
Alya: wallah we'll be back.
Me: oh crazy we'll be back kay.
Ta Ouma: I speak little.
Meh: me too.
Me: we take that as a yes.
Alya: yeah that's it.
They were going to talk but we nashav(degage)direct.
We'll be back for sure, they bump into us.
Me: it even looks like we have friends.
Alya: no, but speed(depeche) girl.
I don't answer and we take our way shouting in the street. Ptddrrr there are serious people. In fact the bandits scare people too much.
Alya: Jamila it's not sure dh
I was going to answer but I..no we hit something hard or even someone hard.
I look up and see two guys. Popopo, in addition to being tall, they are sturdy.
Alya: KNIVES?
Me: wesh don't shout.
I notice they both had knives.
One: kids like you hang around at this hour.
I almost pissed myself when I heard his voice.
Me: where do you even see kids from?
The other: what audacity!
Alya: what a beautiful moon!
Me: no actually it is: what moonlight!
Alya: it's the same for me peace.
Guy1: Shut up and give us all you got.
And we laugh a lot me and Alya. Gars2: you take us for idiots.
Me: that's what you are because what more stupid to attack or steal thiiiip.
Guy2: s**t give what you got.
Alya: in fact we have nothing just us. If you coco there's only us.
Gars2: they take us too much for DPs.
Me/Alya: BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE.
And place for the best runner.
Aliya: HELP
Me: TGL f**k.
Alya: DON'T SCREAM WESH.
Me: ME WESH NOT IN CASE OF DANGER DIRTY KHRA.
Alya: THIS IS YOUR FATHER THE KHRA.
Me: I LOVE YOU BB.
And op we are caught. Don't believe we are flash too.
When they caught us I thought he was going to whack our dad in the face but they burst out laughing at his jesters.
They finally stop and look at us cheerfully.
Me: BASTARDS DON'T TOUCH ME.
Alya: I think you're going to lose your voice right away.
Gars1: we're not going to do anything to you because we've never seen people like you.
And blablabla..... Lazy to tell. They wanted to take us to meet their g**g. At first we refused ..... end Alya refused but as I like adventures we went. After all, they weren't going to do anything to us... well, I think.
We had a good time with the biggest criminals and traffickers of Colobane. We took time to be friends with the others because as far as I know these two Kheuch and Omzo were the nicest of this g**g. But knowing me well, they couldn't resist my jokes And the good news is that me and Alya go out even at 2 a.m. nothing will happen to us. Except it's another g**g except we took their number.
2 years later.....
A little comeback.
That night, our mothers f****d us well.
So I said 2 years later
Jamila 18 years old
Ah the girl has become of age.
Now, I am at "Cheikh Hampaté Bâ" University and I am in my second year with Alya, but the latter is doing law while I am doing nutrition at the same time. There is one of my acquaintances who told me helped by getting me into his hosto for the internship. Oh he's too nice.
I'm with the girl, alya at college and she talks about love. Oh mad.
Me: you see me with a guy me. Love is just a word. Too bad as low battery.
Her: the day you fall in love don't even come talk to me.
Me: thiiip you speak. You want me to fall in love to end up like my mother.
She lowers her head and I see that she is sad as if she feels the same as me.
me: smeh
Her: I don't want you to remember that shitty father.. nuance of that stupid father who abandoned you. You will only hurt yourself.
I take her in my arms.
Her: you know everything you feel I feel it too.
Me: don't you think we're twins. We were born on the same day and besides everything you feel I feel too.
Her: oh mad.
And we make way for a giggle. And there's the w***e passing by, Aïcha with her pot of glue, Diarra. Her best friend...sorry....her c**k or her exclave you call her what you want, her boyfriend's aunt. Mr rich Arrogant Jamil. I don't even know why this son of Khra has my masculine name.
Do you want me to introduce her to you? Good Ok as you wish.
She is Aïcha Ndiaye. The minister's daughter. Already she doesn't "love" us. She must have hated me but since Alya is my best friend and defends me she hates her too. Why? Because I'm poor and a lot of people say about me that I'm a w***e to bring money, maybe I'm a w***e with their father. In fact, the whole neighborhood doesn't like "us" too because I admit it, we're crazy serious. Except for a few old people who considered us because we follow Allah well.
This crazy b***h is pulling me out of my discussion with you. Isn't that aggressive?
Aïcha: get up dirty plagues I take my breakfast.
I look at Alya and wave at her. In fact, it was by looking her in the eye and she understood. Ohlala we know each other too well wesh.
We continued to eat quietly while they stood there staring at us.
Aisha: I'm talking to you.
We don't even stall it.
Aïcha: s**t b***h GET UP.
And we face the best viewer of the year. Like all eyes came to us.
In fact there are looks of contempt like those who love Aïcha ..... end those who love money by looking at Aïcha to kill me because everyone who loves Aïcha hates me and other looks of contempt towards Aïcha because she likes to play the girl too much and wants everyone at her mercy and who give me a killer look. Like everything that hates Aïcha loves me because Aïcha doesn't love me. And everything that hates me loves Aisha.
Karim my God, I actually make the buzz.
I don't know if you understand but hey, I won't explain again.
1 year later.
Jamila, 19 years old.
She's getting old mddrrr.
In fact a year ago I said that love is just a word. But I was wrong, love is.............. Two words if you understand there's also the "l'". But also it is that I AM IN LOVE. I would never have believed that this would be possible. In fact, the guy shocked me with his understanding, his kindness, his f*****g sweetness and his beauty.
His name is Idrissa. Good end with love.
There is bad news.
This Aïcha got me out of the hospital and also out of University.
She did everything, she mixed heaven and earth for me to go out and she succeeded. She is trying at all costs to ruin my life because her boyfriend gave me a little smile which I kindly returned to him and Madame became jealous and since then she hasn't left me in peace. I already have my guy dh so why look elsewhere if we have Idrissa thiiip.
I then go back to my little jobs, making sure to resume the internship or even continue my studies. And right now I'm a mechanic. Yeah that's not bad.
And I rented an apartment in the same building as crazy Alya.
Being poor wallah is hard.
But don't forget my darlings, wealth and poverty are in the heart. If you have God in your heart you have everything but if you don't you have nothing.
The bottom life is just a test and there are hardships there but wallah never have a down time and don't seek to get rich doing dirty things. Just put your trust in God because it is him. He is the very big, the very powerful.
He can do anything. And don't be discouraged if you miss your train and don't do anything serious. It's just that Allah has a better plan for you.
Let's all go back to God and ask. We must all repent to Allah. Let's pray, ask, don't get tired of asking God for forgiveness because we don't hide it. We ourselves know that we are hurting Allah and that every day.
Well the longest chapter of my life.
Almost 5000 words. I don't know if you like long chapters. Personally I like them if it's me who reads but if it's me who writes I hate them.
Well I hope you like the Chro. On this good reading and vote comment.
With all that I said (write)........yeah I know I talk (write) too much bye
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May Allah forgive us