BY ALEM HAILU
A fter a hectic day in Newsroom at Arat Kilo as usual I had to head to a nearby dilapidated old villa hotel by a riverside for quick ones. As a tension management I use taking liquors buying the saying ‘candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.’
Odd about the hotel and its abutting pensions were the chinks on the wood floors with wide planks that showed beneath the big eucalypts trees and the thick undergrowth of creeping plants flanking the river, which quite flows affording most clients a sweet symphony.
Tuning to such music was another attraction that compels me go there from the force of habit. But I do not hide that some could take this strange thing scary.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Hotel which went by Fasika Hotel is now demolished reportedly for development purpose though the big compound is still left fallow. Demolishing buildings and villages leaving them thriving grounds for wild plants was the Achilles heels of the unreformed government comprising some corrupt officials that salivate when they see such opportunities. The speed at which projects see the light of day after the reform stuns me.
Three rows of long tables with accompanying chairs were put well-arrayed between the Cashier box and the cabin. Though there were score of female bartenders in the hotel the beauty of the new young girl with a pony tail and bewitching eyes had casted a shadow on the charm of the remaining ones.
After taking two bottles of Abyssinia Beer, I winked at the girl with whom I had been exchanging affectionate glances. Displaying white-ceramic-chips-like teeth well-chiseled by a gifted craftsman she preferred to stay put. I had to summon her again.
Drawing a chair by me I once more tried to communicate her with imploring eyes. Such self-restraint was uncharacteristic of her rivals. She must be a stranger to the trade I thought. But this time, taking delight of the persistent compliment that I showed and sensing the preferential treatment to her she surged forward.
“Wow with this beauty of yours how come you joined a bar?” I thumped her up.
“Am I that beautiful?”
“It was with pail full charms God showered you with! ”she put her right arm across her chest simultaneously bowing.
“Your breasts are no different from lamb’s horns. Your face is also symmetric along your straight nose. Unlike many it is not skewed,” throwing her head backwards she bubbled up.
“You must be ladies’ man. You too are attractive. Your shoulders are wide.”
“Really? Thank you.” I too felt like blushing.
“How many boys have you swept off their feet?”
“Not much.”
“Which of them do you like most?”
“My boyfriend who later became my husband,” mood shift to sadness became apparent on her face.
“Are you a divorcee?” Given your elegant shape you do not seem a mother of one or two!” I raised the issue to cross check things.
“How come he let you out of sight? Is he a fool?” I added
“We are not divorced. We did not have children. We were taking pills. I rather ran away!”
“Why?”
She became silent for a minute. Shifting a gear, I began dabbing her hairs and gently squeezing her earlobes.
“I wrongly thought he was faithful.”
“How did you prove he is otherwise?”
“It was every Wednesday I used to buy consumption goods from a market a bit far from our home.”
Suddenly a tall waiter with an imposing nature came and stood before us by way of asking shall I add another round of Beer for you. He kept on punctuating our interesting discussion with such interventions during the course of our stay there. He was a nuisance.
“Shall I add Beer?” he cleared his throat when we kept on talking ignoring him.
With forked fingers I signaled to him to add two bottles of Beer.
“Which Beer do you like?” he saw the girl.
“I like his taste,” she said pointing towards my bottle.
“Then what happened? ” Eying her I became all ears.
“I had forgotten money and I had to return back.”
“When I got home and opened the bedroom door left ajar I felt the shock of my life.”
“What happened? ”I once more cut in.
“I saw my best friend Sara nude. He was pants down!”
“What a terrible thing. What did they feel? It is a double betrayal.” I too became angry.
“Witnessing my fury both began shaking allover. I took out the money from a cupboard by the bedroom and threw the plastic bag and my cellphone on his face and took to my heels.”
“Hana please wait for me! ”I heard him shouting.
“As the Amharic saying ‘Once a sheep began running and a fool took umbrage there is no return’ I cleared off the area shortly. In my hurry a heavy track was to hit me!”
I immediately took a minibus taxi waiting for one occupant to surge to Addis. I had no idea as to who will be my host in Addis.
Up on arriving at Addis when I asked a broker to get for me a job for a bartender he brought me here. He sweet talked me into bartending. It was right away I joined this hotel.
“You don’t have a cellphone? I will get you one on Friday or Saturday” I said.
After a record moment of happiness I funded her and moved out the compound giving a tip to the old guard who ingratiate himself often.
On Saturday after another hectic day I headed towards the hotel. But she was nowhere to be found. I searched many places and headed to the chairs by the veranda. I crossed paths with the guard and asked him,
“Where is that girl?”
“Which one? ”
“The new one.”
“The one with iron ball eyes?”
“Yes I mean Hana. I brought her a cellphone which she asked for.”
“Oh unfortunately she left today. She made a call to her husband who came fast to take her back to Debre Birhan, where she hails from. You see she quarreled with the waiter who is favored by the boss.”
“Do you have her phone number?”
“No one knows that!” he saw me pitifully.
I gave him the cellphone. On his knees he grabbed my legs to express gratitude.
I recalled how Hana slammed the waiter who was about to take a bill for ten bottles of Beer while it was eight bottles we took. I was sure I would get her at the hotel sat put. Not suspecting something untoward I didn’t take her phone number. Nor did I give her mine.
I began contemplating a girl hunt in Debre Birhan. But that would be finding a needle in a haystack. So I’m left with only a happy memory I could cherish in my old days.
It was because the old hotel reminds me the record moment of happiness we spent together tuning to the orchestra of the river and the lip locking “Qua” sound I became more resentful.
The Ethiopian herald December 27/2020
