The Life of an Ethiopian Taxi Driver in Addis
20 November, 2009 | Teodros Kiros (PhD)
His name was Alemayehu. A university graduate, medium height, stout, fierce
looking with dreamy eyes, was quietly sitting on parched golden grass,
longingly looking far into the depth of a famished road, shortly before the
moon was about to replace the sun, on a typical Ethiopian day moving
towards a beautiful evening.
those who can afford to drink inside them well into dawn. To his right he
turned to see a flock of sheep, which were being harassed by a shepherd,
who looked tired of life.
Alemayehu wondered how much money he had made for the day, and began
counting anxiously, as if this day would be miraculously different from the
other days.He took the money out of an old handkerchief that has been used
by time. He counted for quite a while, and unhappily announced to himself that
he has made five birr. He said to himself, "I slaved for the entire day in the
savagery of the heat, the miserably rainy nights, drove on crooked and stony
streets, battling unruly customers. In addition, all that I have to show for myself
is five birr. This cannot be, this cannot be, please help me God".
He covered his intelligent face in shame, as if, as if, it is his fault Shortly
after that encounter with despair, he fell into deep sleep, protected by that
luminous moon in the deep blue sky, and dreamt that he was sitting on a large
meadow grass with patches densely populated by rich sun-flowers in their
bloom; the brims of the meadow are replete with red flowers adjoining a long
stream flowing to a river, encircled by tall mountains on whose peak stand
large villas, next to a meandering narrow country road. On this well-traveled
gravel road, trail many large and small trucks carefully paced behind each
other, like lonely stars. He then gazed down to the ocean, from the highest
summit of Ethiopian Mountains. All that he could see is the ocean. Nearby the
ocean, is a huge expanse of paved land covered by dark blue stones. Little
houses fill the gaps of the expanse. In front of every little house is a boat-a
long line of multicolored boats, neatly decked on long ropes tied to the shores
of the ocean. The dark blue stones were laced by gray and black pebble half
covered by running water that made similar sound like a brook. Inside the
caving of the running water, he could see frogs merrily leaping, little ants
aggressively sojourning somewhere. A little further, he heard children speaking
to a brilliant voice, comforting them. The voice told them that they will
overcome, and one day they will celebrate life with their broken parents.
Alemayehu, opens his eyes to the world in terror. He simply could not begin to
fathom the meaning of the dream. All that he could say is that this is an
inappropriate and meaningless dream for an Ethiopian. When he woke up, he
noticed that he was tightly holding on to his five birr, which was squeezed in
his palms. He shook his coat and freed it from the intrusive grass and annoying
flies that were fixated on his body. Being the father of three children, born to
three different mothers, whom he could not marry, the young Alemayehu is
unbearably weighed by the heaviness of responsibility. On the average, after
working every minute of the full day and part of the night, for the past seven
years, since he graduated from the university, at the end of every month, if he
is lucky, he will end up with 50 birr, which are dispersed among the three
mothers of his children. He is always left with 10 birr for himself. Therefore,
he decided to live outside, and save the money, which would otherwise be
spent on rent. Instead, he has developed the habit of visiting friends and
relatives after nine p.m., occasionally, he falls asleep at the places he visits, and
creatively avoids fighting the cruelty of some cold and rainy nights. He has
spent many nights in this clever way. At other times, two to three nights a
week, he sleeps outside. wherever His sleep is disturbed by hungry dogs
barking the whole night, famished cats turning garbage containers and hunting
mice, and desperate beggars chanting songs of sorrow, and church bells
inviting their hypocritical believers to save their souls.
He said to himself, "When are things going to change? I have fought for change
since my university days. However, everything is still the same."He raised his
voice a little and said "God, if you are there, please speak. Speak God, speak
to me" he repeated.
For the first time in his life, he shed some long tears of sorrow, and was
ashamed, because he felt that he is less of a man. For Ethiopian men are not
supposed to cry
He reached his pocket, pulled out five birr, and looked at the money again. He
felt relieved that the money is still there, afraid that, it might have
disappeared. He had lost money in the past in so many mysterious ways.
Meanwhile, evening is fast turning into a dark night. The hyenas and other
nocturnal beasts are preparing to emerge and disturb the quiet of the night.
Dogs are barking crazily. The flickering lights in the tin houses of
prostitutes are fading. A certain prostitute is screaming her head out, and is
heard saying, "Please pay, you dog, you scum of the earth". An orchestra of
her colleagues is screaming in unison, and can be seen running after the felon,
to no avail. The thief had disappeared in the labyrinth of Kotobe. Through his
tired eyes, Alemayehu, could see through the cracks of the old doors of
Azmari places, ateeming crowd of drunk customers, dancing away towards
dawn, preparing themselves to go to work straight from their whisky glasses.
It is the tired bodies who man Ethiopia's inept bureaucracy. Alemayehu looks
forward to these cursed nights, because it is out of these drunks that he ekes
out a meager salary to feed his ever-hungry children, who are waiting for his
so-called salary.
He had barely slept five hours. He woke up, washed his face with water that
he had saved in a bottle, started his car, and began waiting on departing
customer from the numerous Azmari places nearby and began another
miserable day..
