A Short Story that Foreshadowed the Fate of A Major Ethiopian Novelist
Be’alu Girma has written many remarkable novels in his relatively short life that ended mysteriously back in the 1980s. He is assumed killed by the Derg authorities for writing his critical novel entitled “Oromay”. Be’alu can be considered a modern novelist comparable to Dagnachew Werku, the author of the famous novel “Adefris”.
Before Be’alu Girma, the novel in Ethiopia was traditional in its narrative techniques and verbosity was one of its chief characteristics. The predominant style of novel writing was not much advanced until Be’alu came on to the scene to revolutionize the traditional narrative techniques and give the Ethiopian novel something similar to the Western mode of narration with plots, characterization, setting and the use of symbolism as well as flashback and foreshadowing.
Be’alu has also revolutionized the Amharic language in his novels in the sense that his language was less descriptive and more action-oriented with short sentences, carefully chosen words and economy of narration. The art of telling much with less words was first introduced by Be’alu and this technique or art might have been the influence Western writers like American author Ernest Hemingway had on him.
Although Be’alu has written many novels he has only penned one short story in Amharic and the story deals with the short life and aspirations, dreams and wishes of a writer like him called Sentayehu Kalehiwot. I have translated this story from Amharic into English because it is a modern story that reflects the author’s potential as a successful short story writer although he had no time to develop this talent left the literary scene before his time. The English translation is here presented in italics to show the feelings and thoughts of the main character in the story.
Be’alu tells this story in the first person point of view and this has given rise to some speculation as to the intention of the author in writing about the life of a writer like him. Some people might even suspect that “The Beginning of the En” is a story about Be’alu himself, by drawing parallels between the fictional Sentayehu, his alter ego, and himself who share many common traits of character and visions.
Be’alu introduces the chief character of the short story in a dramatic way by describing his worries about the disappearance of the fictional character and when he meets him again a the start of the sotory, Sentayehu has changed very much. “I am not a coward usually. I am very scared now, however. It is a long time since I have started to worry about Sentayehu. As usual, it is a long time since he has disappeared. It is more than three months. The last evening I saw him, he did not resemble the man I knew before. He was not the laughing, playful and generous Sentayehu I knew of old…”
Why has Sentayehu disappeared and reappeared? Be’alu does not give us a clue but my guess is that the fictional character is so obsessed with writing and drinking at the same time that he might have disappeared either to start a new novel or to celebrate the end writing a new novel. Be’alu gives us the answer with a brief yet succinct portrayal of Senatayehu’s life and how he lives it.
He tells us that “He also goes to the extreme when he starts writing. He does not lift up his head before pouring out his feeling on to the paper with beauty. He was fighting and quarreling with each word and phrase. He was falling in love with it when he is at peace, without taking food or drink or rest. He does not talk to people and cannot have any other pleasure. He is under the spell of creativity. He completely surrenders himself to art and beauty.”
People who knew Be’alu rather well say that he was both young and handsome and fond of drinking. We find these characteristics in the fictional Sentayehu when Be’alu describes him as follows. “I don’t understand why he wants to get drank on gin tonic. He is always delighted with life. He does not drink when he is only happy. He also drinks when beauty refuses to reveal itself to him… He drinks a lot when he finishes writing a book and conceives another idea. Then he becomes very silent.”
We are introduced to the narrator of the story rather late as Hilina in Amharic meaning “Conscience” And Hilina tells us about his relationship with the main character in the following lines, “I am more than a friend to him. I mean that he has already told me that I am more than a friend to him. He is writing for my sake. He keeps me sitting in front of him whenever he writes. He does not know any observer, witness or critic other than me. “Am I going to satisfy Hilina with what I am going to write?” This is his first question. By the way my name is Hilina. Let Hilina judge me. If he thinks what he is writing will not appeal to me he, does not continue with his effort. He kills it immediately.”
