Décrouvir le pot aux roses

Houari Boumédienne was born in Algeria and educated at the Sorbonne in Paris. While he was at university, he met a foreign tourist along the Champs Elysée, a Canadian woman named Monique, who, he thought, was very beautiful.

They fell in love, had a whirlwind romance, and got married. Then, after he was able to get a student visa, he moved with her to Montréal, where they both were medical students at the University of Montréal.

After they graduated from medical school, they opened a clinic in Hochelage-Maisonneuve, one of the poorer neighbourhoods of Montréal. They had to struggle, but they were able to make it work. Then they had children.

Generally, their quarrels were not violent, and they always seemed to patch up their differences. There was a problem of religion, because Houari wanted the children to be raised as Muslims; but Monique gave in on this matter, though Houari allowed her to bring the children to church and even went on occasion himself, on Palm Sunday and Easter.

There was a problem with Houari’s infidelities: Monique was aware that he had cheated on her a couple times with the Brazilian receptionist while she was pregnant; but she believed that he loved her, and only did it because he was weak. Monique didn’t think that Houari was a chauvinist like other Muslim men; he was mild-mannered and treated her with respect, and she loved him.

Then, they bought a house together in Laval, north of Montréal, a two-storey brick Canadian bungalow. While he was carrying a box of her stuff upstairs to the attic, a little black book fell from the top of the box.

He put down the box to read it, and he was shocked by what he read. It was his wife’s diary, and in it was a lurid description of a brief but very passionate affair with another man. It was very explicit; his wife described in minute detail some of the things that she had done with her lover. He couldn’t believe it! He was sure that his wife was cheating on him.

That night, after the children were in bed, Houari confronted Monique with the diary. She was angry that he had read it; she felt violated because she felt that he shouldn’t have been reading it. She assured him that the affair had taken place before they met in Europe, when she was young, but she pointed out that he had no right to be angry, since he had cheated on her while she was pregnant.

In an effort to make amends, she said, "I'm sorry that you had to see it, I didn't know that I still had it. I should have burned it."

In a rage, he slapped her. She tried to stab him with some scissors that she saw on the vanity, but he grabbed her hand, bent it back, and sprained her wrist.

While she sat on the bed, painfully holding her wrist, he said calmly, still panting, “I never knew that you were such a whore.”

Then he picked up the scissors from the floor and stabbed her to death, puncturing the carotid artery of her throat.

Mme. Baldacci's Choice/La Choix de Mme. Baldacci

Mme. Baldacci's Choice



It was the middle of the 19th century, and Sophie Baldacci was seized by a group of Kabylie in Algeria. The Kabylie killed her husband, a Corsican who was a captain of the Foreign Legion, and all of the other soldiers, who were mostly Moroccan mercenaries. Mme. Baldacci was the only survivor after the massacre.

Now, Mm. Baldacci was still young, between twenty-five and thirty years old. As well, she was somewhat pretty, somewhat beautiful. And so the tribal chief, Abd-el Karim, decided to have his pleasure with her. He was very rough. Seized with grand passion, he tore off her clothes and had sex with her the moment that his men left her alone with him, regardless of what she wanted. Then he had the servants bring her some new clothes, the kind of clothes that the Kabylie wore.

All alone, dressed in the manner of the Kabylie, Mme. Baldacci was depressed. As well, she was a widow, far from her people. She even had thoughts of suicide, and she didn't fall asleep until almost dawn.

The next morning, however, the Kabylie fed her their best food during a sumptuous breakfast. Then one of the wives of Abd-el Karem, the first wife, spent most of the morning putting makeup on her face to make her look beautiful for the chief of the Kabylie, Abd-el Karim. When she looked into a mirror, Mme. Baldacci saw kohl on her eyelids for the first time. Then the women gave her their finest clothes, their prettiest jewelry. Mme. Baldacci was even wearing a golden necklace, and golden bracelets too.

Now there was a big feast in her honour. At first, Mme. Baldacci didn't know what was happening, but then she realized that Abd-el Karim was marrying her. She couldn't believe it!

At the beginning of the wedding, the Kabylie slaughtered several lambs and goats, and then there was enough food and drink for everybody. The members of the tribe partied and danced all night to the loud rhythms of drums and tambourines, and the to the discordant sounds of lutes and rehabs. There was even a female singer, who told her story in song, gesturing with her hands while telling her tale. It was all a bacchanal, this wedding.

Then, Mme. Baldacci, now the bride of Abd-el Karim, found herself all alone in his tent. With a wave of his hand, Abd-el Karim invited her to sit down before him on the cushions; she obeyed him. Then they ate a light dinner.

Mme. Baldacci was amazed that Abd-el Karim, and several of his tribe, had blond hair, though he had golden skin and amber eyes. She also discovered that the chief of the Kabylie spoke a little French, though somewhat badly. However, he managed to successfully communicate to her that he wanted her to teach all of his wives and all of his children French, and he communicated his sexual desire.

