Eh, never would I have expected Paul to be able to talk with so much sincerity and quiet dignity. Gone was the flippant dare-devil who would spit every and any danger in the eye.
It was amazing. And wonderful.
We all beamed and kept our fingers crossed that Idris and Tigist would relent.
But it was Ifrah, who acted first. She stepped forward and embraced her sister. Then she joined Mahlet’s hand with Paul’s and firmly clasped hers over their joint hands. A clearer sign there couldn’t have been.
And so, Idris and Tigist relented. Idris addressed Paul, Yuki translated. “I can see that your heart is pure and that you mean well. This has come unexpectedly, but I guess you, too, didn’t expect it to happen. You wouldn’t take this step, nor would Mahlet, would your mutual feelings not be very strong. Who are we to stand in your way. We wish you both very happy and sincerely hope that we may see each other again. You do have my and our blessings.”
At that, Mahlet burst into tears, all the while smiling. She embraced her sister, then Tigist, then Paul, and generally didn’t seem to know what to do.
But Paul knew. He thanked Ifrah, Idris and Tigist, then turned to embrace and kiss Mahlet with a tenderness and devotion that was so unlike the brazen, impudent impression he was usually so keen to maintain. And Mahlet, after a tiny embarrassed pause, put her arms around his neck and returned his kisses, tears streaking down her cheeks.
It was so incredibly wonderful. I felt like crying and smiling at the same time. And from what I could see, so did Yuki and Winter.
The other men had reappeared from the hangar by now. They looked a bit surprised at first. But then smiles spread over their faces. Josh waved to us, indicating that we should come and have a look. When we had joined them, Nin informed us with a huge smile that they had found just the plane for us. “Small, but not too small. It’ll be able to carry us all. It should be able to fly us all the way down to Awassa on one tank filling.”
“So you have decided to fly to Awassa?” Winter interjected.
Rob answered her. “Yes, love. That way we can reach Goytom’s home easily. And it’s far away from Addis Ababa and whatever Nemesis are lurking there. Does anyone object to this plan?”
Rob’s question was clearly rhetorical. Nobody wanted to brush too close to Nemesis and we all quickly agreed that that would be how we’d do things.
“Let’s get going then.” Nin urged. He headed to the cars and began unloading the bags.
Idris and his men joined him and soon all our luggage was stored in the plane. It looked old and a bit battered, but Nin and Paul assured us that it was perfectly okay. One of those old, indestructible and reliable planes of days long gone. A real bush-plane, but big enough to carry us all plus our luggage. No problem there.
Degu und Goytom brought over their bags, too. Paul carried Mahlet’s things to the plane.
Within less than an hour, we were ready to leave.
It felt terrible to leave Idris, Tigist and everybody behind. In just two days, we had learned to trust them. They had become friends, reliable friends in this empty world without humans. Now here we were, having to part, not knowing where and when we might meet again.
Josh made Mekonnen and Brhane tell him as exactly as possible where they would be heading. He took notes on everything they said. We agreed that we would try to re-contact them, as soon as we had established a base in Kenya. Mekonnen declared that they were all very eager to fight the Nemesis; and that they relied on us to organize the fight.
To say good-bye to Tigist, Melat, Senayit, Ifrah and all the children was hardest, especially for Mahlet, but also for Alice. She cried quite a bit, when she said her good-byes to Safia and Nulu. It would be difficult for her, leaving her newfound friends and playmates behind and settling back into the life of an only child among adults. However, who knew who else we’d meet?
For Mahlet, though, it was hardest. She and Ifrah embraced for a long time, whispering good-byes to each other. They didn’t cry, Ifrah seemed very happy for Mahlet. But it was heartbreaking to watch. Idris and Tigist gave Mahlet their blessings and everyone else said their good-byes to her too. Nulu seemed very sad at her departure, but Tigist lifted her up in her arms and tried to console her.
We would meet again. One way or another. We had to. Anything else was unbearable.
