The Vicious Cycle: A Short Story

3. The Vicious Cycle

So one morning, Mum waited for him to go away in the morning, then she went on a bus back to Shashemeny with the kids! Mum went back to town with her sister and started working, and she and her children were safe at last, but after a while, Mum thought her body shape was starting to change. She feet dizzy or weak and was putting on some weight.

She asked her sister if she had noticed her weight change. She said, "Yes, but I thought it might be just because you are not under as much pressure, as you used to be."

Mama said, "Ok, if you say so," but again, a couple of weeks later, it was getting worse and worse. She was worried enough that she felt she had to try and explain it to her sister again. By this time, they

both agreed that Mum was probably not just getting fat and that she should go to the clinic to find out.
Mum had never been in a clinic before. Also, her sister asked her if she was seeing anyone or if she had slept with her husband when she went back and saw him. Mum said, "Of course not!" Having more children was the last thing she wanted. She had birthed ten children already, two were dead and eight of them were alive.
If she had a choice, she would have stopped having kids a long time ago. Her sister knew her well enough that she wouldn't lie to her or hide anything from her. They quickly find out that Mum was pregnant, after all.
Wow! That was so surprising and very scary. She actually felt so scared, for the first time in her life. It was a different fear than any other time because she had never thought of having another child. She tried to remember the last time she had sex with her husband, but it was five months ago.
Her other fear was wether or not anyone would believe her, that she hadn’t been with anyone else but her husband. Everyone knew she was separated from my dad. It might not seem believable, if five months later she got back, and said, "This is your babe too. I've never know anyone but you, so you are the father."
My mum's sister told her that actually, she didn't have to tell anyone about it. When the babe was born, she would take it and raise it. At that moment, Mama thought that was a good idea. She didn't really have another choice, so she said, "Yes, you can have the babe."
When Dad came out of jail, and he saw Mum was back at home, he was the happiest man! Before that, he was depressed because he never thought of something like that happening, being put in prison, especially when he found out that his own friends got the best of him, by making up stuff, just so they could get rid of him! And, the only place they could keep him was jail because then, he couldn't fight back.
He was so confused and did not understand how those he trusted could do that to him. His girlfriends never even came to visit or to try to help! Those he trusted in the party, his so-called best friends and the rest of his family, they never bothered either! After he came home, he was busy finding out who his real friends were and his enemies.
Mum being back was a big encouragement to Dad. Also, it was not good for your reputation, in political life, for a woman to leave a man. People cared more about how many wives and how much money a man had, than who his family was or what kind of a man he was, when it came to politics and respect.
When they found out that Dad was released from prison, his enemies were so freaked! Some of them used to hide in the jungle, waiting to kill him! The others tried to come up with more lies and stories, so they could get him back in jail. Dad was so mad and tried to get them back. There was a war between Ethiopia and Eritrea at this time, so it was a very bad time for political groups to fight, especially when you have people who don’t agree with each other or have trust issues.
So, when he found out that Mum was gone, he was not happy at all. He felt like a loser and didn’t know what to do, but after a few weeks, he got back together with his old girlfriend, the one who used to abuse his kids!
When people get into a disagreement in Ethiopia, the older ones have to make peace! It's tradition, and you are not supposed to go to the police first! You go to the elders, even if someone kills one of your family or steals something! The elders gather both families, then discuss it. They are trusted to give the right judgement! Even today, in some parts of Ethiopia, this is respected as law. Only if the people can’t handle it, then they will be sent to the police.
By this time, Mum was about seven months pregnant, working so hard every day! There was a man there, who was friends with her sister. This man was one of the kindest people who you could think of. My auntie knew him well, and he came to her house many times. He was the manager at the road construction company, for hiring and stuff. Also, he knew Mum, even before she started working for him. The man had been married once too, but his wife left him because he couldn't have children.
Mum knew all about him too and sensed from the first day how much he liked her, even ten years ago, when Mum first came to visit her sister! Now, she was working for him, and he saw her almost every day. Every time he saw her, he didn’t want her to know about his feelings because he didn’t want her to think that she only got the job because of that!
Only he and Mum's sister really knew, but Auntie also tried to set them up sometimes.

