Sub Terra: Et Reditus

Twenty-Three

Gus

A few hours later after we returned to the village, Nadia and Danny stayed back at our place to talk about.... something. I guess it had to be something important, seeing that they'd known each other longer than I'd known him. I took the opportunity to head over to Madame's house. I wanted to know more about Asa.

"Bonjour, Gus!" Madame said after I knocked on her door.

"Hi." I said back.

I made my way to the living room, but it seemed different from normal. Furniture was all over the place, being moved and rearranged. Several young men were there doing the work.

"What's all this for?" I asked Madame.

"You didn't know? My son, Amir is's having his engagement party one week from now!"

"I'm happy for him," I said with enthusiasm. "Must be a huge milestone."

"He's all grown up now," she said, brooding over Amir. "I am getting old too, you now. Can't do everything myself. That is why I want you to help me."

"Sorry-- help? I'd love to, but--

"Gus, come, come!" I heard a voice from among the guys making the preparations. It was Driss. "We have work for you."

Without delay I hurried over to his side.

"Do this," he said, showing me a strip of red ribbon. He tied it into a bow and taped it to the back of a folding chair. "For 25 of these. Not too hard, right?"

I nodded, and he passed me more strips of ribbon. By the end of it, my fingers felt sore. I wasn't used to doing work as delicate as that.

"My, my," Driss said upon looking at the fruit of my labor. "Even better than mines, huh? I should have you back over to do it some more."

"Um- no worries." I said with a smile, even though in reality I was just glad I'd finished it. I clumsily walked back over to Madame.

"Nicely done," Madame said passing me a plate of cookies, as if congratulating me. "You're coming back again to help us more, I know." she said, reiterating Driss' sentiments. I guess I was fine with it, since there wasn't anything else do.

"I'll be happy to do so."

As I bit into one of the cookies, she suddenly leaned in close to my ear.

"I know why you really came. It's fine, I'll bring you to her again." 

She took me to the yet-again pitch black upper floor, and pushed the Styrofoam wall forward, not knocking it down like I did the last time. With the lights flicked on, I saw Asa in the same position on the cushion as last time, with the same blindfold around her eyes and bed sheet secured to her ankle. The only difference was there was a scratchy, old looking radio on a table quietly playing a pop song from Bantu 11. Kinda eerie, I thought.

"Asa, ma poule,"  Madame said affectionately. "Your friend came to see you."

She stopped humming to the beat of the radio and turned her head in the direction of Madame's voice.

"Vraiment?"

"Oui, vraiment." Madame said, ushering me to sit in front of Asa again. Just like last time, she placed her hands on my cheeks.

"It really is you!" she said, her curious face turning into a smile.

Madame left the room at that point, and put the wall back up. Despite the fact that I'd only met her daughter only once before, she trusted me enough to be alone with her.