Blessing

Chapter 27

291 27 he balcony had two tables. On one sat a young couple. When the man was not drumming his hand on the table, his plate empty, he was throwing secret smiles at the waitresses in short black skirts. The waitresses, torsos covered in white shirts and black petticoats, were either darting about briskly with orders and trays or standing at distinct angles doing sighted tours which often compelled them, every now and then, to take a few steps, answer a query and then return to their vigilant positions. On the stage was a band that had captured the woman’s undivided attention, pulling her away even from her plate, which still carried the entire content of the main course. Fatti Fopou and her companion were unwinding on the other table. Body compressed in a silk evening gown, hair pulled back in a sleek chignon, she looked like a woman very much at home in the chic restaurant. In the village, it had been and still was an open taboo for a man to approach a woman with intentions other than marriage. In the city, she had answered ‘yes’ to the first man who had asked the question every single woman’s ego hopes to hear. As a married woman, she had walked with the symbolic ‘I belong’ glued to her second finger. As a prospective divorcee, she again had her liberty in her hands, and this time around she was allowing it to open doors whose existence she was unaware of, doors which led to places that clearly enthralled her: She smiled when he poured her drink; she glowed when he stood up for her; she melted when he called a waitress to attend to her every need. Before, she had been a woman on transit through earth. Now, she was a woman with an earthly mission, and she was with a real man. The square face, the sharp black eyes and thick eyebrows which arched beautifully when he laughed, the lustrous lip, the bright white teeth emerging from a gum showing off the same contrasting blackness of his skin – he was a fine description of handsome. Of all the men she had met on earth, there never had been one like him. Never before had she come in the proximity of a man so diligently crafted. T 292 As Fatti swayed to the rhythm of the Makossa drifting from the band, her flimsy scarf took the cue and danced its way down her bare shoulders. Still swinging gently, she pushed her chair backward and leaned forward, going after her scarf on the floor. When she looked up, she found her companion staring hungrily at her full bosom squashed into the tight dress. Instantly rigid, she shielded her chest with the scarf, got on her stilettos and walked to the banister. From the fifth-floor of the restaurant at Avenue Kennedy in the centre of town, she looked down at Yaoundé by night, her eyes glaring with the light of the stars. ‘Become as light as a feather such that I can climb on the railings and fly away into the night. Just dive into the emptiness of its depths and unite with nothingness. Such would be my wish if a genie were to appear in front of me. Isn’t the night beautiful?’ ‘Very beautiful and very romantic.’ Instead of the voice coming from the table, where she had left him, it came from behind her ear. It seemed while she sought freedom and space, he longed to cling to something, to someone, to her. He slowly ran his fingers up and down the length her arm. The hot breath emanating from his nose raised the hairs on the back of her neck. ‘Allow me to take care of you, Fatti. Just give me the chance and you will always look back on the decision with a glint in your eyes.’ ‘Dinner is served. We had better eat before cold takes away some of the delight of the food.’ Fatti regained her seat and immediately started stuffing food into her mouth. ‘The food is tasty,’ she said inbetween mouthfuls. ‘I don’t know about your grilled pork and fried plantains, but I couldn’t ask for better potato crusted grouper.’ He lifted his glass of Dom Pérignon to Fatti. ‘To us!’ She clicked without responding. ‘Enjoy your meal,’ she said instead. The wine was good, the food better and the conversation, a useful complement. Potato crusted grouper...