A cappella

Chapter 7: Tough and Cruel like a Bird of Prey

The ball hammered the ground quickly, first to the right, then a change of hands and Babakar now dribbled with the left, embarrassed by the young Basque who marked him too closely, legs bent, arms spread open to limit his space.

"Pass!" cried Max, rushing to the basket with his arm outstretched.

But their opponent intercepted the ball and launched a counterattack by calling his friends to his rescue, shouting indications in Basque, probably so that the others don't understand... the ball slid into the net without even the slightest touch of the board.

"Ah shit!" said Babakar, hands on knees and out of breath.

Max, on the other hand, said nothing. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and went off to fetch the ball.

They were starting to bother him, those guys from Anglet, who pretended not to speak French. They laughed too much with no clear reason.

The air of the sea made the ground wet and cold on that autumn-gray morning when Max and Babakar had decided to meet up and play basketball.

Quickly joined by some young people, the game had started quickly, two against three, and the gap widened gradually in favor of the Basques who mocked these two funny birds, these newcomers.

When Max slipped on the wet ground, that came from the nearby ocean, losing the ball and the match, laughter was a fatal blow to his patience.

He jumped back up, rushed at the one who marked him and jostled him aggressively, while insulting him in English: French at a moment like this seemed to him as lacking efficiency. A few nervous shots, a few hurtful words and the boys quickly left the field.

"Hey man, warn me next time you decide to play Jackie Chan, I thought we were playing basketball damn it!" said Babacar astonished, in front of a dark Max, whose nervous body was suddenly filled with an ill restrained violence, that only wanted the chance to express itself.

" Such bastards! They were afraid, so much the better!" Max said while trying to catch his breath. "I've been wanting to test what I've learned in Karaté for a while. Not bad, huh?... Want to continue playing for a little while longer?"

Babakar rolled his eyes.

"No, its over for today. Anyway, You made them runaway, we can't play even if we wanted to, he said as he put on his jacket. I'm gonna go back home, shower and then get back to studying. I have an appointment with Marion at three o'clock to study in the library. You, badass, will go for a walk?"

"Yeah... stay a little longer with me! Let's have a coffee! It's no fun spending my day alone, especially when I'm the only one on holiday."

Le Café Tabakado, a café in downtown Bayonne, in a narrow street with no light, had a decidedly exotic decoration in sparkling black, with ebony tables and bamboo vases with bright red hibiscus that brought out the unique color of the place.

"Here it is! The only café in the region run completely by Africans!"

 "Love it! Really feels like we're in Africa!" said Max.

Babakar shook hands with a waiter, a friend, and introduced him to Max.

"That's Max" he said, "a new friend of mine"

The waiter put his hand on Max's shoulder:

"You are here at home, my brother" he said, smiling, "what do you want to drink? First time is on the house!"

Max was now relaxed, in front of a glass of mint tea served according to Senegalese tradition in small glasses decorated with golden arabesques.

In the background, the loud voice of the singer Akon proclaimed his loneliness. 

Max made his new friend talk, with his consummate skill in asking the right questions.

"I would like to get married" Babakar now said. "Medical studies are long; I have more than ten years to study in this city, before I can return back home. I'ld like to marry a girl from here..."

"Why not a Senegalese woman?" said Max.

"She would not feel at ease here...and if I marry a French woman I'll integrate more easily in society...

"Yes, being a stranger is hard..."

"Exactly! You should have seen me when I first arrived, I was really sad. It's difficult to adapt to the climate, to be accepted by the people. Now, its better, I have friends, I work with Marion..."

"She's nice that girl!"

"Yes" said Babacar, smiling, his eyes glaring behind his glasses. "Have you known her for a long time?"

"Not very long actually. For a shorter time than you... but she looks like a good person". Max hesitated for a moment before continuing.

He saw Marion again, her chestnut hair tied in a ponytail, her intelligent and serious look, and the somewhat shy smile she had thrown at him the last time he had seen her, when he had invited them all to his place.

He had felt that she was starting to take an interest in him.

But he, Max, always kept control of his emotions. He remained master of himself and of his decisions. When he let his anger speak, it was to test his karate; and when he would open his heart one day to speak of love, it would be in absolute clarity. He finally added, "It's her you should marry!"

.....

Alright i want u guys to start making your guesses on who will end up with who in the end.

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