Around the beginning of 1980’s, two young workers often met at sunset. Sunsets under Addis Ababa’s sky signifies youngsters’ vivacity and their appreciation to the natural order.
- What is it?
“Do you love me?” Meron asked eying Teddy’s bright faces. He smiled. He grasped her back, her upper lip moistened while she was looking that of his. Only few people were in the park. This encouraged her to go for tight embraces. Soon they set their ways towards the bench.
I see my tomorrow in you blossomed flower.
She tightened her grasp on his hands and beamed looking his eyes up imploring for more kisses. He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes and continued her dreams in the middle of the kisses and hoped for a never ending life.
Time flew by whenever they met after working hours. For couple of years, they met and parted at the same place.
He was a mechanic at his parent’s garage. And she was a fresh college student that year. She was working as waiter as a part time job when he met her. He didn’t know details about her except meeting, kissing and parting; he only knew she lived with her aunts.
One cursed day, Teddy arrived twenty minutes earlier and began waiting for her as usual. The minute arm trespassed the 6 p.m. mark, while the hour arm anchored its leg there. He looked around, but she was nowhere in sight. Again, his eyes roamed around in vain. None of those who appeared resembled his sweetheart. Twenty minutes passed, and he stood still, fidgeting. He never wanted to think about her absences. He relinquished not his hope even when the time slowly advanced to the night.
After two years of dating, she failed to appear for the first time. Unable to believe his eyes, he gazed at his wristwatch. A few minutes remained for their journey back home. He hoped against hope that she might come past the eleventh hour. However, his hope was bashed. Chilled by a biting cold, he was shivering like a leaf on a tree. He grabbed the collar of his black overcoat, expectant of her. Addis Ababa’s chilly weather was shearing everyone. Nonetheless, he waited in hope for another hour. He did not want to be desperate. He left the place, hopeful that she would come tomorrow. He spent the night rehearing every word and every motion of Meron when the two met.
On the morrow, Teddy arrived two hours before their meeting time, and waited her for four hours, and then went to his home hoping she would come on the morrow. He didn’t want to remind himself that they never met on weekends. Again he waited her for a long time, and once more went away hoping she would come the next day. In this manner he continued for weeks, months and years passed.
He turned a hero in defeating desperation. And always he kept going to the meeting place filled with hope every minute of his life. Gradually he stopped working in his family’s garage. He almost stopped talking. When he talked his voice was inaudible. He simply responded to questions. His brothers tried much to get his life back in shape. They tried to make him see to reason in vain. He simply listened to himself and hopped he might get his sweetheart the next day.
He became oblivious to his surroundings. He stopped changing clothes and washing his body. He became inured to dirt. As a wild weed cotton encroached on his black head. He disremembered the world day and night busying himself about his sweetheart.
In the passage of time, a new road got built on their meeting park, which turned into a big square. The village got swallowed by concrete jungles. Shanty houses, squalid villages and narrow corridors surrendered to investments. Only Teddy’s hope on Meron remained intact. He kept on heading there day in and day out in search of her. Eon came and gone.
Fellow villagers showed tremendous life changes. Those who were students became graduates, who were kids changed to youths and youngsters became adults. The adults through procreation formed big family trees and elders ceded place, all these were nothing to Teddy. His twenty-year experience was just waiting for tomorrow and getting his sweetheart.
“My dear rest assured I am here whenever you need me” was his habitual words before he left the place. Sometimes he repaired home, and sometimes he slept all nights at the habitual place sniffing for Meron’s perfume. More often than not his nephews took him back to home.
After a couple of decades, his story became a seasoning for song verses.
I am still there planting my legs like Axum , I used up my whole time sitting in the age of Lalibela, ,rock hewn churches, who were born after me died before me, Castles melt as salts, Mountain stooped their necks down; those who were born yesterday now walk with sticks turned elderly. A lot of water has passed under the bridge, a lot things came and a lot of things went, I were there for you watching all these things happen, I witnessed many years changing easily waiting there your returning, many song verses echoed our story across the country and it reached many people’s ear.
You will watch heaven and earth elapse
But I am there for you, as you returned,
From all poems, from all verses, this one was a special one, for couples chanted it for their beloved ones, teenager boys wrote letters to high school girlfriends from whom they estranged., Also wives took excerpts for their warrior husbands.
After the song verse won fame, one day a lady came to meet Teddy. His former chocolate face had sadly turned to roasted coffee; she squeezed her lips in dismay. She stood in front of him smote by grief. He turned around .He became froze where he was. His younger face was infested by wrinkles, furrows and burrows. A chin that she lovingly kissed before decades was overcome by horrific white hairs.
- “Teddiyo?”
He called him by a name she developed as a code name.That did not ring a bell. She repeated the word again. Meron used this calling twenty five years back.
I go by Meron.I used to be your girlfriend.
She proffered her hand to him. Teddy was always wondering as to what happened on him. He had forgotten his names as he did to talking with humans. She uttered her full name again but Teddy flinched not an inch. She tried a lot to conjure up his girlfriend Meron in his mind but in vain.
- “He has forgotten you mom!”
Said Meron’s twenty years old boy from the back. His whole situation told infuriation. She only felt sorrow for Teddy, seen an imbecile.
Currently she has a picture- perfect marriage with three children in America.
I was in America!
Teddy who was waiting for his dream object Meron, whom he suddenly parted two decades and a half back for unknown reasons, didn’t respond to the speech of the transformed Meron as he couldn’t recognize her.
After a futile two-day attempt to rekindle the old flame, Meron, with pangs of conscience, flew back to America.
The lovesick Teddy kept on waiting the then Meron at the same spot where the sunset most often proves awe-inspiring. He could not take the unfolding as spilled water and put it behind his back.
She left him twice, but he lingers there hopeful love’s God could rewind the clock back and blew the then Meron on park-turned road.
BY DESALEGNE DAGNE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 15 OCTOBER 2023
