Thursday, September 07, 2006
Tutelary mother
"Arefaine! Arefaine!"
it was his younger brother, Haile, who was laboriously trying to wake him up.
"Have to go now..." his mother was saying.
It looked as though she was flying.
"But not to worry. I will be watching over you." She said while hovering over him.
He stretched his arms towards her.
"Please don't go ..." He whispered. His plea was inaudible. Even to himself. His lips appeared to move but his vocal cords were unable to produce or emit any sound.
"ma - ma ..." he tried with all his might. His lips were attempting to utter the word with such difficulty.
She was swiftly moving now. Soaring higher and higher.
"ma - ma - ma ..."
Unknown source of power has gripped his whole body and he felt helpless. She was smoothly gliding upwards. He was pathetically attempting to flag both his arms up and down, up and down , hoping a thrust of air would build up and help him fly.
He thought he saw her smiling. The same angelic smile she wore every time she saw him desperately trying to win his father's support even at the cost of appearing silly.
"so what he doesn't like it? I love it!". She never failed to assure him how proud of him she was.
She waved at him one more time before she vamoosed into thin air.
"M - A- M - A !" The word, propelled by a tremendous force of vibration, broke loose. His quivering lips, perforced by the behemoth internal pressure, expanded until his mouth was opened wide helping the sound to amplify twice fold.
He sprang out of the bed only to face dozen of awed and aghast eyes staring at him.
"Mama?" his little brother looked around the room for explanation. All, almost at the same time, met his confusion; shrugging their shoulders.
"You have been dreaming the same dream again, haven't you?" Haile said, simperingly looking at his muddle-headed older brother.
"Shut up!" Arefaine exploded. He was visibly disappointed. He didn't really know why. Neither did his little brother. Who was now retreating before something unpleasant like an inevitable kurkum ensued. What is the big deal ? He wondered.This is not the first time he eavesdropped. He had heard Arefaine so many times confiding Tesfamariam about his habitual reverie regarding his late mother.
"Baba said that you're gonna be late." He announced before he scampered out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him.
It was either the comforting reverie that abruptly ended or the uneasy anticipation of the long journey that awaited him but a feeling of either anger or worry was clearly boiling up inside of him.
He regretted the big dummy ruffian character he just displayed towards his little brother.
He sat on the edge of the bed, hands went around his head and joined to form a cushion for his weary head.
He closed his eyes and silently whispered the only prayer that his mum thought him and knew would give him strength. "Thy will be done!"
it was his younger brother, Haile, who was laboriously trying to wake him up.
"Have to go now..." his mother was saying.
It looked as though she was flying.
"But not to worry. I will be watching over you." She said while hovering over him.
He stretched his arms towards her.
"Please don't go ..." He whispered. His plea was inaudible. Even to himself. His lips appeared to move but his vocal cords were unable to produce or emit any sound.
"ma - ma ..." he tried with all his might. His lips were attempting to utter the word with such difficulty.
She was swiftly moving now. Soaring higher and higher.
"ma - ma - ma ..."
Unknown source of power has gripped his whole body and he felt helpless. She was smoothly gliding upwards. He was pathetically attempting to flag both his arms up and down, up and down , hoping a thrust of air would build up and help him fly.
He thought he saw her smiling. The same angelic smile she wore every time she saw him desperately trying to win his father's support even at the cost of appearing silly.
"so what he doesn't like it? I love it!". She never failed to assure him how proud of him she was.
She waved at him one more time before she vamoosed into thin air.
"M - A- M - A !" The word, propelled by a tremendous force of vibration, broke loose. His quivering lips, perforced by the behemoth internal pressure, expanded until his mouth was opened wide helping the sound to amplify twice fold.
He sprang out of the bed only to face dozen of awed and aghast eyes staring at him.
"Mama?" his little brother looked around the room for explanation. All, almost at the same time, met his confusion; shrugging their shoulders.
"You have been dreaming the same dream again, haven't you?" Haile said, simperingly looking at his muddle-headed older brother.
