Lia's files 2_Heading down south

by Kathrin Kilambya

  Goytom, who had joined her by the window, shouted, “Awassa!” He turned and grinned happily.

  At this moment, Paul stuck his head through the cockpit-curtain and shouted. “Get ready for landing everyone. We’re about to land!”

  Before he turned back toward the cockpit, he looked at Mahlet, a thousand questions in his eyes, as well as a lot of uncertainty and love. She smiled at him and motioned for him to disappear. With a happy laugh, he turned and soon we heard the engine roar up, as if in answer to his happiness. We all had to laugh at that.

  Alice stayed over at Mahlet’s, but shot me an inquiring glance. I nodded and smiled, which seemed all she needed, for she happily turned back to Mahlet and put her little hand into hers. Mahlet wrapped her arm around Alice and held her tight.

  Glancing out of the window, I saw the ground fast approaching and before I had time to worry much, there was the telltale thud immediately followed by the breaking of the airplane, indicating that we had landed.

  On a road. And from what I would tell, a bit to the South of that town called Awassa.

  The plane rolled to a stop and Nin came to open the door. He jumped down and carefully helped Alice and Yuki get out of the plane. We all followed them out of the plane, and stretched and yawned a bit, all the while taking a good look at our surroundings.

  They had chosen a very good spot to land. About 30 meters back toward the road was a roadside garage with fuel station. There were a couple of cars being parked or abandoned there. It would be easy to pick two or three to carry on with our journey. Further back lay the town of Awassa, obviously once a regional center, for we could see many tall buildings, apartment blocks and spacious palace-like buildings. And some of the most wonderful trees I had ever seen. Big, no huge, fig trees, their broad crowns spreading out over their immediate surroundings positively like umbrellas. With aerial roots dangling down toward the ground in huge numbers.

  “Wow!” I exclaimed, “Look at these wonderful trees. They are amazing. Can we take a closer look?”

  Everyone turned to see what I was talking of. Goytom stepped forward and explained that this area of Ethiopia was famous for this kind of fig trees. In older days, people used to gather underneath them to hold councils. Any kind of important business, especially if it concerned an entire village, had to be conducted under a fig tree, or else it would be void or even fraught with evil spirits.

  Josh inquired why he knew all this and Goytom proudly informed us, that his family actually came from a little town just a few kilometers further south. A very fertile area and that he hoped to find some of his family and relatives there. Alive. He had studied and worked in Addis Ababa, but his home was down here.

  “Is it far from here?” Rob inquired.

  “No, about thirty kilometers, maybe a bit more.” Goytom replied eagerly. “We could get here today.”

  It was afternoon by now, around four o’clock and we would have about two more hours of daylight.

  I turned to Degu. “And where do you come from? Will you accompany us further south?”

  He smiled. “Yes, I will gladly accompany you further south. My family lived in a town called Mega, about 120 kilometers from Moyale. I know the border area very well. I, too, hope to find some of my family members or relative still alive. We should be able to get to Mega and Moyale in a day.”

  “But first, you have to come with me to Leku. That’s where my family lives. I hope.” Goytom chipped in.

  It was cute. They were both so enthusiastic to be so near their homes and families. I only hoped that they would find somebody still alive.

  We quickly agreed that we would proceed as fast as possible toward that village called Leku, where Goytom wanted to go. We’d stay there overnight and decide how to proceed once we’d seen how things were with his family.

  Degu, of course, was very anxious that we should travel on the next day toward his hometown. But we’d have to first see how things stood in Leku with Goytom’s family before we could take a decision.

  We decided to get four cars, one for Goytom, the other three for the rest of us. It didn’t take us long, about half an hour, to get four suitable cars, all four-by-fours, fuel them up and get our luggage into them. All the while, Nin, Winter and I stood guard, guns at the ready. Just in case anyone should show up. After all, Awassa had been a major regional hub and it was more than likely that there were still people alive here. Or, worse, that Nemesis had a base or patrol-unit here.

  But we never saw any sign of life. Which was both a relief and very sad.