Although the Kabylie chief had been violent the previous night, he was more gentle this time. First, he kissed Mme. Baldacci on the lips, until she was full of desire for her new husband. Then they made love in the tent on the cushions. They did everything together. The first time that he ate her pussy, she came over and over again. Before the end of their wedding night, she was insatiable, and she soon no longer missed her old husband, the Corsican soldier.

Of course, Mme. Baldacci eventually found herself pregnant. After the nine months, after the forty weeks, she gave birth a son. The labour was very difficult, and she was afraid that she wouldn't survive, although she and the newborn survived.

However, she was the least important of Abd-el Karim's wives, whose son was merely the Benjamin of a dozen brothers. The most important woman in the harem was Abd-el Karim's mother, and then the first wife. The mother was the boss of the harem, and she was a tyrant. Nobody liked her, and all the women were afraid of her, including Mme. Baldacci.

Then, Mme. Baldacci was the witness of a female circumcision. At the behest of Abd-el Karim mother, the other women seized the little girl and removed her clitoris with a knife. In horor, Mme. Baldacci could only watch. Of course, the little girl screamed with terror and great pain, and there was blood everywhere. Unfortunately, the child died of infection soon afterwards, but everybody said it was Allah's will.

Mme. Baldacci realized that all the other woman had no clitoris either, except her. And so Mme. Baldacci decided to say nothing about the matter. It was with trepidation afterwards that Mme. Baldacci had sex with her husband. She couldn't refuse her husband, but she was afraid of having a daughter, who would have to face the same fate as the other little girls, genital mutilation.

At the same time, Mme. Baldacci taught Abd-el Karim and his wife and children French; she had to do it. She tried to be a good teacher, and she knew how to be firm with her pupils. It was less difficult for the children than for the adults, but most of the children and most of the adults learned French. Even Adb-el Karim learned French.

Abd-el Karim's mother didn't want to learn French at all, however, and neither did the first wife. Though most of the Kabylie at least respected Mme. Baldacci, the two women hated her. The mother and the first wife were afraid of losing control, and they formulated a plan against Mme. Baldacci, who was, without a doubt, Abd-el Karim's favourite wife.

Of course, Mme. Baldacci had to learn Kabylie, too, and so she taught the children to read and write in both Kabylie and French. Her husband, the Kabylie chief was patient in teaching her Kabylie in his tent.

Then, Mme. Baldacci was pregnant again. What could she do? If she gave birth to a daugher, that daughter faced genital mutilation. And so Mm. Baldacci was full of anguish during the entire pregnancy.

This time, the delivery was more difficult for the mother; she almost died. And this time, she gave birth to a daughter. When she found out the sex of the baby, she was despondent.

A few days later, the women of Abd-el Karim found Mme. Baldacci in her tent, with tears in her eyes and a dead newborn at her breast. In horror, the Kabylie women realized that the French woman had strangled her own infant.

What barbarians! they thought of the Europeans in general.



La Choix de Mme. Baldacci



C'était envers le milieu du siècle XIX, et Sophie Baldacci fut saisie par un group de Kabylie à l'Algérie. Les Kabylie tuèrent son mari, un Corse qui était capitaine de la Légion étrangière, et tous les autres soldats, qui étaient à la plupart Marocains. Mme. Baldacci était la surivante unique après le massacre.

Or, Mme. Baldacci était encore jeune, ayant entre vingt-cinq et trente ans. Aussi, elle était quelque peu jolie, quelque peu belle. Ainsi, le chef de tribu, Abd-el Karime, décida de faire son plaisir avec elle. Il était très rude. Saisi de grande passion, il déchirra ses vêtiments et fît le sexe avec elle le moment où ses hommes la laissa toute seule avec lui, sans égard à ce qu'elle voulusse. Puis les serveuses l'apporta des nouvelles vêtiments, du sort que les Kabylie portaient.

Toute seule, vêtue à la kabylie, mais oui, Mme. Baldacci faisait dépression. Aussi, elle était veuve, loin de son peuple. Elle avait des pensées de suicide même, et elle ne tomba pas en sommeil jusqu'à ce que presque l'aube.

Le lendemain matin, pourtant, les Kabylie lui nourrirent leurs meilleurs aliments pendant un déjeûner somptueux. Puis l'une entre des femmes d'Abd-el Karime, la première épouse, passa la plupart de la matinée en applicant du macquilage sur sa figure pour la faire apparaître belle devant le chef des Kabylie, Abd-el Karime. En se regardant dans un miroir, Mme. Baldacci vit du khôl sur les paupières la première fois. Puis les femmes d'Abd-el Karime lui donnèrent leurs vêtiments les plus fins, leurs bijoux les plus jolis. Mme. Baldacci portait même un sautoir d'or, des bracelets d'or aussi.

Or, il y avait une grande fête en son honneur. D'abord, Mme. Baldacci ne savait pas ce que passait, puis elle se rendit compte qu'Abd-el Karime se mariait avec elle. Elle ne s'en revenait pas !

