The Valley Which Changed My Life

I came to Nairobi years ago. I was having the most happiest family ever. I grew up in a home full of love and smile. For no special reason, our house turned out to be...a kind of boring.

The girls were in to religion and bible studies or fellowships. The guys were in to music and parties. But we had one thing in common, that was ART. Almost every girl is crafty or handy.

The brothers complains about our being religious fanatic. It was just a choice of life. We were not angry at them, but they are still angry at the girls. That built a huge wall among us.

As I am a free person to make my own decision to my own life, I always do what i want. I can't do anything or pretend to make others happy. The only One I want not to disappoint is, my God. This kind of family problem happens only in my country. In every place I traveled, a family is just family. A friend is, just friend. You go to that church or this mosque, it's your own problem. I really don't get my people about this issue.

I came to Nairobi after we lost one brother and two little nephews. My brother, the most funniest guy ever is the one who lost to little beautiful boys. He hugged me as he always did and whispered in to my ear: "Just try to servive there, never ever try to come back."

I said , "Ok" softly. Even if he didn't say that, I had no plan of coming back to our sad house that year.

It was my Mom the last person I talked to at the airport. She gave me a hundred birr note to pay at the terminal.

The couples who supposed to collect me at Kenyata Airport never showed up. I arrived at 3 pm and I was picked by 9 pm. I knew it that i was not welcomed at the Ethiopian couple's hose from the first moment.

I came to collect Australian visa in two days. But I had to wait for 15 working days so that i will be collecting my papers after that.

The couples had a little boy, he was only two years old. A spolt brat, who covered my arms with tiny scars in ten days. He had a sharp nails like blade, he comes from nowhere and scratched me until I felt like crying like a little girl. I got used to him and when I see his shadow, I wait for him very prepared and used to grab him tight. One day I slept early with bad headache. The boy sat on me and was hitting me on my head. He wanted to uncover my face and wanted to scratch my face. He always tries to pock my eyes. The Mom approved that she has a LION. I woke up and grabbed him tight. He cried like a mad person. She told me I can't annoy her child. I woke up and walked to other flat's balcony. I cried my eyes out. I went back to sleep when I made sure he was asleep.

The next morning, I moved to Nairobi East. The couples borrowed a lot of money from me, but took rumors to their neighbors about me. i left them and i was not bothered to ask my money.

The guest house was good, but risky for a single woman. The friends I mate in Nairobi contacted me to some locals and I moved in with a young couples with three kids. The husband was a drunken cow.

He came one day 4 am with another friend like him.

The friend announced that; " Lady, if you're ready or not, we have come to make love to you."

I jumped of my bed and rushed to the shower room. I let the cold water wash my furry our of my head. I calmed myself down. I came out and picked my red sleeveless jacket which my sister Ruth sent it from Egypt. I put on my jacket over the pyjama and opened the door and left them. They were expecting me to beg them for mercy or cry out loud for help, then they suffocate me and rape...PROBABLY!!! They don't know an Ethiopian girl!!!! That was their problem.

We were on the second floor on the right corner. I walked to the left corner and stood there. Later, I walked to the fourth floor and stood by the Eretrian's window.

After some minutes, the came out of the house. I heard their voices. They had tourches in their hands. They walked slowly and ask the guard about something. They left the compound and checked every side until they reach the main road.

In the morning, I went to my American friend and told him what happened. He was the one who brought me there. He came with his Zambian room mate and stayed longer at our place. When they leave; Lindsey advised me: "Stay here until we find a good apartment for you. If Odiambo tried to misbehave, protect yourself. Beat him with anything hard you'll find." A crazy advise for a person like me.

Odiambo came drunk after few days, after midnight...I don't remember the time, but it was between 4 and 5 am. I knocked their bedroom and call his wife. I told her to open for him and guide him to their room. He refused and sat in the sitting room. I was up and was knitting a sweater.

"My wife, I love our visitor." said Odiambo. I slowly moved and grabbed a flat iron. I put it next to me. The wife pleaded that he must get some sleep. He didn't want to sleep with her. He started to talk nonsence. I was ready, I put on a jacket. My running shoes are close to me. He wanted to come near my chair. I wake up and picked the iron.

