Carpe Diem Ethiopia

Part I: Netsanet le Netsanet Demissie Belay July 2004 TC (his initials) heard a calling. Fresh out of a northeastern college, the kid for whom my family and I assumed responsibility after his parents’ passing years ago was ready to change the world. He reminded me of myself twelve years ago, minus the dreads. But the polysi major was ready to spend a few weeks hanging out in Joburg before starting his trek to Ethiopia where he hoped to stay “for about a year or so.” The trekking part sounded interesting—he mentioned Swaziland, Arusha, and the esoteric place of my dreams Zanzibar. I was in no position to pass judgment on TC’s foolishness. I had once embarked on a year long journey of self-rediscovery in Ethiopia. I just hoped the kid with a bleeding heart would be back just in time to send in his applications to grad school. January 2005 I dragged myself in the direction of the incessant ring. It was a Sunday and I cursed under my breath wondering who the hell would call at 5:00 ...