BY ALEM HAILU
The skinny Abrehet is from Mekelle living in Mai Kadra. As she is a tall girl she seems older than her age to many. She is fond of spending her time with the elderly than her age mates.
While a kid, heading to her neighbor’s house she often urged W/ro Debritu, a widow with no children, to tell her tales.
W/ro Debritu with a hoary head and too much meat on her bone is a retired elementary school teacher in a nearby school. It is the alacritous Abrehet who shows obeisance W/ro Debritu prefers to use an errand girl.
“Please Ma Debritu what other tales do you have in store? I’m very much fascinated by the story you told to me by the fireside last night.”
“What is that impressed you much?” Ma Debritu unzipped her lips and displayed white teeth she always keeps clean with a Weira twig.
“The way you narrated the story and the message it carries across,” Abrehet reciprocated in kind.
“You must be a cleaver girl. Do you focus on the theme too?”
“Yes Ma. The tale you told me about the five brothers who were quarrelling often before their father advised them to behave otherwise is unforgettable.”
“What was the message? Posing such questions was the way I used to sensitize my students about the intended message of story.”
“It relates the significance of standing united! A single stick is brittle. But if sticks are tied together they pose challenges for he who tries to break them. Yes, it means unless we hung up together we shall be hanged individually. I envy the way you were taking lessons.”
“Gone are the good old days!” Ma Debritu became wistful.
“I envy your time,” Abrehet nudged Ma Debritu out of a slumber.
“To let the story remain imprinted on the template of my memory I retell it to my friend Tsehay, my new friend from Bahir Dar!”
“I know her. The plump girl. She has a long hair. I see you two going to market together.”
“Right you are! She puts up costumes from Bahir Dar for sale there.”
“Ma I wish my brother Medhane comes here too.”
“Sure it will be good if he tunes to wisdom-packed words of yours. He will learn how to behave. I notice that his behavior is out of character.”
“Ma you have to forgive him please. It is because he is a member of a political group that pumps on him and some friends of his from their ethnic group about an emerging a victorious state vanquishing all by fair means or foul.”
“A castle on the air!” Ma made a sarcastic smile.
“When I told him the tale about the five brothers he ridiculed me. I try to make him see to reason in vain.”
“Leave him alone. It may be too late to teach him. You see there is a saying which goes ‘you can’t teach an old dog a new trick.”
“His party ideology is his bible. He is willing to do all crimes,” Abrehet gazed at Ma Debritu.
“Even if I tried to persuade him that ‘the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,’ he is less willing to heed my piece of advice.”
“Yes all religions preach obeisance to the almighty as well as love, peace and cordiality!”
“In favor of their state, Medhane and his friends from an informal army referred Samri are ready to inflict any harm on nearby ethnic group members. I overheard them claiming to put their cherished Tigray state on par with the mighty North Korea and the irrigation-affluent-turned Israel!”
“That is domain restriction. National feeling must come first! ”said Ma Debritu with a stressful tone.
Short of oxygen Tsehay approaches them jogging. Hitting back her hair covering her oval face bearing tattoos around her jawbone she said
“Abrehet I came right here realizing that you want to hear tales Ma Debritu tells to you.”
“Tsehay take a seat! Must you run? You are heavily breathing?” Ma Debritu expressed concern.
“The Amhara Militia and the Amhara State army are advancing forward squashing the TPLF junta that attacked the Federal army, which also mounted counter attack.”
“Are they cruel? Could they attack us? Why must you be worried?” Ma posed fear stamped face.
“It is not them I’m afraid of. It is the junta in Mia kadra that terrifies me.
You see it has organized informal brutal army called Samri,”
“Oh the infamous tugs. What an era we are witnessing?” said Ma Debritu.
“You mean they could make revenge while retreating?” asked Abrehet and added “I know they are capable of committing all evils in cold blood.”
“As Samri members are so ruthless they will not spare a single person from the Amhara and Agew race. Nor do they show pity to the elderly.”
“Where could Ma Debritu and I hide?” Tsehay displayed fear.
“Shall we go to church or search a hiding place in the nearby forest?” she added.
“Abrehet they could not bat an eye to do the same on you if you stand by our side. You better clear off. The gun shots are getting closer and closer,” said W/ro Debritu.
“No! No matter unfolds I stay with you. I have an idea where we could hide. Come along. Be fast!” Abrehet grabbed the hand of Ma Debritu and started to lead the road. Tsehay tagged them.
Tearing apart the branches of scattered trees the wind is blowing as an angry devil. A dark cloud pregnant with rain is looming large on the sky. A lightning is tagging it.
From Afar Samri members in disarray are seen going from door to door. They were bullying residents of Mai Kadra threatening them at a gun point.
After dislodging the informal army group of TPLF that goes by Samri from Mai kadra all tears Teshome, a member of the Amhara State army, was desperately searching part of his sister’s body from the pile of corpses of the Amhara people who were hacked to pieces by Samri.
The well-built and athletic Teshome was looking for a Tsehay with a traditional tattoo around her jaw.
Even if he labored much he could not get any sign that shows his sister is among the dead. Unable to withstand the anguish snake making a somersault now in his head and now in his stomach he sat down by an Oka tree and wept like a baby.
“Why must this happen God? Why must the innocent ones suffer?” he knelt and stretched out his arms skyward.
As if in search of an answer he began to walk towards a towering church in the vicinity.
He thought his sister might have been buried in a hidden mass grave or thrown into a river.
While he was heading to church he miraculously saw his sister with a young girl and an old woman walking to the church from another direction. Happy he flew to them as if he had a pair of wings.
“Tsehay are you alive? It must be a miracle. Praise to the Lord you are spared the atavistic act,” he clung to his younger sister.
“Thanks to Abrehet next to God! She hid us beneath her bed. They overlooked the house while ransacking Amhara’s houses for objects of revenge. They were out to put their hands on all Amharas— feeble, toddlers, fetuses and members of the fair sex.”
“It is those youths badly shaped by the Junta leaders creating a mess! Unbelievable.” Ma Debritu put her hands on her head.
“Thank you!” Teshome pats Abrehet on the back.
“You are welcome!” she displayed a sense of pride.
“Desperately I was looking for my sister among the dead but you let her evade a gruesome fate!”
“May God shower you with blessings!” He cast respect-packed glances towards her.
“Being a human is enough to rescue a human. I hate racism and
all of us are the handiworks of God,” she elevated her eyes towards the sky.
“What a beautiful girl endowed with wisdom,” he unconsciously uttered and saw Abrehet with affectionate feeling. She reciprocated in kind.
“A mother’s womb is motely. Is it the same womb that carried a bird and a snake—you and your brother Medhane? His likes have to be dragged to court!” Ma Debritu punched her left palm.
“There is a report that under the guise of refugees some have fled to Sudan,” Teshome became desperate and angry.
“ ‘The blood of those who spill other’s blood shall trickle down,’ says the Lord. No murderer is immune from earthly or heavenly punitive measures.” Abrehet said.
Teshome grabbed her hand.