Finally, everything was stowed away and good-byes said to everybody. We got into the plane. Paul carefully handed Mahlet into the plane. He would yet have to learn that she was a tough one, too. For now, though, it was cute to see him so chivalrous. Nin and Paul headed for the cockpit and we all sat down and fastened the seat belts. Rob closed the door and signaled to Paul that we could start.
“How will they navigate?” I whispered over to Josh who sat across the aisle from Alice and me.
“By sight and general direction, I guess. Plus, Goytom will help them. It’ll work somehow. Anyway, we will end up somewhere a lot closer to Kenya than we are now.” He grinned at me.
Well, if he could see it that relaxed, so could I. I grinned appreciatively back at him and prepared myself for take-off.
The engine roared to life and within a few moments, the plane started moving. Through the windows, we saw everybody waving frantically. Mahlet was crying all the while waving to her sister and her family who quickly disappeared in the distance as we headed to the airstrip. When we were in position, Paul stuck his head through the curtain separating the cockpit from the rest of the plane and shouted that we would take-off now, would everybody please remain seated. He shot one anxious look at Mahlet, but she gave him a radiant, if somewhat forcibly cheerful smile and he turned back to the cockpit. Almost immediately the plane began vibrating like hell, gathering up the force for take-off. At an ever-increasing speed, we were rattling down the airstrip, suddenly there was this feeling of uplift and the ground disappeared below us. We were in the air again!
Paul and Nin flew a circle over the others on the ground, and everybody waved frantically some more. Then we were gone and heading away from Bahir Dar.
We all sat there in stunned silence for a while. Everybody busy thinking their own thoughts. Gazing out of the window and at the passing scenery below. I felt a tight knot in my throat and was wondering how it must be for Mahlet. Goytom and Degu seemed okay; they were mostly very excited to be going homewards. But Mahlet huddled in her seat and looked very scared and uncertain.
I shifted Alice who had settled down on my lap toward Josh and got up.
“Where are you going?” Alice shouted in my ear in a cranky voice.
“To see how Mahlet is doing.” I replied, having to shout, too, because of the noise of the airplane. “You stay here with Josh, okay?”
Alice and Josh both nodded at me and gave me a smile. Alice a rather reluctant one, Josh one of radiant approval, which sent butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. How I loved him! And how wonderful that he loved me too! It seemed almost unfair to be so happy. I sincerely hoped that we would be granted time together before whatever was to happen would happen, before that fight against the Nemesis would start. How I dreaded that future.
My somber thoughts most have shown on my face because Josh lifted his brow and tilted his head, asking what the matter was without saying a word. I shook my head. Not now. I would tell him later. Now, my priority was Mahlet and that she could feel at ease. I gave him an apologetic smile and turned to sit down next to Mahlet.
She lifted her head and I saw that she had been crying. Without saying much, the noise of the airplane was so loud, it was very difficult to communicate, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gently patted her arms. She gave me an apologetic smile which never reached her brilliant eyes and sunk against my chest, sobbing.
I was almost glad that talking was out for now; for, I wouldn’t have known what to say. Was Mahlet already questioning the wisdom of her decision down there at the airport? Paul should be here with her. Hold her and let her feel his love. Of course, this wasn’t possible for now. He
had to fly us safely across Ethiopia. Surely, she understood this. I tried to wrap my head around the momentous decision she had taken just a short time before. To leave all her family, her sister, in order to follow a stranger into the unknown. For that’s what Paul must be to her. A stranger. She was attracted to him, as he was to her. But I had no way of gauging her motives. I was sure that with Paul it was passionate love and that it might last. But with her? What would be the basis for their relationship? Would she hold it against him that she had had to give up everything for him? Did she know who he was? I mean, really was? Not just his attractive outer shell, but his real inner self? And what could he possibly know about her other than that she was outstandingly beautiful?
I felt sorry for them both. So many factors seemed to speak against their happiness. It would take a special effort from them both to work this all out and to find a balanced way together without one, Paul, always feel indebted to the other, Mahlet.
