Version française ici. Amin’ny teny malagasy ato.

Dago is lying near the Canal and her haggard eyes are seeing the red water, red of her blood. But, it is necessary to tell everything from the beginning. So, let us leave this scene and let us return to the beginning of history.

Sad childhood

Dago was an unhappy little girl. Separated too early from her mother Gondwana, she taught herself to be independent. I must say she had potential: a perfect beauty, a golden heart and a lot of willpower. But one day a vazaha (foreigner) came. It was a childless woman that had come in order to « adopt » a small African. Unfortunately, about adoptions by foreigners, some go well and that was not the case for Dago.

So, the poor Dago officially became the daughter of Mrs Marianne but, in reality, she was her slave. Summum of cruelty, Marianne had exploited her, had mistreated her, had often beaten her but still had required from her to be called « Reny malala » (Loved mother).

Dago was suffering, but in her heart, she always had the courage, the « joie de vivre » that was apparent on her face with this eternal smile. She is also a real fighter and after her umpteenth rebellion, she got her independence. Because yes, her independence, it was Dame Marianne who gave it her. The latter, seeing her « girl » becoming a great person, no longer wanted to be seen as a cantankerous and overbearing mother. However, she did not want to let go of the benefits she could derive from the kid. So she gives her a little pocket money, some nice but used clothes, short trips against the insurance that she always remains in her entire service.

One, or rather several times, Dago was made courted. What joy for the poor little to feel like a princess trapped in a tower by her godmother to see charming princes fight for her freedom. Poor Dago, the so-called princes was not really charming but were profiteers who had only taken the most precious things she had and left her in her poverty and destitution.

Today

Returning to our opening scene. It is a young girl, beautiful but in dirty rags that lies on the ground, bloody. Dago is bleeding and  redden the Canal. Onlookers gather but look far from the other side of the canal or even from further.

Doctors who are auscultating her with protections from head to toe are formal. One said: « This is a hemorrhagic fever. » The other replied: « I agree … but then, to say that it is Ebola, Chikungunya, Marburg, or I don’t know not what… you know, it seems that the surrounding forest is cursed ». « Help her, she is suffering » exclaimed a neighbor who is as empathic as frightened … « Is it contagious? ».

The doctor, oddly, began a course of medicine to explain that this kind of disease comes very fast without noone could expect. In some time, the body is under attack from within. Hair falls and lets only a bald head. The  skin decrepit. The organs are corrupted and do not work very well and deadly phase of the disease is bleeding, everything goes: blood, strength, brainpower.

– « But, help her, she suffers »

– « No, she does not suffer anymore. » said the doctor

– « Is she …?? »

– « No, do not worry. »

He, then, continued on his way. « You see? this disease, we do not know what it is. Simply, only Dame Marianne knows. » « No, no dear Mother, she did not help me, she let me die here. »  Dago whispered. But has she whispered or has she only spoken in her head?

The doctor continued: « But it is not necessary to know what it is. It is very fast, certainly, but after some time, it heals itself if luckily it did not kill. ».

Dago’s eyes have stirred, they are no longer fixed on nowhere but seem to expect more from what the doctor will say. « Dago has suffered, she is dehydrated, she is bloodless, she is tired but luckily she held on. » « It is true, she is courageous, » said one of the neighbors. she is a courageous, she is strong and she is mostly « happy« .

Dago, driven by such good news already wants to move! She cannot yet but it is happening, it is evident that it is coming soon. It’s like going to the doctor for a bad cold and when you leave the office, you feel yourself healing without having yet taken a single drug. That’s the hope, that’s envy, that’s survival.

So, rise up and walk. What does not kill you makes you stronger.

But your story, Dago, Madagascar, my island, will not have a happy ending. Finally, I hope that you become eternal. But do you understand? Your blood is your people. Your strength lies in your youth. Your brain, it’s your intellectuals. Your beauty is nature and you are rich; if you knew how you are rich!