A knock at the door nudged Samuel out of his harrowing contemplation to pen down his harsh decision that he is fully responsible for his action and no body must be held accountable for any harm that could befall him.
Sitting on a chair before a computer-bearing table, he was scribbling a letter on a white paper to serve a posthumous declaration of self-inflicted death.
Tying a ligature on the horizontally projected water pipeline of a shower, beneath which a stool is seen, he was about to take his life into his hands.
That week he was hearing too much of a news about suicide on the social media—“about 30 people have committed suicide within a month”.
The ever-escalating global inflation pricing the likes of him out of market and worldwide unrest attended by adverse repercussions conspiring with bashed hope arising from rejection by his love object recently had created on him a daunting feeling that is challenging to bottle up.
Contradicting views pertaining to suicide were vying to take the upper hand in his mind echoing diametrically opposite voices.
“Let it be known that I, the undersigned, committed suicide as I couldn’t get any medicine capable to mellow the bitterness of life that ill-treated me almost A to Z.
Though I tried my best to emerge a victor in the fight against the adversities on the stage of life, I tragically drew a blank. I think fate has marked me the culprit that must be meted out with failing streaks.
After all the lacerating pain of life full of toil is not worth the candle.
I hope my family members and relatives get consolation from the march of time.” The letter is signed Samuel Aron.
It was on a newly rented condo house, with a wide salon having shower and kitchen, he was living. Advised by friends he had made recourse to prayer and reading the bible.
Whenever alone, specially at nights, he hears the voices and regurgitates the tidbits he got from collogues and psychology books.
“Do not fail to vest your hope on the Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent God! The mountain you make from your minor problems is just a mole hill to Him. He can easily troubleshoot it, for nothing is impossible to God. Keep on praying,”
“My friend, do not worry. He breaks us to pieces to remold us anew in the process.”
“You see maturity and patience comes with a little pain.”
“A Christian never gives up hope.”
As king David said “God even if I pass through the valley of death I will not be Afraid as long as You are with me and I hold Your hand.”
“Have you imagined the unbearable pain you inflict on your close ones too.”
Though at long last Samuel managed to beat the odds of life full of twists and turns, instead of counting his blessings he was regretting and reliving the starvation, thirst, sickness and slavish way of life he underwent from early childhood as an orphan.
Reverting back to the gruesome past he spent he was suffering from a lacerating pain that arises from self-pity. The feeling was tantamount to sitting on the horns of a dilemma of committing suicide or chasing away the excruciating mental pain. He got himself on the roller coaster of emotion. It was at that climactic moment he had to make a fate-sealing decision the door knocks transported him back to his normal self.
This way he sat put mum lacking the energy and also the interest to answer the door. But when he heard the soft voice of Marta, a girl he endeared himself to the past couple of years, with a knee-jerk action, he sprang to the door akin the minute needle of a wristwatch pinched on its head.
Opening the door he saw his love object standing on the threshold. He though it must be a phantom. Unable to believe his eyes “Martha is that you?” he said dubbing her face with both hands as the blind sense a statue with their hands.
Unzipping her thin and tiny lips that veiled snow white and well-arrayed teeth she said
“My dear Samuel you can welcome your wife!”
***
“No” was the answer she gave him when he asked her
“Martha will you marry me?”
Then as Samuel was her second best she was hesitant to outright respond. Rather she opted to buy time creating lame pretexts.
That dialogue is still embedded in his head “Though I feel flattered, I appreciate the proposal you raised. Marriage is a blessed idea,” she nodded her head up and down.
“Sure, what else could a man ask for if blessed with a marital bliss?” he tried to solidify his argument with hand gestures.
“But I’m not ready to tie the knot as our extended family has heavily leaned on me. I’m one of the few bread winners of the family. Besides, I want to pursue postgraduate program. I hope you will understand me. I’m sure you will get a girl that deserves you.”
***
“My God, what is the reason for the bruise around your arm?” Samuel pointed towards the red spots on her right arm.
“That God damn Joseph, along with his friends, was about to rape me,” she bit her lower lip with her front teeth.
“What? I will kill him! How dare he? As if you were a sex machine! ”
“Do not worry I’ve reported the case to police. I told them my silly boyfriend, whom I trusted duped by his striking physical appearance, tried to get me gang raped conniving with addict friends of his.”
“How dare he?” Samuel punched the wall.
“Why didn’t you call me? Didn’t you carry your phone?”
“Along with his friends he was chewing ‘Chat’, drinking draught beer laced with local gin Sport. All were tipsy. Stunned by the strange setting of the house and the presence of his friends I was showing hesitancy to get inside. They offered me a chair. Soon the one beside me began fondling my breast barefacedly.”
“How dare he?”
“I slapped him on the face,” she showed the magnitude of the slap swinging her right arm.
“The other one dragged me to bed. “What? How come?” Samuel punched the wall once more.
At that point I shouted at the top of my voice “Help me please they are to rape me!” To my rescue a lady next door came to the door.
“You criminals stop if you respect the law!” the lady waved her pointing finger. Soon all family members of hers came to the door. Her daughters also began echoing my shout while her sons were carrying brooms and sticks.
Neighbors gathered in no time. Two armed policemen from a nearby station also came to the scene following a phone call to take the culprits to the police station.
“My dear Martha I did tell you appearance is deceptive. As we discussed Yoseph was lacking in character.”
“Now I have understood everything. I was on a wild goose chase. Currently, there is nothing that could stand between you and me if you entertain the same feeling towards me.”
“As you are a bit wise I hope you will not take even!”
“No Martha I do not take even. I’m dreaming a happy hereafter. Had you not knocked this door today I would end up in the graveyard,” he pointed his finger to the rope in the shower leading her by the hand. Crossing her face trice and grabbing her head with both hands “Is it because the response I gave on the negative?” tears welled up in her eyes.
“No that was the last straw to break the camel’s back!” he smiled wide opening his arm to show her there is a wide chance for herb to nurse his scarred heart back to shape. She immediately rested her head on his neck and chest. He gathered her into his arms.
Juxtaposed both wept for hours on end. It was a call from his sister and her husband that wakened them up.
“Samuel how are you doing? We brought you a sheep as an inauguration ceremony of the new condo house.”
“Really!”
“We are to slay it in the shade on the premise of the block. Come down with a rope if you have one. Your nephew is also with us,” said her husband.
Unknotting the ligature “Martha wait for me here. We shall mark the occasion. You shall help my sister to fry a sheep meat,” he said
“Sure thing! But don’t tell them about the rope” she replied.
I suffer eclipse
Lovely, As you were absent
For a while, No other lass
Could my heart beguile?
I suffer mood eclipse
Whenever you I miss.
BY ALEM HAILU G/KRISTOS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2023