But then again, it takes all sort of people to make a relationship work. Weren’t we all here living examples how differently one could be perfectly happy together?
Yuki and Nin who had basically grown up together; at least since they were teenagers; and who knew each-other in an out, had been sitting on top of each-other day-in and day-out. What with even being in the same school.
Then Winter and Rob who were so mature in their love for each-other. It was passionate and caring. Yes, caring was the right word. Each of them seemed to be preoccupied with the well-being of the other. It was obvious, too, that they had gone through a lot together and knew exactly what the other thought and how they both functioned. I had a lot of respect for their love and relationship. In fact, it seemed to me to be the ideal kind of relationship. Respect and a deep love. Giving each-other room and yet enjoying each-other’s company. Wasn’t that wonderful and all it really took to succeed?
And Josh and I? Well, now we wouldn’t be the youngest couple any more. I wished that we would grow as sure of each-other and easy with each-other as Winter and Rob. It was still early days for us, though. We were still busy discovering the other and accepting the other for what we really were and not what we had imagined or dreamed. I guess, one could say that we were still in love and didn’t yet love, if I had understood that difference correctly.
I had to smile at that.
Yes, for now Josh still simply overwhelmed me most of the time. It was still kind of hard to wrap my head around the fact that he was obviously mine, that he loved me, too, and that he was as blissfully happy to be with me as I was to be with him.
So, how would Mahlet and Paul fare together? Would he open up a bit more, be a bit less frivolous and impudent? He would have to work on not being overprotective. And she? I knew next to nothing about her. Only that she was shy and didn’t speak easily with others. But she seemed to be alert and very interested in whatever happened around her. And courageous. Maybe it was her up-bringing. I mean, the status of women in certain societies was such that they were expected to remain in the background and not to put themselves forward. Right? I also wondered what kind of profession she’d had. The way she held herself and moved about was quiet but with such elegance and grace that I couldn’t imagine her to have been a mere stay-at-home. Maybe she’d been a teacher. For, she certainly had a way with children. But then again, so had had all the other ladies in Idris’s group, too. I would ask her, once we’d have landed.
Mahlet had by now stopped crying and was breathing evenly.
Was she asleep?
I didn’t dare move though my arm had started to ache. In order to forget the uncomfortable position and the falling asleep of my hand, I tried to glean as much as I could from the landscape we were flying over. From the direction the sun shone, I guessed that we were flying steadily south or southeast. I could see mountains and deep valleys underneath, even gorges. Settlements, that is villages and small hamlets, were scattered all over. It most have been a very productive and densely populated area before the Pathogen hit.
Just then, Goytom turned around in his seat and eagerly pointed toward the window. He sat on the left side, as were Josh and Alice. He shouted. “Look, Mount Choqa. Soon we will fly over Debre Markos and then over the gorge of the Blue Nile.” He was clearly very excited.
His shouting he had woken up Mahlet, if she’d really been sleeping. She made an effort to see for herself the mountain and the landscape.
“You know.” She suddenly said close to my ear and almost made me jump out of my seat in surprise. “Mount Choqa is one of the highest mountains in Gojam province. People cultivated its slopes until almost 3000 meters above sea-level. It’s quite amazing.”
She spoke spotless English with hardly a trace of an accent. I had never noticed before. My surprise must have shown, for she laughed and said. “You didn’t expect my speaking English, did you?”
“No, I mean, I have never heard. I didn’t mean …,” hopelessly entangled, I felt myself blush violently.
Mahlet twinkled at me. Hell, where was the shy, delicate being of before? And added. “I know, I never say a lot when there are many people around. I have been to the States, though, you know. I studied over there.”
“And where are you from exactly?” I asked, still too confused by all this revelations to formulate a coherent question.