Soon afterwards the author reveals to us that he is tired of writing because he is not writing anything new. The reason for his tiredness and his temptation to stop writing is evident from Sentayehu’s words and the dialogue between the author and the Hilina. “There is nothing new I can say which is not already said by others before me. When you write and read more, and if you are smart, you realize that it is preferable to keep quiet. I tell you the truth. It is better to keep quiet than become an echo. Sinking in the depth of one’s silence is a beauty in itself.” He said to me.“Why do you say that after writing only three works of fiction? I was expecting much more from you!” I told him.
“What if I can’t write more than three books? Nobody exceeds his limits. Some people stop after writing one book. Others stop after three books like me. More fortunate ones go beyond ten, fifteen or more. It is good as far as they can say or create something new. I am sorry for the foolish ones who want to go on without having anything new to say. What it the use of it? Those who have realized in time that they cannot contribute anything new and have chosen to keep silent are the smart ones.
Hilina urges Sentayehu to write more at that particular time when life is more interesting than any time before. One can assume that was the years following the Revolution of 1974 as the Helina tells us. “I told him there is a great revolution under way. We see the old system dying and the new one sprouting. The entire community is in a ferment. Each day is new. It is not an ordinary day that comes on the heels of the night as it was usual. I don’t think so. I on my part do not remember a day that I have found boring or long during the last eight years. Each day has its merit. It has its victory, defeat and beauty.”Hilina urges him forward and never to stop writing.
“Go and write! Words have not become gravel or stone. Beauty is not dead and embalmed. There is plenty of new beauty, new truth, new hope in every street, factory or farm. Go and write! An author who refrains from writing at this moment… I don’t know… I told him. I nagged him.
“I am telling you that I’m finished. Can’t you hear me? The god of beauty has turned his face away- That’s all!”
Sentayehu does not buy Hilina’s urging. He is determined to quit writing because he has no more inspiration. At last Sentayehu leaves the drink joint and disappears without much ado. He reappears near the end of the story. After a long time of absence, Sentayehu reappears a very changed man, a writer who has discovered the inspiration to write. The following dialogue heralds Sentayehu’s return and his discovery of the inspiration to write.
“I suddenly heard a knock on the door.
“Who is there? Come in!” I said.
It was Sentayehu. He looks like a healthy and handsome youth.
“Where have you been?”
“I have been through a long ablution…”
“I have been worrying badly. What have I done to you?”
“But now you have changed.” he said to me.
“How is that? Tell me!” I said to him.
“I will tell you about it later on. I’m inspired with a beautiful idea. Let us go out now and celebrate the evening.” He said to me.
“It is good to be alive. It’s beautiful.” I said to him.
“To live and write- yes, it’s beautiful. By the way I am not a coward.” He said to me. He was all teeth…
As we can deduce from the above, the story takes place during the days of the 1974 revolution. It was then that Be’alu has written a very well known novel called “The Call of the Red Star” about the struggle between revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries or what were then known as anarchists. As the story shows, Be’alu was constantly struggling with his own conscience as how to write about the revolution. The narrator, Hilina which means “Conscience” in English tells us that Sentayehu writes about him, alluding to the struggle within himself.
The story may be seen as foretelling the fate of the author himself who disappeared during the revolution because he wrote about it in a way the authorities did not like. That was the cause of his disappearance. While Sentayehu the fictional character disappears when he lacked inspiration, the real life author Be’alu disappeared by writing something his conscience urged him to write about. Thus there is a parallel between the real and the fictional characters.
The short story is remarkable for many insights into the life and character of the writer, whether it reflects Sentayehu’s behavior or that of Be’alu’s. He portrait of the writer of the time is accurate in the sense that he is caught between the urge to write and the responsibility to write about truth and beauty. That is not only Sentayehu’s dilemma. That was also Be’alu’s dilemma that led his to disappearance early in his career before he could write many more books that could have contributed to Amharic literature. “The Beginning of the End” as a short story can also be conceived as the beginning of the end for Be’alu, the author.
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
The Ethiopian Herald May 5/2013
