Here we go, today is the 'Wazema' to fasika. Back home is a day for everybody.

today, the richs flourish. the 'beg' the tej' the' tella' the 'Kercha' and the whisky oh don't forget the 'Areke' and of course, for the poor, this is another reminder of there poverty. They will be reminded of there poor life more tonight than any other night in their life thorough out of the year. think of a mother trying to explain why they cant afford 'Doro' once in a year.

for most tonight is the night for repentance, going to church, praying and cleansing themselves until the next sin. Well of course for some the sin comes the next day when they get drunk and curse everone. No matter what the effort is appreciated. For teenagers 'findatas' to night is the night to get messed up and puck. For prostitutes, they take more viginities tonight than any other night in a year. (did you lost your virginity to 'shelle' was it in the 'wazema'?)

In the 'tellabet' it is not busy tonight.

Even if the busiest time seems to be today or tommorow, most people spend it with their family cos 'tell' is free until Tuesday. In Tuesday the 'tella' turn to 'kerari' and all the customers will start showing up.

Meet Adesse, the 'tellabet' owner. she has been selling tella for as long as she remember. She was born in Semen Shoa in 1950's and lived their for fourteen years. She loved her life there, she run in the beautiful field and played with her brother 'Taye' while he herds the cattles. she enjoyed dancing in Weddings and flirting with the shepards in every way possible.

One remarkable day, she and Taye was returning from the river collecting water for the cattles, suddenly Adesse and Taye surrounded with gangs of strangers who tried to force her into marriage, Taye, her older, start fighting with the people and they overpowered him and knocked him down to the ground and took Adesse with them. When Taye gets his consiousness back he run and followed them. By the time he get to them, the gangs start beating him till his death.

That night Adesse, was raped and beaten, in her mind she taught all of this is just a cruel dream or a nightmare but no matter how many times she blinked she was faced with the same sad reality. besides losing her best friend and dignity she knows her dad will without doubt kills the families that took his boy and forced his daughter into marriage. So she decided to vanish without a trace when she gat a chance to flee. If there is no body no crime. She hated to see more blood shade and kept her silence so her family didnt know what happened.

Four months later Adesse get her break when her husband took her to market. Three month pregnant, she mixed in the croud and disappeared. She jumped in the parked truck and buried herself between sacks of goods and prayed until it moved. that night she arrived in Addis. A big loud city with zoo of peoples running here and there.

So know you know this night is not Adesses night in the 'tellabet' her customers always tell 'YOU HATE HOLIDAY' as if they understand her pain.

I will in a future tell you her ordeal in Addis as a pregnant fourteen years old until then Melkam Beal.