BY ALEM HAILU G/KRISTOS
(A short story)
“Hurrah a daybreak! Hurrah a daybreak! I’m going to praise you Almighty, for I closed my eyes vesting hope in you!” a famous religious song reverberated from a cellphone nudging Marta from her deep contemplation.
She was sitting beside her ailing mother in a hospital shuddering she might lose her single parent struggling with breast cancer that was not discovered earlier for failure of earlier checkup. Marta was also reminiscing about her father she lost in her childhood.
Casting a glance to the touchscreen when she saw, “Daniel is calling!” grabbing her walking stick in her right arm and the cellphone in the left one she headed fast into the corridor.
Marta drags her left leg due to a car accident she suffered while a kid. That tragic day her father was driving the car. Unfortunately, he lost his life to save a puppy that out of the blue got into his way. The front tyre got into a ditch and his car was overturned.
Just like Marta, Daniel is a government employee. They first met while waiting for the public service buses, which has come to the rescue of civil servants who unlike dishonest businesspersons that unflaggingly and regularly pay taxes deducted from their modest income on top of spending much for transport to catalyze government’s plans.
Daniel helped Marta into the bus and sat beside her. It didn’t take them long to acquaint with each other. Although Marta was not that beautiful her smile, when she unzips her lips, rends her a sunny face, which is otherwise sadness stamped. It is this quality of hers Daniel amplified to worm his way into her heart of hearts.
“Your sweet smile is on par with a sunshine that dispels a depressing feeling!”
“Really?”
“Sure. Let it go freely and do allow us to bask under it!” Daniel indirectly made a declaration of love squeezing her right ring-free hand between his palms.
“Thank you,” Marta blushed.
Hard as she might tried, she could not resist the flattery of his affectionate attention done artfully and genuinely. It was not long before she got swept off her feet by his love yielding to such wooing of his that took place up on shuttling to and from working place and home. Especially after she realized his love is not one that emanated from “love out of sympathy,” for her being a person living with disability she allowed him a cherished corner in her heart. His square shoulder and big eyes did win her heart.
As days wrapped up into months and the latter into years they began exchanging their sacred secrets and developed communication codes exclusively their own. “Rose bud,” he nicknamed her. She reciprocated “Lothario.”
“By the way what about your exam result to join the new organization? Didn’t they respond?,” he projected a curious face.
“The result of the written exam was posted. I’m among the ones top on the shortlist. But I’m afraid like what I experienced in many occasions before, interviewers may show less regard to me seeing my condition. They could consider me an ill fit candidate.”
“Do you face such problem often?”
“Most of the time those in the same boat suffer such discrimination.”
“It is not hard to surmise that members of the fair sex from the same set suffer double fold oppression,” Daniel reflected.
“Sure thing! This doesn’t come as a surprise especially in developing countries.”
“Why is that most employers do not give much attention to people with disability?”
“Myopic attitude! For instance, your being an auditor has nothing to do with your living with disability. Rather employers have to facilitate things for such employees fighting with one hand tied behind their back.”
“Some make situations favorable such as making stairs level for wheel chairs!”
“I did notice that. It is an appreciable move.”
“Many organizations nowadays are imitating this laudatory move,” Marta seconded him.
In the remote corner of the hospital’s corridor that proved relatively quiet Marta answered the phone,
“Hello Lothario!”
“I just called to felicitate you, Rose Bud.”
“Do not create suspense! What is it? Get it off your chest! Did someone told you about the interview result. Have I made it?”
“Not that. Do you remember you told me, meeting all the required preconditions, you are looking forward for condo lotto outcome?”
“Yes. But what?”
“You name is in the list in the 40/60 column with two bedrooms?”
“Are you sure?”
“I double-checked things! Moreover, it is on the first floor. You are spared the hustle of going up stairs when electric blackout occurs.”
“Glory to God. ! At long last the Almighty, the true arbiter, saw me!”
“Yes, the Addis Ababa City Administration did a nice thing too.”
“That is not subject to doubt! As the chance was so slim I did not expect a favorable outcome to the extent of not following developments.”
“The software is designed in such a way to tip the balance in favor of those living with disability, belonging to the fair sex and working in governmental organizations,”
“What a brilliant decision of favoring the disfavored.”
“The iron lady at the helm of the municipality has barred doors on things underhand!”
“Yes, empowering women to troubleshoot problem of the disfranchised specially that of women who comprise half of the society pays off.”
“We shall go and see the house when mom recuperates.”
“Sorry I didn’t ask you about you mom. Silly of me.”
“It is Okay”
“Is she doing good? Shall I come and visit her now?”
“I appreciate that! Together we shall break the good news to her.”
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 14 JULY 2022
