Martine - Part 2

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 In case you missed the first part of Martine, click here to catch up.


"Who is this student? What is so special about him? You never invite students to dinner, Maman, so why did you invite this one? Where is he from? Was he born near here?...." Sophie went on and on, interrogating her mother as she ripped into a head lettuce. Bianca, brooding in the corner, rolled her eyes as she cut up some tomatoes.

They were in the kitchen helping their parents make dinner, or as they would put it, used as child labour to prepare a meal for their overlords. Martine checked on the pork chops in the oven while James, her husband, took out the dishes and utensils.

"I think that's enough lettuce and tomatoes for the salad, girls. Take these and set the table," James said. Ten year old Sophie jumped off the stool she was sitting on and grabbed the utensils, disappearing into the dining room. Her older sister, Bianca, was not as boisterous, took the plates and followed Sophie. James shook his head as he watched her departure, puberty had definitely changed his thirteen year old.

With the girls gone, he turned to his wife, "So why did you invite this particular student, Martine?"

"He's my son," she answered as she stared at the pork chops, afraid to look at the man she loved more than her own life. It was only when no reaction came that she looked at James. "I was young, I thought he loved me but he just wanted to sleep with a black girl. I was sixteen and I had just moved to France from Haiti to live with my aunt a year before. It was so hard adjusting, making friends. Then he befriended me and I fell hard for him. He was the first, I gave him my virginity. The condom was old and I got pregnant. I thought he would be there for me, for the baby, but he wanted nothing to do with us. I was so disappointed that I was in a state of denial and by the time my aunt noticed, I was too far gone. We decided on putting the baby up for adoption. We found a couple who couldn't have kids on their own and when the baby was born, I gave it to them."

It was like flood waters bursting through a damn and by the end of her explanation, Martine was exhausted. She sat heavily onto Sophie's stool and rested her head on her crossed arms on the counter top.

James was speechless at first, then he was bombarded by questions, but he chose to comfort his wife. He walked over to Martine's slumped form and embraced her, lifting up her tear streaked face to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" he had to know.

"It was a mistake and I was ashamed. I wanted to leave it in the past and I didn't want to mar what we have," replied Martine.

"Well, the past has come looking for you, Martine. What do you want to do about it?" Hame queried.

"Honestly, I don't know. I guess it depends on what he wants, why he came looking for me. If you were me, what would you do?" she asked.

Before James could answer, the doorbell rang. Martine stared at James and James stared back, and they listened to Sophie run to the front door. As she answered the door, her parents snapped out of their short lived trance and prepared themselves to greet their dinner guest. James putting the meal in their serving dishes and Martine went to the bathroom to make herself more presentable.

Thank you for reading the second installment of Martine, I hope you enjoyed it. What would you do if you were in Martine's position? Click here to continue onto part 3 of Martine.