"If you come closer to me, I'll smash your face with this." I warned him. The wife jumped up and yell at both of us. Her tears were flowing down her cheeks.

"You both stop it! I can't deal with two crazy people at a time." she snapped.

If she were an Ethiopian woman, she was supposed to slap him first. I pitied all the women in Kenya that day. What a marriage!!! I walked to the door after i put on my shoes. He blocked the door streching his legs. I scared him with the iron and kicked his leg and left them for good.

I had to send a fax one day to Ethiopia. I asked one lady who has a shop by the road how to get a taxi. She guided me well. When I get back, I came to thank her and bought something from her. One day I carried my knittings and walked to visit friends, I saw that lady again. She made me sit and gave me a soda and a cake. I showed her my knittings. She loved it. She admired my skirt. I told her I hand stiched it. She couldn't bielive it. We became good friends, her shop was in front of my friend's flat. Anytime we passed by her shop , we used to be given soda, chewing gum and more sweets.

After I moved to a lot of places, she gave me a room behind her shop. She carried the food for me as if I were her child. Rice, vegitables, fruit, cooking gas, water and electricity bill was covered by her for about two years and a half. I call he Mama and she calls me My Daughter.

I like reading. I was forced to read by my Dad and I was a good reader. I asked her to bring a book for me. I read all the novels from her house. I also read more novels from her daughter's office mate's shelf.

Reader's Digest, Magazine...etc.

One day, she brought me different book. By that time, I'd almost lost all the hopes in life. I was angry at myself, and everyone I know.

"TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST,

BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!!!"

By Dr. Shuller of Crystal Cathedral in California.

that word is my MOTTO. She brought me; " THINK BIG" Bejamin Carsen.

WHATEVER OTHERS DO,

YOU CAN DO IT BETTER.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK

LIFE GOES THE WAY YOU THINK

The sentences in those books have changed my point of view for good.

I started loving others. I was shown a kind of light which guides me to the other side of life. My Mom died when I was there. I still imagining her smiling looks, with her brown skirt at Bole Air Port. I'm feeling now, she saw something ....bright future for her daughter as all the mothers wish for their children.

I came home, I was not afraid of any circumstances. I face the days, the years....and now I'm here. I am very close to all my goals in life. I plan to give or share for some women what I have. Hopefully, I will be able to fulfill those promises to those women in the coming two months.

My father was a self literate person and he was a lawyer. he told us many times the books made him a person as he was. If he was not reading books, he could be one of the useless men in the world.

In fact, books are good friends, advisers, teachers...etc.

please keep reading.

The books picked me out of the valley I buried myself. The world can tell you anything about you. You are hopeless, you are lost, you're ugly, you are unwanted, you are uneducated, you are the most hated person...etc.

DON"T LISTEN TO THAT! HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF. DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. GO WHEREVER YOU WANT TO GO. TRY WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TRY.

I'LL TELL YOU; " YOU CAN BE THE PERSON YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE"

LISTEN ONLY TO YOUR DREAMS AND WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL. YOUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE.

A SINGLE MOMENT OR ONE MORE CONNECTION WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

In Kenya, I was not a friend of my own people. I went to the tribes which my people warned me not to contact. I found that tribe's people to be the best friends ever.

Today, I'm in Nairobi after 12 years, visiting Mama. We had a long chat last night and this morning. She gave me her house key and left for a friend's party. She has a huge house. She trusted the stranger she meet after 12 years. This really made me cry. She had a pile of plates, cups and pots to be washed in the sink. I washed everything for her, she will be happy to have me this evening again. We couldn't finish our stories.

"Come in , don't remove your shoes. This is your MOTHER"S HOUSE." That's how she welcomed me yesterday this time.

One evening on year 2005when I escorted her, we meet one lady. She introduced me to her. " This is my Ethiopian friend. She stays in Umoja Estate." said Mama.

The lady stared at me. She hated me the same minute.

"What if she kills someone and run to hide here. You trusted her and keep her as a friend? This people from abroad has their own issues. Be care full with her." That day, Mama came and translated what the lady was saying about me. She was not afraid of me after that ...

Some people are just mean. God is always there for me. I live with out fear. One moment in your life, will bring a change.

I was sent here, just to read those books not to go to Australia.