Betam konjo

After the funeral, we’re walking over to see the big kids. I have my Indian scarf over my head, and as I am walking down the hill to AHOPE, a little boy walks up to me and says “KONJO!” FINALLY! I AM BEAUTIFUL! I smile at him and say thank you, and then poke T in the ribs, saying, “Did you hear that? I am konjoooooooooooo!”

The next day, T and I are sitting in a restaurant in an attempt to get out of the pouring rain outside. We’re using the free (and fast) wireless, and I check my email. I get the following email from Leather Cap:

Hi there,
Allie how are you doing and your husband (the lucky one) coz you are beautiful.
How is M and your other friend would you pls pass my greeting.
Hope I will see you all befor they leave Ethiopia.
All the best.

DID YOU READ THAT? I AM BEAUTIFUL! I pass the message along to T, who rolls his eyes and grunts something about people who wear leather caps having no idea about what’s attractive. Then, the waitress comes over with my Coca, and when I smile at her, she too tells me I am konjo.

I am on fire, baby! I am irresistable to men, women and children alike! I am adored by millions!

And then, we go to see the big kids. We tramp through the rain and mud, and when we get to the gate, one of the kids opens the door and points at us. Koshasha! Dirty! No, kid. BEE-YOO-TI-FUL. Get me?

Then I am sitting with the girls on the stairs as they braid my hair. “Ooooooh,” they say. “You have MANY grey hairs!” My heart stops beating. How many do I have? They start to count. “One…two….three!” I contemplate breaking their legs for giving me a near heart attack, but decide against it because I am so relieved that many = 3.

Then, I am invited into the girls’ room. Finally, I am allowed into the inner sanctum! I sit in a wooden chair for hours as they pull and tug and twist my hair. Boys reach in through the window, yanking my hair out to braid it. The girls do innumerable braids, but virtually every time when I hopefully ask, “konjo?”, they wrinkle their little noses and take it all out to do again.

Ah, well. 24 hours of being beautiful isn’t bad, right?

December 17, 2008. ...of love, ethiopia.