The Belgian Beast

by Keyes, Janae

  From his pocket, Marc produced a simple yet perfect ring. The silver band held a single princess cut diamond. I couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears, but only one thing was for sure: I wanted to be with him forever.

  “Oui! Oui! Oui!” I screamed over and over as Marc slipped the ring onto my finger before standing and pulled me in for a deep kiss that took my senses away.

  I hadn’t noticed the small crowd of people that gathered in the station as Marc was proposing. They all cheered and shouted their congratulations. It wasn’t the most romantic spot, the middle of the metro station, but it was absolutely perfect, exactly how Marc described himself, it was simply perfect.

  * * *

  I was powering through my day. I’d been all over Brussels in only a matter of hours from the conservatory for rehearsals and costume alterations, to the venue of the show, and back home to change my clothes before I was quickly off to my parent’s home as usual for a Friday.

  Staying home and climbing into bed would have been the better idea with how run down I felt. My entire body was physically exhausted, and I hurt from head to toe. Ignoring the pain and my exhaustion, I rang the bell at my parent’s home and hugged my oversized sweater around my body.

  I knew if I stayed home, Mom would call asking a million questions, and if I told her I wasn’t feeling well, she would be at my house cooking me food there. It wasn’t worth all the trouble and I’d rather bite the bullet and get it over with.

  “Ma petite!” Dad cheered as he opened the door. He beamed from ear to ear as he pulled me in for a hug. “Nina est arrivé!” he announced as we entered the house. “Ça va? Ma petite?”

  “Ça va, et vous?” I asked as we strolled into the living room where Suzanna sat rubbing her oversized belly and watching television with her other children who were all lost in the show.

  “Ça va,” Dad answered as he parked himself in his armchair as usual.

  “Bonjour à tous,” I greeted everyone, patting the children on their heads and kissing Suzanna on the cheek as usual.

  “How much are you eating? I swear you gain more weight each time I see you,” Suzanna commented. I took a deep breath and didn’t respond to my sister-in-law, who never had anything nice to say.

  Leaving the living room, and Suzanna’s constantly negative energy, I went off to find my mom who was hard at work in the kitchen with my grandmother. The smell of a lot of different food still made me nauseous but I wasn’t jogging off to the bathroom to vomit as I did in the beginning.

  “Nina, you look tired,” Mom commented.

  “I’m fine, Maman,” I countered before I gave my grandmother a kiss on the cheek. “Bonjour Mamy.”

  “My beautiful. Look at that round face, you remind me of when your mother was pregnant with those round cheeks,” My grandma commented as she reached up and pinched my cheek. I offered a weak smile at her comment. Maybe I could tell them tonight … or not.

  Moments later, there were more people entering the kitchen. My aunt and uncle came in along with Ayo’s sister, Arjana, and her children. There was loud chatter as my brother also arrived from a late day at work.

  I snuck out of the madness and back into the living room where Ayo sat on the couch texting. He’d dyed the tips of his hair blond and had gotten a nose ring. When the nose ring first appeared, my aunt lost her shit but Ayo being Ayo, ignored the drama and went about his business.

  Dad got out of his chair and left us with Suzanna and my brother’s children.

  “Cousine!” He cheered as he saw me.

  I took my usual seat with him on the loveseat opposite Suzanna and her pack of children.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m tired but okay,” I told him as I resisted the urge to rub my hand over my belly at Axel’s relentless kicks. I think he smelled his grandmother’s cooking and was excited for all the eating we’d do.

  Leaning in closer, Ayo kept his voice low to keep Suzanna from eavesdropping on our conversation. She was known to not just be nosey but to be a snitch.

  “Did you find out?” he asked me anxiously.

  “On Tuesday,” I informed him as I tried to keep from grinning so hard, but it was difficult when I wanted to scream it from the rooftops the way Marc wanted to. “It’s a boy.”

  “A boy,” he tried to whisper his scream before he threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly. “Oh cousin, I’m so happy for you. I know Marc is excited.”

  “Marc is more than excited. We’re supposed to go look at houses down in Hainaut this weekend,” I informed my cousin.

  “And I’m going to decorate,” he declared instantly.

  “Decorate what?” The joy in the air was met with the voice of my sister-in-law who enjoyed injecting herself into business that wasn’t hers to be in.

  “I’m looking at apartments,” I plainly stated.

  “Nice,” she simply commented before she stood and left the room.

  Glancing over to Ayo, he rolled his eyes and I shook my head. We were used to Suzanna and her constantly wanting to be involved in other’s business but the moment someone commented on her life it was a problem.

  “Nina, Suzanna says you’re moving?” Mom called from the other room.

  “Bitch,” Ayo muttered under his breath before I stood with Ayo behind me.

  After my first step, I paused for a moment in place as I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness come over me. Earlier in the day I’d felt the same but after taking a deep breath, it’d gone away. Just as earlier my dizzy spell began to end, and I continued into the kitchen where the rest of the family was gathered.

  “Nina says she’s looking at apartments,” Suzanna told my aunt who stood over a bowl rolling balls of Foutou Banane, which was a favorite of mine as a kid and Ayo’s mom made the best.

