Nirvana, Take Over (Azmera)
Thursday ,Eretria
Walking around the house her mind on the thought of this being the last time she would see all of this. The bed she'd found peace on every night for the past twenty two years, the curtain with the Arabic symbols on it across the room, the chair she had done her homework at every night, it would all remain behind when she left for the city, a thought that saddened and frightened her. This was all she'd known of life and letting go for only God knew what was going to be an experience that required the utmost bravery of her.
"Are you awake yet you lazy useless thing!?" the shriek came from a room across from her broke her revere while simultaneously ruining her day. She looked around the room once again and saw it all in a different light; the bed that as a child she had cried herself to sleep on every night, the chair she had eventually had to use as a table because a chair and a bed was all the furniture she was allowed to have, the curtain whose symbols she had had plenty time to study during the winters where she had had to use it as an extra blanket. Suddenly she was glad to be leaving it all behind, living in this house had been torture enough. Unknowingly strengthening her resolve to leave her grandma shrieked her name along with a few degrading lines. This was the life she was doomed to live if she remained here. Ignoring the old witch she proceeded to pack what remained of a merger clothing and quickly took a bath before seeing the old woman.
She stood before her grandmother's bed in her best dress with her long hair combed till it shone and her head held high.
"Where the hell are you going dressed like that? You're such a little slut you're going to see a man aren't you?" the words said in Tigrinya bounced off Azmera leaving no mark. It wasn't out of the norm for her grandmother to speak to her this way and it now no longer mattered to her.
"I'm leaving ma, for Massawa. I'm going for good and I'm not coming back" as the words came out of her mouth Azmera relished the shock and the horror that crossed the old woman's face as she spotted her packed suitcase. She knew as well as Asmara did that she was incapable of taking care of herself without Azmera despite how cruel she had been to her all her life. Before her eyes Azmera saw the old woman whom for years had been the bane of her existence and the creature of her nightmares shrivel at the thought of being alone. For a brief moment Azmera began to feel regret and guilt at the thought of leaving this poor old woman alone, but although she was kind hearted Azmera was no fool, she knew it would never end and she could not wait around for the woman to die. People as horrible as she was did not die before everyone else.
Seeing that the old woman had nothing to say she promptly turned on heels and walked out of the house without looking back.
Thirty minutes later she sat in the shop she had worked at since her thirteenth birthday and waited for her last pay check. Her boss Zahra, the only person who had ever truly cared for her had insisted on accompanying Azmera to Massawa to introduce her to some of her friends and secure her a job before allowing her to live on her own. Azmera felt she owed all she had to this woman, though it was nothing but clothes and her education, to her it was more than anyone else had ever done for her. Later as they sat in the bus and spoke of plans for her future Zahra offered some of the sweets she was having to Asmera. Looking down at the offerings in her Heroin's palm Asmera smiled. These were the same sweets Zahra had offered Azmera everyday on her way to school until finaly the little girl Azmera had opened up to her, it seemed appropriate that in their last few days they honor their relationship by sharing these little treats once again.
In his rear view mirror the driver watched the woman hand a sweet to the younger girl. They smiled a knowing smile at each other as she popped it into her mouth and settled into companionable silence. They sat holding hands as the girl looked on at the scenery outside her window. There was not much to do when one drove bus on a barely used road which gave him plenty time to watch his passengers and imagine their lives. Looking into the mirror once again he saw the girl's eyes begin to close as sleep descended on her, most passengers where already asleep by now so nothing about this struck him as out of the ordinary. The woman whose hand she held shifted her so she was lying on her shoulder. He imagined they were really close but probably not related. The younger woman had hazel brown eyes while the older woman had the oddest yet eerily prettiest eyes he'd ever seen on a woman of color. They were grey with specs of blue. She turned to look into the mirror and catching his eye signaled that he stop the bus. He felt slightly embarrassed as slowed to a stop knowing he'd been caught starring. As she passed and walked out the bus she smiled at him and he nodded his head and closed the doors as the bus started up again. He looked back into the rear view mirror to find the girl was gone too. He did not remember dropping her off but he shrugged and drove on as the woman with the grey eyes walked by herself back the way they'd come...
