Chapter 4

In front of this complaint, instead of showing passion, I rejoiced.

- On the edge of a sea, of course, I answered him, mockingly.

Meanwhile, he was not himself anymore. He was now devoid of knowledge.

Three minutes earlier, my companion and I had found ourselves under the sea. Oga, my boss, was watching me from the sea. She could see almost everything I was doing. Seeing us coming, she was very happy to see me succeed in my first mission. Ecstatic, she said to me:

- You are too fantastic and very terrible, my dear! I wish you a lot of courage. If you can continue like this, I promise you that I will appoint you as a delegate of this forum.

I was happy with this promise and expressed it with a small, silent yellow smile. Immediately, Oga put her ponytail, which was the symbol of her power, on my companion's forehead and suddenly, the man turned into a large quantity of strands that would later be used as hairstyles for the young girls of the city of humans.

- Oga, it was my mother who sent me to the market, let me go quickly so that I don't have to deal with her anger.

- Okay, I'll do it! Since you're going to the market, take these locks and sell them to the girls who will be interested in them.

And since I couldn't refuse, I approached Oga and snatched the bags of Brazilian hair from her.

Thirty seconds were already too much for me to land on the land of humans. To return to the land of humans, I come in the wind. When it's time for me to turn into a human, I turn into one without anyone seeing me.

I used to be gentle, loyal and kind to my fellow humans and showed mercy when needed, but since I became a friend of the sea, I had completely changed; I had become bloodthirsty and had no mercy for anyone.

Indeed, once I returned to the land of humans, I met a young pregnant woman on my way. As I looked at her, I immediately realized that she had no belief in the mysteries of God, even though she wore a cross of Jesus around her neck. I approached her and without greeting her, I asked her to tell me what time it was on her wristwatch, while keeping my mouth shut. And since I knew she was going to be a peacock, she leered at me and answered:

- Didn't your parents teach you that when you want to address a stranger, you should be polite? Nonsense.

In order not to waste my time with her, I looked at her and in the second I pulled out her baby that she was carrying and that was already almost full term. In order to avoid that she makes the observation at the same time and maybe starts to scream, I placed a fibroid in the place of the baby. After the procedure, I overcame the young woman. She would not notice the result until she was in bed.

Once at the market, the women, including the youngest ones, started to buy my Brazilian hair. I did not care what my mother will reproach me when I will be back at home. Besides, I wasn't afraid of anyone anymore.

Indeed, I spent all my time doing Oga a favor at that hour when my mother was impatient at home, waiting for me. I had actually sold almost all the products she had entrusted to me.

Then, to avoid insults and reproaches from my mother, I quickly made the purchases that she had recommended to me and rushed back home.

I was finally back home, but late. My mother had waited too long, I knew. When she saw me coming back, she asked me with a dark face where I came from. Controlling my mother with her slaps, I didn't dare to approach her.

- Where do you come from, Octavia? she repeated.

I remembered at once that Oga had changed my name. I wanted to forbid my mother this cursed name of Octavia that I judged already bad but I did not dare.

- Am I not talking to you?" she said again.

- Mom, why are you yelling at me?" I asked, overwhelmed by her screams.

At this, my mother immediately ignored me and blinked her eyes. She began to rub her eyes as if I were now a monster she had never seen.

- Octavia, did you just yell at me?

I didn't answer a word. A damn voice was telling me to disrespect her. The voice encouraged me to insult her and wait for her defender, who could only be my father.

- Answer my question," she said, overcome with anger.

- Mom, I already brought you your groceries, so take them and leave me alone.

- That I make you what?

During this time, I made some steps backwards. And when I wanted to disappear from the room, my mother grabbed me by the sleeve of my dress and gave me a slap.

A rage obsessed me. I wanted to devour her. I wanted to hit her back right away. Of course, an inner thought whispered to me: "Don't do anything to her again! After all, the same devil will tempt her again.

I obeyed the voice's command and fiddled with my fingers as a threat to my mother. My mother ignored me again and asked me if it was her I had just threatened.

I didn't say a word and went straight to my room. I put the key in the lock, turned it twice and the door gave way. I entered the room and closed the door behind me without locking it, because I was terribly sick.

My three older brothers no longer lived in the same house as us. Each one, after marrying the woman of his life, had chosen his favorite city.

Michel, the eldest of the family, was the only one who had chosen to live in the same city as us. Florent, Michel's younger son, chose to live in Parakou while my parents and I were in Porto-Novo. Samuel, Florent's younger son, was also in Porto-Novo. We did not live in the same place. Each of us had bought a piece of land a little far from the house that Dad had built in the Djègan neighborhood.