Au début des noces, les Kabylie abbattirent plusieurs aigneaux et plusieurs chèvres, puis il y avait assez de la nourriture, de la buisson pour tout le monde. Les membres de tribu fêtaient et dansaient la soirée entière au rhythme fort des tambours et des tambourins, et aux sons désaccordants des luthes et des rahabs. Il y avait même une chanteuse qui racontait un conte en chanson, gesticulant des mains en chantant sa ballade. C'était toute une bacchanale, les noces.

Alors, Mme. Balducci, la mariée d'Abd-el Karime à cette heure, se trouva toute seule dedans sa tente. De la main, Abd-el Karime l'invita de s'asseoir devant lui sur les cuissons, elle obéit à lui. Puis ils se mangeant un petit dîner.

Mme. Baldacci s'étonnait beaucoup à voir que Abd-el Karime, et plusieurs entre sa tribu, avaient des cheveux blonds, bien qu'il avait de la peau d'or et des yeux d'ambre. Elle écouvrit aussi que le chef des Kabylie parlait le français un peu, mais quelque peu mal. Toutefois, il communiqua avec réussite qu'il voulait qu'elle enseignât à tous ses femmes et à tous ses enfants le français, et il communiqua son désir sexuel.

Quoique le chef de Kabylie avait été violent la nuit prévue, il était plus doux cette fois. D'abord, il embrassait Mme. Baldacci sur les babines, jusqu'à ce qu'elle était pleine de désir pour son nouveau mari. Puis ils se faisaent amour dans la tente sur les cuissons. Ils faisaent tout ensemble. La première fois qu'il mangeait la chatte, elle prenait son pied à plusieurs reprises. Avant la fin des noces, elle était insatiable. Bientôt, son mari défunt, le soldat corse, ne lui manquait pas grand-chose.

Mais oui, Mme. Baldacci se trouva être enceinte bientôt. Après les neuf mois, après les quarante semaines, elle donna naissance à un fils. Le travail était très difficile, elle avait peur d'elle ne pas survivre, bien que le nouveau-né et elle survirent. Toutefois, elle était la moins importante des épouses d'Abd-el Kabylie, dont le fils n'était que le benjamin d'un douzaine de frères.

La femme de la plus importance du harem était la mère d'Abd-el Karime, puis la première épouse. La mère était la dirigéant du harem, et elle était tyrane. Personne ne l'aimait pas, et tous les femmes avait peur d'elle, y compris Mme. Baldacci.

Alors, Mme. Baldacci était la témoine d'une circomcision femelle. Sous la direction de la mère d'Abd-el Karime, les autres femmes saisirent la jeune fille pour enlever son clitoris d'un couteau. De horreur, Mme. Baldacci ne pouvait rien faire que regarder. A coup sûr, la jeune fille s'écriait de terreur et de grande douleur, et il y avait du sang partout. Malheureusement, elle mourut d'infection tôt après, mais tout le mond dirent que c'était la volonté d'Allah.

Mme. Baldacci se rendit compte que tous les autres femmes n'avaient pas de clitoris non plus, sauf d'elle. Ainsi, Mme. Baldacci ne décidait de rien dire de l'affaire.

C'était de trépidition donc que Mme. Baldacci faisait le sexe avec son époux. Elle ne pouvait pas refuser son mari, mais elle avait peur d'enfanter à une fille, qui devrait faire face au même destin que les autres jeunes filles, la mutilation de génitaux.

En même temps, Mme. Baldacci enseignait à Abd-el Karime et à ses femmes et à ses enfants le français, il fallait le faire. Elle essayait d'être une bonne enseigneuse. C'était moins difficile pour les enfants que pour les adultes, mais la plupart des enfants et la plupart des adultes apprenaient le français. Même Abd-el Karim apprenait le français.

La mère d'Abd-el Karime ne voulait pas apprendre le français du tout, pourtant, la première épouse non plus. Elles haïssaient Mme. Baldacci. La mère et la première épouse avaient peur de perdre la contrôle, et elles formaient un plan contre Mme. Baldacci, qui était sans doute la meilleure d'épouse d'Ab-del Karim.

Mais oui, il fallait que Mme. Baldacci apprisse le kabylie aussi, il fallait le faire. Ainsi, elle apprenait aux enfants à lire et à écrire tous deux en kabylie et en français. Son mari, le chef de Kabylie, se patientait en apprendant à elle le kabylie dans sa tente.

Alors, Mme. Baldacci était enceinte à nouveau. Quoi de faire ? Si elle donnait naissance à une fille, cette fille ferait face à mutilation de génitaux. Ainsi, Mme. Baldacci était pleine d'angoisse pendant la grossesse entière.

Cette fois, l'accouchement était plus difficile pour la mère, elle eut failli mourir. Et cette fois, elle donna naissance à une fille. En découvrant le genre de la nourrison, elle était très démoralisée.

Peu de jours plus tard, les femmes d'Abd-el Karime trouvèrent Mme. Baldacci dans sa tente, des larmes dans ses yeux, une nourrisson morte au sein. De horreur, les femmes kabyliennes se rendirent compte que la Française eut étranglé sa propre enfant.

Quels barbares ! pensaient-elles des Européens en général.

La fin.