Recently this guy was telling us of what you can call bizarre story. He had this habit of taking one book or another almost everywhere he goes. He just likes to read a few pages when he gets the opportunity. He usually likes reading while seating of tea or coffee. So one day a man he barely recognizes comes and seats down at the table of the book monger. Our guy didn’t’ give much attention to or even acknowledge the presence of the stranger as this happens almost everywhere. I mean with almost all the seats in the place occupied by groups and individuals a vacant seat would be God sent, and any stranger would take it. But this one being rather different once or twice he clears his throat in the most awkward manner, meaning he does it so loud that even other heads around the place had to turn. So this guy says he couldn’t help it but look up. The stranger smiles out of the blue comes, “You like reading books?” Our guy raises his head and it was the stranger talking. Smiling our guy says he indeed does. Then the person asks one of the most sot awkward questions anyone with a fully equipped head would ask.
“How many books have you read so far?”
It was one of those nonsense, meaningless questions this guy doesn’t like. Is reading books about numbers? Is it about the book monger who reads five hundred and the not so smart guy who read a mere hundred? Anyway our guy tells the person he doesn’t count the books he reads; an answer which really pocked more than a few nerves in the stranger. Our guy tells us that it showed all over his face with all the nerves popping out all over.
“Still you could guess.” the guy wanted to terminate this conversation right from the start and get on with his reading. “I never thought of guessing the number of the books I read and I’ll never do so.” with that he throws his eyes back to the pages of the book. That seem to have got the best of the stranger who all of a sudden turns sort of combative. This time his voice was louder. “I always see you reading books in this café. Why are you doing that?” Now the “Mayday! Mayday1” sirens were blaring all over our guy’s anatomy. He simply asks “What do you mean? Is there anything wrong reading books in cafes?” He says he tried to sound nice and calm despite the fact his were anything but calm. The guy wasn’t impressed by the display of calmness in face of the boiling aggression from his side.
“Why don’t you go to the libraries? This a place where people come to entertain not read books.” Aha! So you can’t entertain yourself reading books. That was exactly what our guy answers. “I’m entraining myself reading books.”
“No you are not.” By this time it seems to have become ‘full metal jacket’ for the guy.
“You can’t disturb the customers who come here to entertain.” he then indulges in language that was closer to obscenity and cursing all those who try to read books in the public places calling the showoffs and frauds. He then jumps up and rushes out of the café. Our guy was so curious he summons a waiter who has been within everything with a big smile. He asks him if he know the stranger. The waiter tells him the fellow was a regular and he didn’t like people who read books and newspapers in the place. the waiter he also insults people reading on their laptops. Our guy asks if reading was forbidden in the café.
“No it isn’t?”
He then asks the waiter if the fellow had mental problems. The waiter says in fact he was the owner more than one hotel. What is it with strangers?
A few months back a lady we know was told that a certain person was asking too much about her. Married and a mother of three this lady is on the doorsteps of her fifties. She is noted as a dedicated wife and mother. But all of she is told a complete stranger was asking around about her. They point him to her she never saw him alone know him. Of course she was a little worried and confides the story her younger sister who was also married and with a child. They decide to confront the person.
What makes the story bizarre was story was that at times he sounds he has fallen in love and at other times he appears that he had other motives. We’re talking about a married man with children himself and probably past midway of his fifties. Word comes that he claims to have been mesmerized by her very quiet demeanor. He wanted to be introduced as “brother as sister.” What! Anyway the lady decides to confront him what her younger sister who had a reputation for telling people what she thinks of them in their face. She tells any person what she actually thinks of them without flinching. She could be as combative as the any situation demands. Not a bad person in any measure her habit of calling a spade a spade has cost her valuable friendships. Big sister however tells she wants by her side only to play the observer role and she would do the talking.
Well you never know what happens in such circumstances and it’s good to have some back in case things go out of hand. Now the lady is also the type who would tell her husband anything and everything. Things other spouses would keep secretes for fear that their spouses would get the wrong idea. Not this lady. She didn’t yet tell him yet about the strange because she didn’t have half of the story let alone the full. Once she confronts the guy her husband would be told. Her younger sister was needed just as company because no one knows what happens in such situations.
Somebody arranged the meeting and they meet the guy in a humble café. While the guy happy and all teeth somehow nothing about him impressed them. The lady was preparing to talk when they say her younger sister cut in. She tells him he was harassing a married and respected woman and if he doesn’t stop asking her “…we will tell the police and your wife.” With that she pulls up he older sister and out they go. The guy say hasn’t been seen ever since.