Walking around the house her mind on the thought of this being the last time she would see all of this. The bed she'd found peace on every night for the past twenty two years, the curtain with the Arabic symbols on it across the room, the chair she had done her homework at every night, it would all remain behind when she left for the city, a thought that saddened and frightened her. This was all she'd known of life and letting go for only God knew what was going to be an experience that required the utmost bravery of her.
"Are you awake yet you lazy useless thing!?" the shriek came from a room across from her broke her revere while simultaneously ruining her day. She looked around the room once again and saw it all in a different light; the bed that as a child she had cried herself to sleep on every night, the chair she had eventually had to use as a table because a chair and a bed was all the furniture she was allowed to have, the curtain whose symbols she had had plenty time to study during the winters where she had had to use it as an extra blanket. Suddenly she was glad to be leaving it all behind, living in this house had been torture enough. Unknowingly strengthening her resolve to leave her grandma shrieked her name along with a few degrading lines. This was the life she was doomed to live if she remained here. Ignoring the old witch she proceeded to pack what remained of a merger clothing and quickly took a bath before seeing the old woman.
She stood before her grandmother's bed in her best dress with her long hair combed till it shone and her head held high.
"Where the hell are you going dressed like that? You're such a little slut you're going to see a man aren't you?" the words said in Tigrinya bounced off Azmera leaving no mark. It wasn't out of the norm for her grandmother to speak to her this way and it now no longer mattered to her.
"I'm leaving ma, for Massawa. I'm going for good and I'm not coming back" as the words came out of her mouth Azmera relished the shock and the horror that crossed the old woman's face as she spotted her packed suitcase. She knew as well as Asmara did that she was incapable of taking care of herself without Azmera despite how cruel she had been to her all her life. Before her eyes Azmera saw the old woman whom for years had been the bane of her existence and the creature of her nightmares shrivel at the thought of being alone. For a brief moment Azmera began to feel regret and guilt at the thought of leaving this poor old woman alone, but although she was kind hearted Azmera was no fool, she knew it would never end and she could not wait around for the woman to die. People as horrible as she was did not die before everyone else.
Seeing that the old woman had nothing to say she promptly turned on heels and walked out of the house without looking back.
Thirty minutes later she sat in the shop she had worked at since her thirteenth birthday and waited for her last pay check. Her boss Zahra, the only person who had ever truly cared for her had insisted on accompanying Azmera to Massawa to introduce her to some of her friends and secure her a job before allowing her to live on her own. Azmera felt she owed all she had to this woman, though it was nothing but clothes and her education, to her it was more than anyone else had ever done for her. Later as they sat in the bus and spoke of plans for her future Zahra offered some of the sweets she was having to Asmera. Looking down at the offerings in her Heroin's palm Asmera smiled. These were the same sweets Zahra had offered Azmera everyday on her way to school until finaly the little girl Azmera had opened up to her, it seemed appropriate that in their last few days they honor their relationship by sharing these little treats once again.
In his rear view mirror the driver watched the woman hand a sweet to the younger girl. They smiled a knowing smile at each other as she popped it into her mouth and settled into companionable silence. They sat holding hands as the girl looked on at the scenery outside her window. There was not much to do when one drove bus on a barely used road which gave him plenty time to watch his passengers and imagine their lives. Looking into the mirror once again he saw the girl's eyes begin to close as sleep descended on her, most passengers where already asleep by now so nothing about this struck him as out of the ordinary. The woman whose hand she held shifted her so she was lying on her shoulder. He imagined they were really close but probably not related. The younger woman had hazel brown eyes while the older woman had the oddest yet eerily prettiest eyes he'd ever seen on a woman of color. They were grey with specs of blue. She turned to look into the mirror and catching his eye signaled that he stop the bus. He felt slightly embarrassed as slowed to a stop knowing he'd been caught starring. As she passed and walked out the bus she smiled at him and he nodded his head and closed the doors as the bus started up again. He looked back into the rear view mirror to find the girl was gone too. He did not remember dropping her off but he shrugged and drove on as the woman with the grey eyes walked by herself back the way they'd come...
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