Houseboy

Toundi comments on how emotional whites become when love and passion are involved, and from this musing, mentions how the prison director attends dinner at the Residence with the Commandant and Madame. To Toundi, the dinner is a great performance. He notes how Madame acts extremely nice—perhaps too nice—to her husband, while the stealthy glances she gives M. Moreau would be obvious to most anyone. In her husband’s presence, she and the prison director act almost as though they have never met each other before. Madame often looks at Toundi while the three are dining, knowing that he is aware of her affair.

After dinner, Madame becomes annoyed with Toundi and calls him on his “laziness.” She accuses him of thinking he can do whatever he wants, and of taking on airs in his position. She tells him that she will fire him if he continues to act as he does, which startles Toundi. She then goes about the Residence scolding all the servants on their supposedly poor work.

The Commandant goes on tour again and Toundi, as well as the other servants, are nervous about what Madame has planned for them. She is on edge and threatening, and they cannot figure out her mood. Toundi takes a note to the prison director on her behalf, and comments on having seen two Africans struck by rifle butts and killed. He is given cigarettes by M. Moreau and told to be a good go-between, or he will be dealt with in the prison. M. Moreau also gives Toundi money and tells him to give Madame a message. Toundi rips the money up, but tells Madame that the prison director will come at three.

Madame acts more and more embarrassed and annoyed in Toundi’s presence. The other servants tell Toundi that he is becoming too caught up in the goings-on of Madame and her affair. They also warn him about the whites being nice to him, and calling him Monsieur Toundi. The servants explain how it only leads to trouble when whites become nice to natives in this way. To highlight this, when M. Moreau arrives, Madame jokes that Toundi is indeed Monsieur Toundi, and that he has taken on airs. M. Moreau suggests that Toundi spend time at the prison, but Madame says that the Commandant likes Toundi and so would never allow it.

The doctor’s wife pays a visit to Madame early one morning. The two women talk about something in secret while watching Toundi and deriding the natives. Toundi catches some of what the women are discussing, and it seems that the doctor’s wife is warning Madame about the affair, and the fact that the Commandant still does not know about it.

A few more instances of embarrassment happen between Toundi and Madame, making matters worse between them. One instance takes place when the doctor’s wife barges into the Residence; when he tries to wake Madame to tell her, Toundi sees her in her underwear. Another happens when Baklu shows one of Madame’s sanitary napkins around to the other servants. A third instance occurs when Toundi is cleaning and finds used condoms under Madame’s bed. Madame sees him sweep them up and becomes enraged. Toundi relates the story of the condoms to his fellow servants, and though they make fun of him, they also tell him that he was never meant to see these things, and that he has put himself in a dangerous position by discovering them and not ignoring them like a good houseboy.

One day Madame asks for a chambermaid, and the cook finds a relative, named Kalisia, to attend to Madame. Toundi is unsure of Kalisia, as she is a flight risk. She has lived with white men and does not stay in one place for too long. She is also beautiful, and he worries that the Commandant might try to take her as a mistress. Kalisia stands up to Madame, as she does to all whites, but is given the job anyway. Kalisia jokes that Toundi must be sleeping with Madame, angering him, but when she is rebuffed, she apologizes.

The Commandant again arrives at the Residence without warning. Even Madame is surprised and worried this time about his sudden appearance. His actions are hostile and he is withdrawn, not even responding to Madame. Instead, he angers her and she storms off. He later asks Toundi to call for her, and drinks profusely while she waits for him to explain why he is so upset. He later reveals that he has Moreau’s lighter, which he throws at her, and explains how everyone in Dangan knows that she is sleeping with the prison director and that he is a laughingstock. Madame tries to send Toundi away but the Commandant tells him to stay, especially as he has played a role in her affair. The two argue, and it is revealed that Madame has a history of affairs. The Commandant eventually tires and tells Toundi to leave.

Kalisia, after hearing about the fight and the revelation, advises Toundi to flee as soon as possible. She tells him that, though none of it is technically his fault, he is the head servant. Moreover, the whites will never forgive him for knowing all their business. Even if they eventually forgive each other, they can never live with a servant who they feel is judging them and their actions. Toundi says he is not afraid, though he does wonder what will happen next.

The Commandant becomes increasingly hostile toward Toundi. He begins kicking him and stepping on his hands, trying to cause pain. One morning Toundi walks in on the Commandant and Madame kissing. He is shocked that the Commandant has taken Madame back so quickly. The Commandant becomes enraged and accuses Toundi of spying on them. Toundi notes how pleased Madame looks at her husband’s anger toward him. The Commandant begins acting very rude to Toundi, even leaving the room when he enters and reappearing when Toundi leaves.

One morning, Toundi is arrested while serving breakfast. It is revealed that Sophie has run off and taken the engineer’s money and clothes. She is thought to be Toundi’s fiancée, so Toundi is taken in for questioning. The natives are angered that Toundi would be treated as a criminal. He is taken to prison, and though he is innocent, he is beaten by Gullet and his officers. He is then questioned again and handed over to the Sergeant, a large African who is feared by everyone and known as Mendim me Tit. Though Toundi is frightened of the African (who is not from the Cameroons), Mendim tells Toundi that he will not hurt him. He covers Toundi with animal blood and instructs him on how to look hurt and scared. Gullet returns and is angered that no new information has been gathered.

The white men next take Toundi to the African quarters and tell him not to make a scene. They ransack his house, and though he complies, a scene unfolds anyway. Toundi’s sister begins wailing and shouting, causing the other women to do the same. The natives are angered that Toundi is being treated as a criminal, especially with no proof of his guilt. Toundi’s brother swears that Toundi would never do anything wrong, and Toundi is taken back to the prison with no new leads. At the prison, Toundi is flogged and whipped and, eventually, hit in the ribs with the rifle butt, after refusing to give the whites any satisfaction by yelling or crying out. He has nearly lost the will to resist, however, which makes his body give up as well. He is transferred to a hospital, a place that natives fear, and is gravely ill because of the rifle butt to his kidneys and the beatings. The whites seem satisfied with this, but want to continue interrogating him. Toundi is encouraged to escape to Spanish Guinea before the whites return to kill him. Toundi finally makes up his mind to flee, despite the possible consequences.