"Shut up!" Arefaine exploded. He was visibly disappointed. He didn't really know why. Neither did his little brother. Who was now retreating before something unpleasant like an inevitable kurkum ensued. What is the big deal ? He wondered.This is not the first time he eavesdropped. He had heard Arefaine so many times confiding Tesfamariam about his habitual reverie regarding his late mother.
"Baba said that you're gonna be late." He announced before he scampered out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him.
It was either the comforting reverie that abruptly ended or the uneasy anticipation of the long journey that awaited him but a feeling of either anger or worry was clearly boiling up inside of him.
He regretted the big dummy ruffian character he just displayed towards his little brother.
He sat on the edge of the bed, hands went around his head and joined to form a cushion for his weary head.
He closed his eyes and silently whispered the only prayer that his mum thought him and knew would give him strength. "Thy will be done!"
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The night before
It was almost 4 AM in the morning. He was thinking "2 hours more of this restless night". His watch, albeit old and crack, is a new gift from his father. He had checked the time for a millionth time. The soft ticking sound of the second hand was getting louder. He thought. He put his hand under the bed cover and tried to muffle the irritating noise. "Damn" he still could hear it.
He could see the restful face of his brothers through the crack of the window where the moon light seeps through. One's foot literarily shoved into the other nose. One's butt squashing the other face. Elbows stuck, hands twisted. He envied them. All 5 of them. He reached for the bed cover and covered his youngest brother who was no match to his older brothers blanket tug war.
He closed his eyes and wished he would wade off to sleep. "Just an hour" he wished. He dreaded the long journey that awaits him. All three days long.
"At the crack of down ...
right before you hear the cock crow..." His father's words echoed in his ear. He tried to ignore it and pleaded with his own mind to let him sleep.
"Remember to leave the mule at your uncles. You should be able to walk the rest of the way"
He curled his body up until his chin touches his knees and cupped both ears with his hands. It felt better. He heard one of his brothers murmuring something followed by his usual lips smacking. He knew what was coming next. His brother's foot came crashing down and gave him a blow on his nose. Such assault was not unusual.
"Take good care of your brothers. They need you" His mother's word echoed in his head.
"It's inevitable that your father will get himself another wife. Whether she will be taking care of you guys as her own is doubtful." She was right on the money - he thought. The new wife is anything but a mother.
"Now get your self a shut eye. You have a long way ahead of you" He thought he heard his mother say.
"I can't mama." he muttered.
"Yes you can, my boy. Here... rest your weary head on my lap... That's it. Just like you used to. Now close your eyes..."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Oh mama! How I missed you!" was the last thing he remembered himself saying out loud.
He could see the restful face of his brothers through the crack of the window where the moon light seeps through. One's foot literarily shoved into the other nose. One's butt squashing the other face. Elbows stuck, hands twisted. He envied them. All 5 of them. He reached for the bed cover and covered his youngest brother who was no match to his older brothers blanket tug war.
He closed his eyes and wished he would wade off to sleep. "Just an hour" he wished. He dreaded the long journey that awaits him. All three days long.
"At the crack of down ...
right before you hear the cock crow..." His father's words echoed in his ear. He tried to ignore it and pleaded with his own mind to let him sleep.
"Remember to leave the mule at your uncles. You should be able to walk the rest of the way"
He curled his body up until his chin touches his knees and cupped both ears with his hands. It felt better. He heard one of his brothers murmuring something followed by his usual lips smacking. He knew what was coming next. His brother's foot came crashing down and gave him a blow on his nose. Such assault was not unusual.
"Take good care of your brothers. They need you" His mother's word echoed in his head.
"It's inevitable that your father will get himself another wife. Whether she will be taking care of you guys as her own is doubtful." She was right on the money - he thought. The new wife is anything but a mother.
"Now get your self a shut eye. You have a long way ahead of you" He thought he heard his mother say.
"I can't mama." he muttered.
"Yes you can, my boy. Here... rest your weary head on my lap... That's it. Just like you used to. Now close your eyes..."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Oh mama! How I missed you!" was the last thing he remembered himself saying out loud.
