Daryeel Magazine
Ebado was my neighbour for long period of time; since I was born I knew her family. The family was sympathetically poor and constantly struggling to live. Their shelter was Somali traditional house, which is being built by sticks, and animal skin. It was huge, its door was facing east, and the straight rays from the sun directly go into the shelter. It has a fence high just as the knee high, and behind that fence there was another hut which its outlook appearance is not welcoming, and Ebado’s family use this hut as the permanent kitchen.
Ebado is on her early forties of her age, she got four children and her husband Aalin. Aalin is older than Ebado he used to be a genius bricklayer and mostly spend his working time in construction places but nowadays the financial crises faced the family. Aalin couldn’t get a job and all his children are not able to work with him. The family used to get their daily diet every day when Aalin used to work, but after he is being retired, the whole family is completely in devastation. They are struggling to get their daily life. Surprisingly during this hard life for the family, Ebado is an open face person, well behaved with those who know her, and help them if they require any help from her, perhaps every afternoon she sit in her short fence and other old ladies come up to her and turn-takes with different kinds of Somali traditional stories. She was patient and her entire feelings were not appeared over her. She loved her husband and not being stubborn for him ever, absolutely strange and impressive!
However, everything was going on smoothly and everyone was on right truck, but suddenly something buzzer happened. Aalin didn’t give the bill properly for Ebado and continuously suffering from jobless, and Ebado didn’t take it serious, she used to take whatever he gets each day. He doesn’t come home as early as he used to be “Is your father not in the home yet?” Ebado kept asking her daughter, “Not yet mum” the girl replies. Ebado put her hand on her cheek with wonder! Aalin did not attend his home at that night; when the dawn broke he came back and he wore a black stunning suit which his brother brought it from Arab counties, he was really smart at that morning, curiously Ebado asked him where he is going with dressing like this, “I am going my friend’s engagement” he replayed and went off quickly.
Ebado was in the ocean on anxiety and her unique-oriented behaviours didn’t allow her to tell anyone about her husband. Aalin didn’t came home for another four nights, this was utterly unbelievable for Ebado. Eventually, Ebado’s friend came to her and said “ I didn’t see Aalin nowadays, did he travel to somewhere?” “ I never saw him for four days either” Ebado answered consciously. Another old woman called Khadija jamb on the conversation and said “I have heard that Aalin married another young lady two days ago” Ebado said “Are you sure, that is not possible to do by my husband” “ I am 100% sure about that news” Khadija answered; Ebado stand up and her libs were shivering with anger and uncontrollably shaking her head, obviously she was jealous about the person she believed for her life. “What did he do….what did he….what…..what” Ebado couldn’t burst the words from her mouth efficiently, she wished that all this reality is dreamlike, but the whole news was definite.
Aalin married a young lady who used to work near at his constriction place. Ebado’s wonder and countless smiling turned into sympathy, anxiety and worrying all the time. The bill was not enough for the first family but sadly the families became extended into two.
Wrote by: Muna Ahmed Omar
Hargeisa, Somaliland
Translated by: ENG Sayid Balayah
London, UK
Email: muna_gafaneh@hotmail.com
