A trek,
the long walk
mengedi Lemlem
Off they went
እንዳ ኣቦይ ዓጽማት enda Aboy Atsmat, ኣደይ ማና Adey Mana and their በራውር berew’er;
ዓንደ Ande and his siblings.
Accompanying them was their netsela’s, cattle, tsebel and hopes
Passing by villages, churches and shepherds
Aboy Atsmat walked behind, guiding seb’u
Hugush often played with deki Tehela
“Ayni fenjal” they would call her
usually the fastest and by far the most competitive
“Hagosa dea neooooooow kaydaaa…kayda”
As newly weds they treked to her Asmara
Hugush and her tall, handsome fella
Sharp, witty, observant, meticulous, hardworking,
city life suited her perfectly,
as perfect as her wit
First to Akria, until
until freedom.
Too smart,
too free,
too whole.
Her path was hers,
Her life too.
Onto her next trek
Edaga Arbi
Early birds,
pipping hot surgery tea, fresh kitcha and the rigebet singing “good morning”
Shhhhh,
moving as quite as Senait, determined not to wake up enda Araifaine
glances left, glances right
doors shut,
off to Godief
the rigbet follow her trek
for company
Toned arms
Plain arms (pre tatoos)
petit wrists
firm palms
soft veins
and all the skills she learnt at Cotonificio Baratollo
Tickets booked
to give, to be
and to lead
Where to her next trek?
To the land of the Queen
not the Queen
her Queen
3:15pm
penguin coat quickly worn
3 chocoate penguins (classic 90s),
usually red, always original-
for the cheraru, of course-
stuffed in her large pocket
the black umbrella firmly gripped
and off to collect her herd
by the gates,
always
always
4am and already leaving.
A bag of fresh himbasha, her umbrella and a stashed tissue pack
off to the 18,
she speeds out
checking her black, tightly sealed watch
the rigebet sing to her, as she walks to the bus
“ewayyy shikor“
She thanks them and greets the driver
with the warmest smile
“Good morning”
18 to the 36,
to enda Michael
Temesghen
Be’tsena
to her home
With every lesson taught
every wise word shared
every childhood song sung
every play fight fought
every yellow cherke squeezed
every prayer whispered
every pattern counted
every routine perfected
she follows the rigebet in the clear blue skies,
whistling
nab Haddas’en Zewdi’en
ሓደ
Zara Tewolde-Berhan 