WAITING FOR DAWN

Chapitre 1

Preface

Welcome to the world of DANKIT, a realm entirely of fiction where the inhabitants, the "DANIANS," live. This story highlights my African and Francophone roots, as well as my interactions with other cultures, including Germanic, Anglophone, Lusophone, and Asian backgrounds. I have a deep appreciation for cultural blending, and when I admire a way of life or style, I embrace it fully.

Through the pages of this work, you will discover a universe that highlights the cultural fusion I am passionate about. As an author deeply influenced by my African and Francophone roots, but also inspired by a variety of cultures, I wanted to create a space where these influences coexist harmoniously. This blend is a source of enrichment and beauty for me, and I wanted it to be reflected in this narrative.

I am very much into cultural blending. When I discover a way of life or a mode of expression that touches me, I am eager to incorporate and celebrate it. Like Alice in Alice in Wonderland, I invite you to join me on a journey into the heart of my imagination. Step into my wondrous world, which I like to call "in meinem KOPF," and let yourself be carried away by this unique adventure.

Through the character of Alex, you will experience various musical journeys, exploring songs that address multiple themes and reflect the cultural diversity that deeply resonates with me. Singing is a passion of mine, and I hope you will find in these melodies a resonance with the different facets of this story.

I wish you a very enjoyable reading experience and hope that this immersion into the world of DANKIT brings you as much pleasure and discovery as it has brought me in writing it.

Alice

1-THE ENCOUNTER

I never went out without that old guitar. Year after year, song after song, it had survived. I could never thank it enough my guitar never let me down. On several occasions, I had to patch it up after a performance. I had to make a living somehow, and music was all I knew, the only thing I could do. Looking back, I wonder what my life would have become without that music...

(A SLAP ON THE CHEEK)
"Wake up! You never stop talking in your sleep. I have to go to work. You know what you have to do."
"Alright, I'm coming."

I shared a modest apartment with Billy, a friend I had met one evening by chance. After a performance in a small cabaret, I didn't know where to spend the night, and Donald hadn't been able to pay me properly, claiming there weren't enough people. He knew, just as I did, that I needed a stage, and he needed a singer in my situation to justify his behavior. Billy was looking for a roommate because he didn't earn enough to pay the rent on his own. His previous roommate had left him with several months of unpaid rent, and Mr. Davant, as always, stood at the door, threatening to evict us. While we dreaded ending up on the streets, he undoubtedly hoped we would settle our debt. As absurd as it may sound, that's how things went. In the biting cold of winter, I simply wondered where I could spend the night.

"Great performance, Bill O'Gnewro."
"The loner... You know, right now, all I'm thinking about is where I'm going to spend the night."
(Laughter)
"Come on, I rent an apartment not far from here. You could warm up a bit and rest."

That's how the mechanism fell into place, with each of us finding our own way. From the outside, the building almost seemed enviable. But the reality inside was quite different. Ms. Vira, I heard, was one of the first residents and had never left the place. A thousand and one rumors swirled about her: they said she had been Mr. Davant's first love or the mistress of a wealthy man who had abandoned her without a trace. As for me, she was simply a woman more interested in others' lives than her own. A gossip, always ready to spread stories, eavesdrop on doors, and monitor comings and goings—no one escaped her claws. You could get pelted with tomatoes, doused with water, or even showered with sweets. She could knock on our door endlessly, claiming my music disturbed her. The young couple who had recently moved in above her had no peace; their footsteps, their cooking activities—everything was a cause for complaint. I understood why the apartment just above hers had remained vacant for several years.