  It was going on to five o’clock when we’d all climbed into the cars and finally got going. Goytom and Degu drove in the first car. Followed by Rob, Winter, Yuki and Nin; they had decided to stick together in one car. Then came Paul and Mahlet; everybody wanting to give them an opportunity to talk without any of us overhearing. They were both very self-conscious when they got into their car; it was cute. In the last car came we three. Only this time I sat on the passenger seat in front and Alice had the entire back seat to herself and Piglet and Malinda. She seemed very happy to be with Josh and me and kept talking incessantly to Malinda and Piglet, mostly explaining them that soon, very, very soon we’d be in Kenya. And how wonderful that was!! She could hardly sit still, so excited was she at this idea.

  Josh and I just smiled. I didn’t feel like talking much, neither did Josh.

  The landscape we drove through was entirely different from what we’d seen around Lake Tana. Everything was lush, green, and obviously extremely fertile. There were dense, jungle like forests to the left and right of the road. The usual hamlets were scattered along the road, but their gardens were overgrown and often one could hardly discern the houses among the dense vegetation. Just a few kilometers outside Awassa, the road soared straight down a slope, it felt almost like tobogganing down a hill.

  It was fun and we all had to laugh out loud.

  “We are literally going down south, aren’t we?” Josh drily remarked.

  “We are in the Rift Valley, aren’t we?” I inquired.

  He shot me a rather incredulous look and commented caustically. “Come now, Lia, of course. And well you know. Don’t play stupid!”

  “What do you mean ‘play stupid?’ I have never been here, how am I to know.” I inquired a bit indignantly.

  “Because you are your father’s daughter and your Uncle Phil’s niece. Surely Phil must have explained you the entire East African geological situation in detail before you were old enough to read. He probably even made you sit exams over it. So, you don’t have to pretend to be stupid. You know full-well that this is part of the rift running all the way down from Israel to Tanzania passes here. Really!”

  Okay? I had never been here and I had thought, I might ask. Apparently I was not to pretend to need guidance when I could use my own mind.

  I shot Josh an inquiring look, and he glanced quickly at me before he went on. “I love you, among many other reasons, mostly because you have a head of your own and are a sharper than average cookie, you know. You don’t have to act the dumb-female on me. In fact, never ever do that! Okay?”

  “Hint taken! And sorry for this lapse.” I replied with a grin.

  “Thanks! Much appreciated. I’ll show you later how much I adore and love you, suffice it to say now, that I love you more than words can say. Okay?”

  “Ditto.” I whispered, a bit overcome by the fervent sound of his voice.

  “Why are you scolding Lia, Josh?” Alice chipped in, leaning forward from across the back seat.

  Josh sent me a rueful smile and said. “Because she has a brilliant mind and I hate it, when she pretends she is a dumb female in need of male guidance.”

  Seeing Alice’s confusion at these words, he unbent and added. “I love your sister, you know, with all my heart. Reason for this not least her being so clever and selfless. I hate it if she is trying to belittle herself by pretending she doesn’t know and needs me to explain. That’s why.”

  Ali
ce was about to answer something, when Josh suddenly swore and pulled the breaks rather sharply. He’d not seen that the cars in front were slowing down as we had approached a little settlement sprawling on either side of the road. Obviously, we were to leave the main road here and to turn left, into a narrow tarmac-road that led, because that’s where Goytom’s car disappeared between some houses.

  We ceased talking altogether, everybody intend on seeing where this road led and how far we’d have to go. The row of houses on either side of the road soon ended and the road led over hilly country eastward. Again, what struck me most was the jungle-like, lush and dense vegetation. We passed some hamlets, but they were completely overgrown by bushes and liane-like creepers with beautiful white flowers. The entire landscape seemed covered with these white blossoms. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Even Alice commented on it, holding Piglet and Malinda to the window and telling them to take a good look, for never before had they seen anything so enchanting. “It looks like a landscape that is asleep; under a fairy spell!” She exclaimed. Somehow she was right. I smiled at her and she seemed happy.

