My family
Chapter 1
Martina
My name is Martina, daughter of a large cocoa farmer in the town of Edea. My father is a respected man throughout the city. He is polygamous, with three wives. My mother is the last. My father had a total of sixteen children. I am among the last, tenth of my siblings. We live a peaceful and harmonious life. I do everything possible to make my parents proud of me. Unlike my older brothers and sisters who have always created sadness and disappointment in my father's heart, I strive to always be the best at school and at home. I am an exemplary child for my parents and my father lets know anyone he meets, how proud he is of me. This school year, I wrote the baccalaureate and I am impatiently awaiting the results. My father promised me to let me go to Douala, one of the biggest cities in my country, to pursue my studies in math-info. He is very proud of me and does not hide it at all to whoever wants to know it. He proclaims loud and clear that it is I who will represent him with dignity after his death. This admiration is due to my academic prowess and flawless demeanor. Indeed, I have always been the best in my classes and first in the department during exams and competitions. I have already represented the department many times in the big cities of my country. In addition to being intelligent, I am also endowed with physical assets that do not leave unnoticed the boys of my city. Everyone would give anything to go out with me. However, I have my head on my shoulders and thanks to my mother's advices, I know how to behave wisely.
As for my brothers and sisters, eight of us stayed at home, because three of my older sisters got married and five of my older brothers went to town to work. We live together, but love and unity are not very present between us. Misunderstandings between co-wives are often transferred to the children. This leads to the constitution of clans between children of the same mother. However, my father tries somehow to preserve the cohesion between his children. Every evening like today, we all sit in the yard of the big family compound and my father cheers us up with funny stories. Presently, he is seated in the midst of us with his three wives by his side. He tells us tales from our village and we listen to him with great attention. While we are sitting listening to him, our neighbor Enna my classmate and friend comes running
"Congratulations Martina! Farewell to the outfit!" She said, dancing with an enthusiastic tone. I jump up to her and I hasten to ask her
"Are the exam's results are out already?"
"Yes my dear! Did you not listen on the radio?" She replies with the same enthusiasm in her voice.
"No, I didn't know results were supposed to be announced tonight. However, tell me if I succeeded in the exam." I answer impatiently.
"Yes girl and me too I 've succeeded." Hearing her response, I started to jump and I came back to the family.
"Dad, mom, results are out, I've succeeded in the baccalaureate." I screamed to my parents, running like if I had become crazy. My mother comes to kiss me while dancing then she invites me sit down next to thr rest of the family who don't seem very happy with the news.
"Here is the worthy representative of her dad! Come into my arms my minister." My father said to me my proudly. I sit down next to him and lay my head on his chest.
"I have always said that it is you my child who will lift my head in this country. You're not like your brothers who always hate me." He said indexing my older brothers and sisters who are sitting with us. "School has overtaken them and it is caretaker, janitor that they have found as a job. Look at your sisters, even marriage has passed them," he kept complaining. At this point, I can feel the glares from my brothers and sisters, also my father's other wives, especially Paula.The latter does not like me too much and she has let me know this on several occasions. I tried so hard to get closer to her, so that we should have a normal relationship of big sister little sister, but she always pushed me away. Not paying attention to others moods, the evening goes very well. My father offers us a drink and we stay rejoicing until late at night and then everyone goes back to sleep.
Paula pov
Once again, my sister Martina succeeded in her exam. This girl pisses me off so much. If my father had stopped getting married at just two wives she wouldn't even have been born and we wouldn't be obliged to bear her as now. We, the other children in this family have always been invisible in the eyes of our father since she was born. All the praises, it was she that received them and the rest of us are less than nothing. Even when it comes about intelligence, she is the one who is cited. Not to mention exemplary behavior, all praises go to her once more. I would so lije that she could disappear from our lives and that she would have never been born! Martina has always been the perfect girl and as for us the rest, we are just the stains that every parent tries to hide. I hate her so much that I don't hesitate for a second to hurt her when I have the chance. I intend to snatch everything that makes her happy, starting with her boyfriend. She doesn't know that I'm sneaking him. It was easy to get him, because she kept him hanging around saying she didn't want to lose her virginity. I served him well and since then he hasn't left. This morning, I wake up with difficulty and I find my mother in the living room chatting with mama, my father's first wife.
"This girl is really a jerk! And her mother who plays the darling of our husband. He only has eyes for her." I hear mama say when I get to their level.
"I assure you my dear!" My mother retorts as I take a seat next to her. "Our children never have anything, it's all just for her." She continued to say in a sad tone.
"I'll soon take care of her case, don't worry anymore." I say to them calmly but with a resolute tone. The two women stop talking and look at me in astonishment.
"What are you going to do?" Mom asks me.
"As for the moment, I can't tell you anything about what I'm planning to do to her." I replied with the same calm voice.
I spent the whole night thinking about my plan to get Martina out of our lives forever. I have an appointment with Steve her boyfriend today and he will be a catalyst for my plan. After this incident I'm preparing het, Martina will never be able to stand in front of anyone again. I hope she will kill herself after that. I arrive at our usual meeting place and find him already installed on the bed. Steve is the son of another cocoa farmer in town and he is my father's biggest competitor. The two have been waging a cold war since their ancestors and this keeps going.
"I see you're already here?!" I say to Steve while sitting down next to him on the bed. He pulls me directly to him and begins to undress me.
"Stop it, every time we see each other that's just what we do." I point out annoyed.
"I think it's normal, since this is the basis of our relationship, no need to remind you." He outlines with a contemptuous tone. Not caring if his word can hurt me or not, he keeps saying
"I love your sister and we held from the beginning of this relationship that between you and I, it's sex and nothing else."
Steve thinks he's using me but soon he'll regret it. He continues to undress me and I let him do it without complaining. He ends up jumping me wildly as usual, without any preliminary. I am impatiently waiting for him to take care of his feet and he is not long in coming. When he finishes his job, I clean myself up and he does the same, then wants to leave.
"Sit down on the bed. I want to discuss." I ordain him patting the spot next to me.
"What do you want to talk about? I hope you've not forgotten that we shouldn't be seen together!?" He inquires stopping in front of the door, on the go to open it.
"When you were jumping me earlier, that's not what you were saying. What I have to tell you is very important." I retorted in a firm tone.
"I hope it will be fast!" He continues to say on his high horse. I don't bother at all though, since what I prepare to to tell him later will bring him back to earth.
"I want you to organize a gang rape." I tell him in a calm voice. His eyes widen when he hears this.
"You are sick my faith! How can you ask me such a thing you bitch!" He replies raising his voice. I remain very calm and carry on
"You'd better do it..."
"If not what?" He cuts me off as he gets up.
"If not I'm going to tell Martina everything that's going on between you and I" I replied, looking him straight in the eye.