The guy was sort of a legend especially in his village. If you ask me why he was considered a legend I don’t think I can put it to you in black and white. Somehow, his being a legend was what you’d have called a done deal and no one asked the reason. Funny, isn’t it? One thing about him was that he knows how to act a legend. Most of the time he was well-dressed, while at times he made too much of it he was nowhere to being impressive. Where he got all the money to buy those expensive suits and shoes no one could tell you. Of course practically no one asked; he’s a legend! And you don’t ask the financial sources or the motives of legends! It would have been blasphemous in its own way! I tell you, the guy wore fifteen thousand birr thousand birr shoes!
The village has been turned into history several months back and all the villagers scattered all over town no one saw him for quite a while. As to the villagers, most knew who lived where since such information got around with lightning speed. Recently a couple of housewives having travelled farther from their present residence run into the legend guy. And no sooner have they returned home the news made the rounds. Why? I’ll tell you why. When the two ladies run into him in a fairly crowded area on the outskirts of the city he was in what the ladies describe as “rags.” He did his best not to be recognized but the two ladies didn’t have to look twice to know it was him. Still the funniest part of the whole story is that still no one could tell you why he was the legend he was treated like except that he is well-dressed most of the time. And the catch here is no one knew any official job of his through which he earned his daily bread. So, something nefarious must have been at paly there!
Legends, of legends! You must have heard once in a while about the legend of the rich guy who flirt with every other person’s wife or fiancé not very discreetly and still goes away with it unscathed laughing his way to the next bed and next conquest! I mean, with so many rich peel around isn’t that one of the most common legends? The catch here is that in the way the narrative makes around he is painted not as the good-for-nothing block who couldn’t keep his zippers fastened and uses his financial muscle to destroy families but as a smart guy who seems to have his way around the most gorgeous ladies in town. And, now, this is interesting, the story is that he makes donations of hundreds of thousands birr religious organizations and his name is included in some prayers the clergy pleading for The Creator to see his philanthropic activities and award him with money many times over than he actually has. He is ‘the blessed of the blessed!’ isn’t he? Not at all! After all, blessing and curse should be all about deeds. It’s nice for those humane genes to come out and claim their front row seats! But what about the families torn apart because of our legend’s promiscuity and what about the children whose parents have gone world apart and they’re denied proper upbringing because of the man’s rather barbaric acts. Anyone who destroys an innocent family’s life because his money could bring down walls and bridges is barbaric and nothing else. But what about the broken a marriage of the legend’s best friend which he practically carpet bombed to dust. Still probably in the evening watering holes the town his reputation as smart and bold guy who gets anything and anyone he wants thrives. Life could be so nasty!
And there is the legend of the Big Guy. The stories that go around him are so flamboyantly tempting it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to claim his being a CEO of some organization for some he was more than that. You’d think that he holds the master key to Heaven. Who wouldn’t want to get as near as possible to such a guy! The story of the legend has it that if you can find your way to him there would be no door you couldn’t open with as little as an “Open Sesame!” call. But of course one thing you hear is also that there’s no ‘free lunch’ with the guy.
Free lunch! You must be kidding! In fact the era of ‘the free lunch’ is falling so far behind in a short time most of us would forget what it meant like to dine on someone else’s wallet! Knowing that the preface to the whole story is that you must be aware there’s no ‘free lunch’ and should be all open to whatever is demanded from you! It is a two-way street, isn’t it? Trying to get into a game without first and foremost knowing the rules would be probably being stretched out in a little more nine or ten minutes! That wouldn’t make good headlines. Would it?
The three is the legend of the village tough guy. Few have the courage to call him a bully in public because the next pair of teeth on his palms might be theirs. Scary, isn’t it? And the guy acts like he actually owns the entire village. You go into conflict with him and you’re sure to spend the next fortnight in your bed and practically few would turn up with the ‘mandatory’ bags of oranges and bananas. Even the family is advised to keep quiet and especially never, ever try to report the incident to the authorities. Why? What do you mean why? With him no one goes complaining to any office, high or low. You just accept what has befallen you and that is it! Sad. Though generalization could be dangerous as it takes many narratives onto the wrong lanes it seems to many of us are obsessed with the ‘legend on the village’ narrative.
Also many times we hear the legend of the modern Rasputin guy where the entire female species practically chase him all over the place! Of course, such stories are inflated to such extent you’d feel the final prick that would blow up the balloon in midair could came any time. No! And even if it ever comes it wouldn’t come so soon.be sure about that. Until that time of “falling from grace” arrives, which might never come, the Rasputin legend lives on with the lives of many destroyed due to the devilish actions of our Rasputin legend.
Legends, oh legends, when will we ever free ourselves from those narratives which make you the blessed of the earth while you’re actually the opposite?
BY EPHREM ENDALE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 16 MARCH 2025