  After about ten minutes’ drive houses appeared in front and we soon drove into a small town. We followed Goytom’s lead. Everything looked utterly deserted, not even any animals roaming the streets. An uneasy foreboding crept over me. I searched for Josh’s hand and squeezed it hard. He shot me an understanding look and smiled sadly. “I am afraid Goytom won’t find what he was hoping for.”

  At the third junction, Goytom turned left and after about two hundred meters he stopped. I motioned for Alice to remain in the car. I felt reluctant to intrude upon Goytom. He needed time to see for himself what had happened here.

  He got out of his car and hesitatingly stood next to it for a moment before he walked around the car and toward a complex of houses to his right. Degu had gotten out of the car, too, and slowly followed Goytom after a quick glance at us all. We didn’t need his cautioning arm-waving to know we were to keep back. We’d all gotten out of our respective cars, though. Even Alice understood that this would be an intrusion.

  I put my arms around Alice’s shoulders and stood close to Josh.

  “I feel so sorry for Goytom and so grateful that we have been granted so much happiness. It’s unfair, utterly unfair. That his family should have perished.”

  “I know, love. I know.” Josh murmured into my hair, holding me very close. “We’ve been exceptionably lucky!”

  In a small, frightened voice, Alice asked. “Are they all dead? Goytom’s family? Can’t we find anybody?”

  “I am afraid, it doesn’t look good.” Josh replied, patting her hair.

  Alice looked as if she was to burst out in tears; she hugged Malinda and Piglet closer to herself and buried her face in Malinda’s soft fur. I was about to say something, when we saw Goytom reappear from one of the houses and disappear in another. Degu had followed him out of the first house. Now, he slowly walked toward us. We all met by Paul and Mahlet’s car. Degu looked worn-out, desperate.

  With a visible effort, he said. “Goytom needs to be alone for a while. I trust that you understand. There were eight bodies in the house, eight! Goytom recognized his mother only by her dress. His entire family is dead.”

  His voice trailed off as we took in this terrible news in shocked silence.

  Josh was the first to find words. “I am so sorry! We all are! Goytom will want to bury his family. We’ll help. But we’ll also need a place to stay the night. Shall we venture to seek an adequate shelter while Goytom takes all the time he needs?”

  “You’re right, mate. We’ll help him burry his dead and give him all the time he needs.” Rob replied. He turned and looked at the nearby houses. He inclined his head toward Josh and asked. “Care to join me in a little reconnoitering?”

  Josh nodded and gave me a quick hug before walking away with Rob and Nin toward the houses further back from where we’d come. Winter, Mahlet and Yuki came over to Alice and me and we all huddled close to the cars while waiting for them to return. Nobody felt like talking.

  Degu had walked with Paul to Goytom’s family’s compound and they, too, had disappeared from our view.

  Josh and Rob were the first to reappear. They motioned for us to come over and we were very glad to comply.

  “This seems to be a good place to stay the night.” Rob said. “There are several rooms and a separate kitchen. And no, Winter, there were no dead bodies here.” He smiled ruefully at her.

  “We checked everything, the houses and the courtyards, there are no bodies here.” Josh assured us. “But don’t venture too far. From what we could discern, this town was hard hit and utterly devastated.”

  “Well. Then let’s carry what we need for the night over here, shall we?” Winter suggested with a forced nonchalance.

  I shot her a quick smile and told Alice to stay behind with Yuki and see to it that they found a place to sit down and rest. We walked over to the cars and got out what we’d need for the night. I shook the water container; it was only half-full. We’d need to fill it up before long. Certainly before we’d leave this place.

  “You can give me the container; I saw a pump behind the house; I’ll fill it up.” Rob took the container from me and I thanked him. It was already approaching six o’clock and would soon be dark, I hurried after the others into the house. We needed to prepare some hot food. We were too exhausted, from emotional more than physical exertion, to go to sleep without proper food. Winter and Mahlet had already taken over this task and sent me away, urging me to prepare the sleeping places for everybody and find out whether there would be a possibility to wash ourselves properly.