20 November, 2009 | Teodros Kiros (PhD)
His name was Alemayehu. A university graduate, medium height, stout, fierce
looking with dreamy eyes, was quietly sitting on parched golden grass,
longingly looking far into the depth of a famished road, shortly before the
moon was about to replace the sun, on a typical Ethiopian day moving
towards a beautiful evening.
- After a full day's work driving a taxi,
from six in the morning into the early
evening, he finally collapsed on the
top of a pile of grass, thinking about
life. The change of the day into night
reminded him of man's fate as a steady
movement towards death. He lay
there wearing that dignified Ethiopian
face for a very long time. Far into the
those who can afford to drink inside them well into dawn. To his right he
turned to see a flock of sheep, which were being harassed by a shepherd,
who looked tired of life.
Alemayehu wondered how much money he had made for the day, and began
counting anxiously, as if this day would be miraculously different from the
other days.He took the money out of an old handkerchief that has been used
by time. He counted for quite a while, and unhappily announced to himself that
he has made five birr. He said to himself, "I slaved for the entire day in the
savagery of the heat, the miserably rainy nights, drove on crooked and stony
streets, battling unruly customers. In addition, all that I have to show for myself
is five birr. This cannot be, this cannot be, please help me God".
He covered his intelligent face in shame, as if, as if, it is his fault Shortly
after that encounter with despair, he fell into deep sleep, protected by that
luminous moon in the deep blue sky, and dreamt that he was sitting on a large
meadow grass with patches densely populated by rich sun-flowers in their
bloom; the brims of the meadow are replete with red flowers adjoining a long
stream flowing to a river, encircled by tall mountains on whose peak stand
large villas, next to a meandering narrow country road. On this well-traveled
gravel road, trail many large and small trucks carefully paced behind each
other, like lonely stars. He then gazed down to the ocean, from the highest
summit of Ethiopian Mountains. All that he could see is the ocean. Nearby the
ocean, is a huge expanse of paved land covered by dark blue stones. Little
houses fill the gaps of the expanse. In front of every little house is a boat-a
long line of multicolored boats, neatly decked on long ropes tied to the shores
of the ocean. The dark blue stones were laced by gray and black pebble half
covered by running water that made similar sound like a brook. Inside the
caving of the running water, he could see frogs merrily leaping, little ants
aggressively sojourning somewhere. A little further, he heard children speaking
to a brilliant voice, comforting them. The voice told them that they will
overcome, and one day they will celebrate life with their broken parents.
Alemayehu, opens his eyes to the world in terror. He simply could not begin to
fathom the meaning of the dream. All that he could say is that this is an
inappropriate and meaningless dream for an Ethiopian. When he woke up, he
noticed that he was tightly holding on to his five birr, which was squeezed in
his palms. He shook his coat and freed it from the intrusive grass and annoying
flies that were fixated on his body. Being the father of three children, born to
three different mothers, whom he could not marry, the young Alemayehu is
unbearably weighed by the heaviness of responsibility. On the average, after
working every minute of the full day and part of the night, for the past seven
years, since he graduated from the university, at the end of every month, if he
is lucky, he will end up with 50 birr, which are dispersed among the three
mothers of his children. He is always left with 10 birr for himself. Therefore,
he decided to live outside, and save the money, which would otherwise be
spent on rent. Instead, he has developed the habit of visiting friends and
relatives after nine p.m., occasionally, he falls asleep at the places he visits, and
creatively avoids fighting the cruelty of some cold and rainy nights. He has
spent many nights in this clever way. At other times, two to three nights a
week, he sleeps outside. wherever His sleep is disturbed by hungry dogs
barking the whole night, famished cats turning garbage containers and hunting
mice, and desperate beggars chanting songs of sorrow, and church bells
inviting their hypocritical believers to save their souls.
He said to himself, "When are things going to change? I have fought for change
since my university days. However, everything is still the same."He raised his
voice a little and said "God, if you are there, please speak. Speak God, speak
to me" he repeated.
For the first time in his life, he shed some long tears of sorrow, and was
ashamed, because he felt that he is less of a man. For Ethiopian men are not
supposed to cry
He reached his pocket, pulled out five birr, and looked at the money again. He
felt relieved that the money is still there, afraid that, it might have
disappeared. He had lost money in the past in so many mysterious ways.
Meanwhile, evening is fast turning into a dark night. The hyenas and other
nocturnal beasts are preparing to emerge and disturb the quiet of the night.
Dogs are barking crazily. The flickering lights in the tin houses of
prostitutes are fading. A certain prostitute is screaming her head out, and is
heard saying, "Please pay, you dog, you scum of the earth". An orchestra of
her colleagues is screaming in unison, and can be seen running after the felon,
to no avail. The thief had disappeared in the labyrinth of Kotobe. Through his
tired eyes, Alemayehu, could see through the cracks of the old doors of
Azmari places, ateeming crowd of drunk customers, dancing away towards
dawn, preparing themselves to go to work straight from their whisky glasses.
It is the tired bodies who man Ethiopia's inept bureaucracy. Alemayehu looks
forward to these cursed nights, because it is out of these drunks that he ekes
out a meager salary to feed his ever-hungry children, who are waiting for his
so-called salary.
He had barely slept five hours. He woke up, washed his face with water that
he had saved in a bottle, started his car, and began waiting on departing
customer from the numerous Azmari places nearby and began another
miserable day..
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