Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-24


our Arabic vocabulary with a
genial Muslin shopkeeper who
wanted to be Of assistance. to the
police post on the other side of
town. This was a compound of
five or six round huts and a CEN
trail building, square and also
of mud. surrounded by a fence
of saplings. We went in and
sat down and the police clerk
began writing his report. Peri
odically the sergeant got up to
shoe the little brown and black
faces from the glassless win
dows.
Guests Of Amhara Mama
In few minutes We were An
lshed and the sergeant led us
away. We would stay with him.
he indicated. His house was a
square two-room affair with a
dirt floor. The mud of the walls
was white-washed and the roof
was Of tin. not thatch. There
were two other matched huts on
the compound which was sur
rounded by q paling fence.
The big Amhara mama proved
to be the sergeant's wife. She
made us sit down and sent a
boy to bring hot water. The
boy washed Kitty's feet and then
went to work on my aching dogs.
Big Mama lit q lantern and had
the cot upon which she and the
sergeant slept brought into the
front room. Big Mama's Italian
was as bad as mine. We under
stood each other perfectly.
She asked If We would like
coffee or tea and food. She pro-
duced some pasta to indicate
that she had European food as
well as enJira wat TO offer us.
We said We would like coffee but
were too tired to eat. Big Mama
was not too happy about that
but finally let US have our way
She got a fire going on the floor
and produced a shallow wooden
bowl with coffee beans lining the
bottom. These she ground with
a pestle. When the water she
had heated was boiling, she
threw in the ground beans and
sugar. In a few minutes. it
was ready hot. strong. and
delicious.
The sergeant took his rife, an
old Hungarian model, and made
his rounds OF the village. When
he came back, he was accom-
panied by big pock-marked
man with penchant for splitting
in the corners Of the room anc
smoking my cigarettes. He was
mayor Of the village. Big Mama {
brother, and spoke really afro
cious Italian with a disagree
able famboyancy.
And So to Sleep
"Tutti Amhara. tutti Gala
tutti sente de Wadere.' he an.
nounced, would go back With
me tomorrow to get the car
Good. Gould he scare up a mule
for me? He would see Coulc
We leave at O'Clock tho
Ethiopians figure time from
dawn; l o'clock is Z am? HI
thought so and how about &
cigarette? l gave him one.
Big Mama. after refilling oui
glasses Of coffee, told us that
Halle Selsssie would weep If ht
could see our feet, he was so kline
and gentle. He had given the
sergeant the land for this house
many blankets, and money Ht
would weep.
We agreed. Nobody showed
any signs Of going home so VIZ
said we we're very tired snC
would 90 TO bed if they didnt
mind. They didn't. l crawled un.
der the blankets and took of my
clothes. Kitty had a bit more
trouble in wiggling out Of hers
as Big Mama had insisted thai
she change from her filthS
shorts and shirt TO a large print
dress and stamina. But she
made it ond. despite the smoke
and the muted conversation. We
were soon asleep
BY morning we were stiff a,
boards from our long walk anc
the cold night. We gulped tea
and | said goodbye to Kitty anc
went to investigate the process,
of my expedition Nothing haC
been accomplished A mule. Al
a rental Of $3.50 Ethiopian t6t
cents United States was finall,
! produced, as was corporal. I
private, a citizen clad in skin