  “Out of Jette?” Dad asked.

  “Yes,” I answered as I my dizzy spell returned with much more intensity than before.

  Suddenly I felt as if I wanted to vomit as well and my skin prickled with sweat. I was burning from the inside out. My vision began to blur and though people were speaking to me, I could barely make out what they were saying. My mom approached me. I could just make out her face, but her voice wasn’t translating. Nothing made sense and my head was spinning with the room before it all went black.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Marc

  My heart didn’t stop beating a million times a minute from the moment Ayo called me. I didn’t have time to think about anything else but getting to Nina as soon as possible. The ride through Brussels was a blur. I barely remembered the blue lights of the Madou Tunnel as I whipped through it fast as lightning on my motorcycle.

  Presently, there were no such things as traffic rules in my book and I’d likely racked up quite a few tickets from the speed cameras placed around the city. My priority was Nina and my son.

  Arriving in Halle, the last time I’d been to this hospital was when I’d come to see Nina when her father had his heart attack. I parked my bike at the entrance and jogged inside ripping my helmet off as I approached the glass window of the emergency room receptionist.

  “Hoe kan ik u helpen?” The woman behind the glass asked what she could help me with.

  “Nina Sangare, she was brought here. Can I see her?” I asked frantically before I heard my name called from behind me.

  I sharply turned to see Ayo sitting with a group of people I recognized from photos. Nina’s family sat huddled together in the waiting room. They all stared at me like I had two heads as I approached them.

  “How is she?” I asked them instantly wanting to know her current condition. All I knew was that she fainted at her parent’s house and they called the ambulance.

  “She’s awake and alert,” Ayo informed me which already calmed my heartbeat from the frantic thumping that had filled my chest. “She passed out from exhaustion and dehydration. They are giving her fluids and monitoring her and the baby.”

  “And the baby is good?” I inquired.r />
  “As far as they can tell, but we don’t have too much information. Her mom is with her,” he told me with a long face. “I’m sorry but I had to tell them. She suddenly fainted and I knew we had to get her to a hospital.”

  “I understand and thanks for it.” I patted Ayo on the shoulder in appreciation. “I want to see her,” I demanded wanting to be with Nina and the knowledge that our son was completely fine.

  “And who are you?” A deep voice asserted from behind Ayo. A tall man stood and moved him from the path that separated us. He wasn’t as tall as me but had some height on him. I knew from photos he was Nina’s older brother, Jaheem.

  I puffed out my chest and stood tall at his already defensive stance.

  He stepped closer and we were toe to toe.

  “I’m Marc,” I answered his question.

  “Okay, Marc. What do you want with my sister?” He snarled and looked me over from head to toe and back.

  “First, I’m her fiancé. Second, I’m her baby’s father,” I stated plainly and easily.

  “Oh, Allah,” gasped one of the women seated. Her hand was over her mouth and her eyes filled with shock. “Fiancé?” She looked around at the other women in the group who were equally shocked.

  “You did this to my daughter?” Growled another voice. A man I knew was Nina’s father stood, his eyes wild with anger as he approached.

  He and her brother both stood trying to intimidate me which wasn’t going to happen. I would do what I had to. My only concern was Nina and Axel’s wellbeing. I wouldn’t let them stand in my way.

  “Did what?” I asked wondering what he meant. I hadn’t done anything wrong to Nina. I only loved her and was prepared to do it forever.

  “Raped my sister,” he growled before spitting at the ground. “Dégueulasse, sale blanc.”

  I tried my hardest to hold my composure as her brother insulted me and insinuated that I had taken advantage of Nina. I wouldn’t let him put that on me. Never. He was fucking with the wrong man.

  “I did not rape her,” I hissed as I got my face directly in his. “Don’t you fucking dare let me hear you say that again.”

  “Rapist,” he spat with a smirk on his lips, pleased he was egging me on.

  “Arrêtez!” I heard Ayo’s voice, but I couldn’t even focus on him.

  With all my might I shoved Jaheem as hard as I could. Gasps came from the family. He stumbled back and fell to the floor, his eyes wild as he jumped back up, his adrenaline likely rushing through him as mine did with me.

  “I’ll fucking kill you. You defiled my sister!” He charged at me, but I easily pulled him into a headlock before slamming his body to the ground.

  “I dare you to fucking try,” I spat before I made a beeline to the counter where the woman I’d spoken to only moments before sat in awe of what she’d witnessed. “I’m Nina Sangare’s fiancé and the child’s father, I want to see her now.”

  “I will see what I can do. Een moment.” She quickly picked up the phone and began to speak rapidly to the person on the other end. “Someone will meet you at the door and escort you.”

  “He will not go near my daughter,” Nina’s father growled from the waiting room, but I ignored him and strolled to the electric door that was opening for me.

  A male nurse stood, and I could tell by his jittery body language that he was apprehensive as his eyes scanned the waiting room where Nina’s family was in hysterics.

