Sunday takes the salient segment of my prayer calendar. When the story I’m going to relate to you took place I was heading to Saint UrIel church just downhill Kazan chis.
A tall and slim girl in the early twenties was walking in front of me on the pedestrian walk. Suddenly she got on her knees and snaked her arms around a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and mud greased suit sitting on a stone amidst the sick and demented who rent lodgings around churches pursuant of the sprinkling of holy waters by priests.
Averse to sentimentality, the man was trying to hide his face ducking his head.
Sobbing the girl kept on showering him with kisses. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to tell his being her father. The strange incident took the better of me and I wanted to figure out what was going on. Leaning on a close by telephone poll, I summoned a shoeshine boy to take care of my shoe in a bid to cover up my interest to the movie in real life. But I was eaves dropping all ears.
“Dad we love you. You have to return back,”she kept on sobbing.
The man buried his head between his knees sealing his ears with his hands “Please Dad come back home. Worried we have stopped going to school. Daniel and Mary weep daylong. Daniel couldn’t understand the situation. He is asking ‘what wrong did I do? Is it because I asked Dad to buy me a new shoe for my birthday? Why did Dad failed to appear for my birthday? He must have hated me.’ He is blaming himself.”
Lifting his head and eying the girl the man shed some tears.
“Helen I’m sorry. Overcame by irk, Daniel’s birthday escaped my mind.”
“Absent minded in the classroom Mary is suspended from school for constantly not tackling her homework. ‘It was Daddy who was helping me out.’ she is regretting the unfolding. Dad she is backpedaling in her performance?”
“I’m sorry. Is it this year she is going to take grade 8 National Examination?”
“Yes. I walk all the way to college as no one gives me pocket money. Also disturbed I couldn’t concentrate when I attend lectures and study in the library. Dad I know fornication hits hard the victim. But as mom confided to me she is regretful for the one nightstand affair you found out from SMS message. She is crying her eyes out all days long. It is me handling the domestic chores. Please Dad if you forgive mom our cozy home regains its normalcy.”
“How dare she cuckold me? The knowledge that I’m cuckolded is creating a lacerating pain on me. I was working myself to the bone to cater for every family member’s demand. Was it a picture perfect marriage we were leading? Your mom broke our marital vow and my heart. I spent a fortnight wandering around the city talking to my self like one demented. I was sleeping by the gate of churches,” he punched the ground.
“What a pity dad. Obviously you were not eating.”
“Nor drinking. Faithfulness is what I learnt from my parents. Devotion to close ones is long instilled in me. How could I be otherwise?”
“Besides nowadays communicable diseases are rampant.”
“Mom is willing to repay you with added love and care. I heard her saying I learnt how my marriage is important to me.”
“How could she cheat on me? What was she lacking?”
“Dad as you spent the whole day at work place including Saturday and holidays you two are not going out occasionally. Some men could use such weakness to wander into the romantic life of bored women and offer them some refreshment and alcoholic drinks to the extent the women feel they owe the predators gratitude. I think that is how mother fell into such pitfall. So dad better fight back and salvage your marriage and win back you loving wife who made a mistake. Above all your children need the family.”
The man in his turn took the girl into his arms and weeping said “Helen, my first born. How wise you are. I didn’t realize your pain was as much as mine if not more!”
“Dad shall we go back home?”
“If your mother behaves and if she is willing to stop sexting I could take her back.”
“I reaffirm to you she is regretful and willing to cut any relationship with the sinful man that exploits the Achilles heel of women. Besides we have to arrange program for you to take out mom for romantic nights. We must not be burdens on you.”
“My children are my jewels. You cannot be burdens,” The man started to get on his feet supporting his daughter to follow suit. She was bubbling with laughter.
“Let us walk up to Kazan chis then we will take a taxi to Shero meda home sweet home.”
“It is mom who advised me to go to churches to trace you, ”he goes to churches when he is angry,”
“Give a call to Mary and Daniel also to your mother that we are coming,”
When I heard Helen saying “I didn’t have my phone with me,” I offered her mine.
BY ALEM HAILU G/KRISTOS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2023