Mum never showed any interest in him though. He knew she was pregnant and that she was not with her husband. When the man found out she was pregnant, he said to himself, "This is wonderful! I might get a chance to be a father after all," but he told Mum's sister that he would never say a word because he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

Auntie really wanted Mum to be with this man, but she never said a word to her about him either. He told Auntie not to, hoping that one day she would understand and show interest on her own. He came and played with the kids at Auntie's house and bought them candies and treats. He was a humble and kind person who loved children.

Mum was getting close to giving birth. The good thing was that she was not alone now, since she had her sister and her daughters. They were 19, 14 and 11 years old. As I've said, one of my brothers was already in the army and two of the other boys were living with Dad's girlfriend because she still couldn't have all of her children with her, all at once, since there wasn't enough space at my aunt's, and they were going to

school.
My sisters were very good girls. They helped Mum a lot too! It felt like life was better now, even though she still couldn’t believe she was about to have another babe! So, a couple of weeks before giving birth, one day, they got a message that one of her other sister's sons had died. She lived where Mum and Dad used to live. Mum had three sisters and four brothers. It was devastating for the whole family because he was actually killed by someone.
Auntie told mum, "You can't go to this funeral! I will go with a couple of my friends. You should stay here." She was scared that Mum might give birth on the way, right on the bus. They were also keeping the pregnancy a secret too!
Mama thought about it for a while, and said, "I don’t care what they are going to say. I’m going to my sister's son's funeral. I don’t care if they talk behind my back or not. I'm going. My sister needs me!"
In the end, Auntie did not want keep arguing with her, so she said, "Ok," and they went to the funeral.
Everyone was gathered for the funeral at for the grave, and they were just about to put the body in the ground, when they heard a man, shouting loudly, saying, "Everyone listen?! Listen, please. Stop, and don’t put that body in the grave!"
Every person stood by, trying to see what the man was saying and what was going on, who he was, crying like a mad man and yelling, "Abuu, Abuu was a good man. He has a family that is burying him alive and want him dead, but I am standing here dead. Everyone thinks I’m alive, but I’m not." He said, "I want to go in the same grave right now because I’m dead too. Put me in the grave!
There were over 200 people who came to bury my Mum's sister's son. Everyone was wondering what actually happened to him and what was really going on now. More than half the people knew who he was, but the rest didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.
"Please, don’t leave me here," he said. "My wife left me long ago. My children are on the street. I’m a man who died, alive, long ago. If you do not help me, I will kill myself right now!!"
Everyone was in shock, and they were quiet for a moment. Then, a couple of guys came out and said, "We will help you," and they asked the other people if they were going to help, as the family and friends. Everyone was is agreement, so they finished the funeral service.
Most of the people went to the sister's house and family and friends stuck around to make sure that mum didn’t leave the area.

Auntie was so mad. She actually couldn’t believe that Dad had done this!! She said to Mum, "I told you not to come. Look what is happening now," but Mum didn't think he would do this either. It was the most embarrassing moment of her life.

Mum was thinking of how she was going to explain herself and about the pregnancy too! She had never thought this was coming. After a big discussion, everyone agreed that Mum should go back home with her husband! It didn’t matter what she or her sister said because everyone else had already made a decision anyway, so she had to go back to her old life!

No one even said anything about her being pregnant. She was so depressed, and she didn't want to go back again! It was only after she got home that Dad asked her how she got pregnant or where it had come from.

She said, "This is your babe," but of course, he disagreed completely! She kept explaining herself, again and again, but he never believed her!

In fact, he said, "I known all about your lover! I know who the father

is."
Mum said, "What do mean? Who?!"
"I heard all about the man you are seeing!" he answered.
Mum said, "No, I don't know who you are talking about?! I've never know any man, except you!"
But, he said, "No, you are lying, again and again."
Mum shook her head, "If you don't want believe me, then I can't convince you! So, you go ahead and believe whatever you want! But, I know, myself. You are the last and only person that I've known, as a man."
He kept pushing her though, on and on. He said, "Your boss is the man who you are sleeping with!"