“Our family has lived in Metema for many, many years. Originally, though, we are from Gondar. I was working in Metema after I had returned from the States. I worked for the town council, in the local hospital. I am nurse by training. Then, Ifrah planned to get married and asked me to join her and her future family-in-law. That was end of February. Just three weeks later, planes flew over our village and people started to die. I don’t even know how we survived and how we found Idris and his people.”
“Ifrah?” I inquired shakenly. I hadn’t expected something like this.
“Ifrah told me yesterday that she wanted to stay with Idris and his group. She gave me her blessings for whatever decision I would take. She’s always supported me. I have so much to thank her! She lost her husband-to-be and all his family. I’ll miss her terribly. But I trust that we will establish communications with them again later. Do you think this is really possible?”
“Sure, why not. After all, we have a real bunch of experts assembled, engineers, pilots, scientists, technical geniuses, name it, we have them.” I added, feeling very proud ,and, a bit silly. “By the way, how old are you and Ifrah?”
“Ifrah is twenty-four and I am twenty-two. And you?”
“I am twenty-three, Yuki is twenty and Winter twenty-five. Alice is only nine, and she misses her mother very much.”
“And Paul? How old is he?” She asked me, suddenly very self-conscious.
“He, Josh and Rob are all twenty-eight. They went to school and later to university together. Josh and Rob also worked together professionally. They all lived in England, but Paul, being an engineer with Boeing and a pilot, lived in another city from them. But I guess, Paul will tell you everything later.” I added with a smile.
She seemed happy with that and didn’t venture any further questions or remarks for a while.
Which was okay with me, because it had given me a real earache to shout at each-other above the noise of the airplane. We sat in amiable silence or a while, then Alice came over and indicated that she wanted to take my place.
I wondered a bit at that, but let her.
She settled in the seat next to Mahlet and immediately began to pepper her with questions. Mahlet relaxed and chuckled, before answering Alice’s probably impertinent questions.
Well, it would do them both good.
I wanted to get back to Josh now. I felt confused and unsettled after what Mahlet had told me. It needed thinking over at leisure. Josh welcomed me with a hug and an ardent kiss. He didn’t say anything but simply wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair. I slunk back against his chest and closed my eyes.
It didn’t take me long to fall asleep and I must hav
e slept quite a while, for the sun was in a totally different position, when Josh woke me up. He bent his head, so that he wouldn’t have to shout too much. “We are almost there, Lia, love. Look, it’s already afternoon. We’ve just flown over three small lakes in the valley down below and Goytom tells us that we are fast approaching Awassa.”
He pressed a kiss on my hair and eagerly kissed me on my mouth when I lifted my head to greet him. He was very excited and his enthusiasm was infectious.
“Lia, it’s amazing. We will make it to the Kenyan border tomorrow! I would never have believed this possible! Just look!”
I didn’t have time to look out at the landscape below, though. First priorities first. I grabbed his hair and pulled his face down to mine. I kissed him; long and ardently, because I needed him to know how much I loved and needed him. He was as breathless as I was, when we came up for air. And he smiled his glorious, lopsided smile down at me.
“Really Lia! We aren’t alone! That was hardly decent!” He scolded teasingly, all the while devouring me with his eyes. There was a fire and need blazing in them that I almost felt shy. He bent down to kiss me again and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck to press myself as close to him as was possible. Out of breath, he finally pulled away, laughter, desire and love in his eyes.
“Ah, Lia! If only we were alone! Please, bear with me. We have to stay focused! Really!”
I chuckled and released him reluctantly. It had been wonderful while it lasted. This little passionate interlude.
When I sat up and looked around, I saw Mahlet looking at me approvingly from across the aisle. Alice sat by the window and was too busy watching the passing landscape to note much else. Yuki grinned at me appreciatively, too, and smiled her wicked sister-smile. I winked at her and got ready to see where we were.
We were flying above a main road down a long wide valley, flanked on either side by mountains and running on an almost straight North-South orientation. A bit ahead, on the western side of the road, there was another little lake. And to the south of it a town. A town, not just a village. I saw Alice pointing in the direction of the town over at her side.
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