What is it with strangers?
Hope for the Better, Prepare for the Worst!
A couple of young guys in real trouble to just keep to their flight and see whatever fate awaits them at an airport across Atlantic. These days even the Europeans are having trouble convincing no-nonsense customs and security officials they don’t mean any ill to the country they meant no harm and came just for the sake of vesting family and friends, sight see for couple of months. From the bits and pieces we hear it is almost impossible tickling the more humane nerves the customs officials. I fact it seems that you wouldn’t have the time to narrate what easily could have fitted the pages the eight hundred and a thousand page classics of yesteryears. So these youngsters are not only worried but sacred too. I mean being sent to The El Salvador story with all those hardened criminals alleged or otherwise is not good TV! (Man. United making it to the semifinals through the skin of the teeth is good TV! Ha!)
So these guys, I think have still a couple of weeks to decide. Since they try to keep pace with what is happening over there they are far better informed from members of their families. But the families of both! Well, practically no one among them could understand the reasons for the actions of the two guys. ‘Hey dummies; where do you think you’re going. It is to America, you worthless morons! Why people would do anything to go there and you are coming up with all sorts of stupid questions.” The initial plan drawn out a few months back for both of them to look for the right colleges once they set foot in the place. By the way both families are economically sound and they were ready to pay for tuition. But the two youngsters are keenly following all what is happening in universities and colleges and the news that the student visas of hundreds of foreign students being revoked and this was one risk they didn’t want to take despite their years of effort to get the chance trying to cross the Atlantic.
The conventional wisdom however is for them to stop the nonsenses and just go! The rest would come once they arrive there. Look one thing clear is many despite watching TV and reading all the scary news on the social media don’t seem to have understood the full extent of what is happening over there. They seem to be taking it as one of those instances which suddenly blow up and dominate all the mainstream and also the social media for a few days after which calm is restored and things return to ‘just as they had been before all the drama!’ I recently came across someone whom I consider is well-informed and wouldn’t fall for all the narratives which dismiss everything as nothing but Hollywood sensationalism. Well disappointed is too feeble a word to express how I felt. The lengthy narrative of most things happening over there were carefully crafted to confuse the entire world and make it bow to pressure from the ‘new sheriffs in town.’ And all that was happening is nothing but drama that is well-crafted and directed by the politicians and their media army. (Yes, he said “Media army!”) He went on trying to explain to me that the real story would become public very soon and that would be when the world would learn the real facts of all what’s happening now.
I have a confession to make; even though he seemed to be talking in everyday language, and even though there weren’t terms tough enough to send me running for the nearest dictionaries I can’t claim I fully understood what he was trying to tell me, if he was trying to tell me anything at all! But the shock was real. I expected to have reasonable fact based small talk with him and he really spoiled everything. But to his credit he has that tone of a gifted public speaker who could draw countless people not for the substance of his speech but for the almost dramatic way he presented it. No wonder with his not only flawed but also completely twisted narratives about what’s happening across the Atlantic he must have convinced people to board the wrong trains!
“Hope for the better, prepare for the worst!” A very convenient advice indeed!
A few days back I have those conversation with a relative of mine over there. While we are at it, him boing a vastly read guy he told me what would happen after the winners were known. And I have to say most of the things he told me are happening under our very eyes! So talking with him was getting things from a firsthand an unbiased observer. But then right from the start his tone was not as energetic as it often was. ‘Did they come for him?’ I couldn’t help mulling that in my mind because of all the things we are hearing. Of course, he wasn’t a federal employee as he was into private business where he was his own boss. But going with all the uncertainty his being his own boss isn’t reliable insurance for him not to wade through the storm untouched! I ask him if everything was alright. He said it was assuring me there was nothing wrong with him and we back home don’t have to worry. He left Ethiopia about three decades back and he and his family of four were doing well. He then says, “You know we, too, are immigrants.”
“So what! You went legally and what’s going on couldn’t concern you and your family.” He tried to be as calm as he could and said, “Look, with all the anti-immigrant narrative going on none of us immigrants could claim to be safe.” What the hell was he saying! I tried to press him to tell me and he cut me short; “Forget it!” And went into a completely unrelated issue!
Hope for the better, prepare for the worst!
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 22 APRIL 2025