  Following the nurse, the doors behind us automatically closed and the noise of the family disappeared. I could only hear machines and low chatting at this point as we strolled down a hall. We stopped at a room and the nurse slid the door open. I saw Nina and I forgot everything from before. I only saw her and rushed to her side where she lay in the hospital bed with her mother sitting on the other side of the room.

  “Who are you?” Her mother shot instantly as I held Nina’s hand and squeezed it.

  “He’s the father,” Nina answered quietly as she peered up at me.

  Her mother’s hands went over her mouth and not a single word came from her mouth as she watched us.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, I stroked Nina’s cheek. Her dark skin was gray, and she was clammy. Her sick look reminded me of her early pregnancy when she was constantly nauseated and throwing up.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked as I continued to stroke her cheek with my thumb.

  “Better,” she answered as she leaned into my hand.

  “And Axel?” I asked placing my other hand on her stomach and instantly I smiled as I felt our baby boy kicking away as usual. It set my mind at a little more ease knowing that Nina was stable, and Axel didn’t seem affected at all.

  “He’s good. They want to move me to labor and delivery to observe me overnight, but we’re both good,” Nina explained before I bent to her and kissed her gently. “I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  “How could you do this, Nina?” Her mother’s voice cut through the air and I felt Nina instantly tense. “Did you not use your brain?”

  “Maman, please,” Nina begged.

  “You know better than that. Think of the shame you’ve already brought on our family and now this. I’m so disappointed.” Nina’s mother began to cry and in only moments Nina was sobbing in my arms.

  I knew this moment was what she was trying to avoid. It was intense from the waiting room to the triage. Nina didn’t need it, what she needed was to be loved unconditionally. I loved her with no conditions and if I was all she would have left at the end of this, so be it. They were going to lose out on an amazing woman and eventually a great little boy.

  “Please, Madame, I don’t want her upset right now,” I insisted as I faced her mother for the first time.

  “I need to go. I can barely even look at you.” Suddenly her mother stood and left the room without a look back.

  Nina sobbed harder as she gripped onto me and pressed her face onto my chest. Her family was turning their backs to her when she needed them the most.

  “I knew this would happen,” she cried as she laid back onto her pillow and wiped her tears that continued to fall.

  “My brother and dad will lose their shit,” she said as she shook her head.

  “They already did,” I reluctantly told her.

  “What happened?”

  “You don’t want to know right now. Right now, you need to rest up for you and for Axel. He needs his mama well, okay?”

  Nina nodded and gripped onto my hand tightly. We had each other and that’s what mattered most.

  * * *

  A knock on the edge of the door brought me out of my light sleep. Nina had been moved during the night to the maternity ward where she was under observation. I never left her side and slept in a chair in the corner.

  Opening my eyes, I expected another nurse or midwife to be coming in to check Nina’s vitals as they did like clockwork but instead it was my mother who gave a weak smile and carried a potted plant into the room.

  Nina was fast asleep after her emotional night and being poked and prodded by doctors and nurses. She needed the rest more than anything since exhaustion is what landed her in the hospital in the first place. She was upset that she’d miss the performance of her students, but she knew she’d run herself too much and it was time for her to take a step back from balancing so many responsibilities. At least she no longer had the work of hiding her pregnancy.

  “Goedemorgen,” My mom greeted in a whisper as she crossed the room to me and pulled me into a hug. “How is she and the baby?”

  “They’re both good,” I told her as I kept my voice quiet to allow Nina to get her much needed rest. “The baby is being monitored and he’s been constantly active which is good. Nina is still tired and this morning the doctor mentioned keeping her another day.”

  “I’m happy everything is good. She was with her family when she collapsed, right?” Mom asked.

  I sighed.

  “That bad?”

  “I
t was a mess. Her brother tried to make claims I raped her, and he attacked me in the waiting room. Her dad was yelling, and her mom just walked out on her. Nina said this would happen, but I really didn’t think it would be this bad. I hate that they are putting her through this. It happened, it’s time to move on and celebrate our son’s life,” I expressed as I felt incredibly sad for Nina whom I glanced over to as she continued to lightly snore.

  “She has us. She’s family no matter what,” My mom boasted. She’d accepted Nina from the first moment without batting an eye. “Sophie sent the plant.”

  “I’ll text her later to thank her.”

  My sister had gone into a program to deal with her addictions. She’d been sober the last four months and gambling was a thing of the past. She’d made the decision to go to cosmetology school and worked at a daycare during the day. Things were looking up including she and Basir had gotten married and moved into a place near my mom.

  “Do you think her family will ever come around?” Mom asked the million-dollar question.

  “I have no idea. I’m hoping that her mom at least does.” I hoped everyone came around and would accept us the way my family had. Nina didn’t deserve to be shunned by her family. It might not be the exact relationship they saw her having but at least it was a loving one and the best part was our love had created a life.

  A soft squeal and yawn from the bed alerted me to Nina who was coming out of her deep sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and glanced around for a moment until they landed on me and my mom who sat in the corner. I stood and sat on the edge of the bed taking her hand into mine.

  “You slept really good for the last couple of hours,” I told her as I stroked her hand gently.