“Somewhere, we worked together on this project”: a Toulouse resident writes a book in tribute to his best friend who died of cancer

Jean, your best friend, died 10 years ago. Why did you wait so long before writing this book?

First, there was a necessary time for mourning. Then, I wanted to write with Jean, not just write about him. I couldn't find a way to go about it. One day, I reread his emails in which he had written “that would have deserved a testimony”. He implied that he would have liked to write. That is, if he had had more time. I then had the idea of ​​including his own writings and imagining a dialogue, like an exchange after his disappearance. It took me a decade to find this path.

Who was John?

He was quite an emblematic man. With his mother, he left their small Cameroonian village to settle in Aveyron, France. She had just married a Frenchman. He was 12 years old. He arrived at a college, he was the only black person. Some time later, his mother was killed against a plane tree while driving her car. His stepfather abandoned him. Jean became a ward of the state. He was a brilliant guy; he got 18 on the baccalaureate philosophy test.

You crossed paths with him at the University of Capitole…

He was part of a group of Aveyronnais. One of his friends did not have enough money to pay his registration fees. I then fixed it. I met him again once, he was accompanied by Jean. We got along very well. Our humor was essentially the same. He was a very positive guy, very philosophical, very subtle and very focused on others.

You came from two very different worlds. What did you learn from him?

First of all, I had never encountered racism. With him, I quickly realized that he existed and more than I thought. Paradoxically, Jean facilitated my integration into the faculty. I felt a little foreign to this city being Parisian. He was my guide.

Once you have your diploma, your paths separate. For what ?

I'm taking a job as a lawyer at the Federation of Secular Works. Jean is in a relationship with an African woman from Cameroon. Unable to find work, she survives by cleaning. He ended up accepting a position at the Teaching League. They end up settling in Canada, thinking they will get away from racism. He ends up learning that he has cancer and will die soon. I went to see him, it was good.

You are working on a new project. Can you talk about it?

I write about parents who believe their children are geniuses. I make fun of them. I've been there: I was told that my son was. He's not, but he's a great guy.