  Josh and Rob had already taken care of this last request. They’d hung a water container in a small room and declared it to be our ‘shower’. We took turns to wash ourselves under the deliciously cold trickle of water. It was so refreshing. Alice made a fuss, of course, but I coaxed her and took her with me to wash her properly. In the end, she enjoyed it just as much as I did. We decided to go out to the pump in the courtyard to wash our hair. Josh joined us there when Alice was done and walked away to go help Winter and Mahlet. Josh poured the water for me, gently caressing and massaging my hair and neck while he washed the shampoo out of my hair. I felt breathless; his touch awakening a chord deep within, making me yearn for his embrace, his body.

  “Cool it, Lia! Now’s neither the time nor the place.” He gently mocked, but when I smiled ruefully at him, I saw the love and desire ablaze in his eyes and I couldn’t help wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his mouth down on mine. His kissing showed me that he might know what was expected of us, but didn’t really want to comply with these rules. We were both breathless, when he finally pulled free. His breath coming in short gasps, he uttered caustically. “Really, Lia, behave! Oh, damn it!” And with this muffled oath he pulled me close once more, crushing me to his chest and kissing me with an intensity that left me not in the least doubt of his love and desire. This time it was I who pulled free from our passionate embrace as I had heard somebody approach. It was Alice. With a sigh, Josh released me, after pressing a last fervent kiss on the palm of my hand and boring his eyes into mine to convey how much he loved me. I pressed a kiss on his hand, too, before turning to Alice.

  She told us that dinner was ready, but that Mahlet and Winter had gone to take a quick shower, too. We were to come and sit down to eat.

  As if I was hungry right now!

  When I saw Goytom standing there by the fire, I instantly sobered up from my drunken delirium of love and passion and let go of Josh with a guilty feeling. It wasn’t right that I should enjoy Josh’s love while Goytom mourned the death of his family. No, it definitely wasn’t right.

  “You look cute, when you are so utterly confused.” Josh whispered at me.

  I punched him in the side and strode over to Yuki who gave me a sad smile and nodded to Goytom. “What do you think we can do for him?”

  “Help him burry his family and o
ffer to be his new family.” Winter matter-of-factly interpolated. Her hair was wet and she had wrapped a colorful scarf around her head. She looked almost regal in this attire, regal and utterly beautiful. I gave her a radiant smile, which made her raise her eyebrow questioningly, but I refuse to be drawn out.

  Mahlet and Winter had cooked some rice and a vegetable sauce. Rob, Winter informed us, had found some eggs in the hedge surrounding the courtyard on one side, and everybody got a boiled egg. It was delicious. We ate in silence, most of us unsure what to say to Goytom who looked utterly devastated.

  It was Paul, who eventually broke the silence. He got up and collected all the dishes, which seemed to scandalize Mahlet, but he motioned for her to remain seated. “We modern African men also do wash dishes, you know. You cooked for us, my lovely, I wash the dishes.”

  Glancing over at Goytom, he added. “Until I am back, you might discuss what’s to be done now. I gather we will stay another night, but then we ought to get going. I don’t like to stay in one place too long. One never knows. Lia’s shadows may be hot in pursuit of us.”

  He twinkled at me, but I didn’t find his remark funny, not by a wide margin. Neither did Josh for that matter. Rob, however, chuckled and shot me a glance before saying. “Don’t take him seriously, Lia, he’s just trying to tease you. ‘Lia’s shadow’, well, really! But Paul’s right, we need to talk about tomorrow.”

  With this, he turned to face Goytom and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, Goytom, let me speak for all of us and express our all heartfelt sympathy for your terrible loss. We cannot fathom the enormity of what you had to endure today, but we are here to support you in every way we can. Tomorrow, we will bury your dead and you will hold whatever ceremony you deem necessary.”

  He paused to nod encouragingly at Goytom who had lifted his gaze to meet Rob’s open and empathic look.

  “I guess, we can stay another night, but then we will have travel on. We hope very much that you will accompany us. As far as Mega, or even all the way to Kenya. You cannot stay here, all by yourself. There is nothing here for you anymore. You do, however, have a future. Hopefully with us. Remember! We will organize the fight against the Nemesis once we have been able to ascertain what happened to our families in Kenya.”