Of Beetles and Angels (12 page)

I got home and found two envelopes waiting for me, one from Harvard and the other from Yale.

I opened them and read their contents. Then I walked over to the living room to tell my parents. Their dream had come true. Their boy had earned admission to the best universities in the country.

And Harvard — the best-known one in the land — had offered him a full-tuition scholarship.

My senior year in high school, my family sits on the couches my father bought from the Indian brother. From left to right: Mehret, Tsege, Mawi, Haileab, and Hntsa.

D
uring the last two years of my father’s life, I only saw him for about four weeks. We spent two weeks together in December of 1997, during Christmas break of my junior year at Harvard. After that, I never saw him again.

During those last two weeks, we sat together on the beaten-up, dirt-brown couches that we had bought back in 1992. These couches were the first ones we had ever bought; all our others had come from our free mall or our friends.

But this had been a special occasion. My mother, after twelve years of homesickness, had gone back to Adi to see her mother and family. My father, declaring that we had to do something for her, had gone down to the Indian brother that all
habeshas
went to back then and bargained for the couches on the eve of her return.

We sat on those sagging couches almost six years later, and my father started telling Hntsa and me stories that we had never heard before:

O
NE TIME, WHEN WE HAD JUST COME TO THIS COUNTRY AND OUR
HABESHA
BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAD JUST STARTED TO TRICKLE IN
, T
EMESGEN AND
K
IBROM CALLED ME TO HELP THEM
.

Temesgen and Kibrom were two skin-and-bones brothers, not even twenty when they first came to the States. They had lived with us for several weeks until their sponsors had found them a home.

T
HEY HAD GOTTEN THEMSELVES INTO TROUBLE AND DID NOT KNOW ANY
E
NGLISH
. K
NOWING NO ONE ELSE WHO COULD TRANSLATE FOR THEM, THEY CALLED ME
.

I
HAD WARNED
T
EMESGEN BEFORE THAT
A
MERICA IS NOT LIKE
A
DI
. I
HAD WARNED HIM THAT THIS IS A COUNTRY WHERE YOU CAN BE JUST ONE PENNY SHORT AT THE GROCERY STORE, AND THEY STILL WON’T FORGIVE YOU
.

B
UT YOU KNOW
T
EMESGEN, HE HAS NEVER CONSIDERED THE TALK OF PEOPLE
.

T
HEY WERE DRIVING ONE DAY NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS, WHEN
T
EMESGEN BECAME DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
.

T
HE NEXT THING HE KNEW, HIS CAR HAD JOLTED OVER THE CURB AND BROKEN THROUGH SEVERAL SIGNS, HALTING ONLY AFTER IT HAD DEMOLISHED A YOUNG PLANT
.

H
OPING TO ESCAPE BEFORE ANY AUTHORITIES ARRIVED
, T
EMESGEN AND
K
IBROM FRANTICALLY TRIED TO GET THE CAR STARTED
. B
UT A POLICEMAN CHANCED UPON THEM ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
. H
E ACCUSED THEM OF DRIVING WITHOUT RULE, BREAKING THE CITY SIGNS, AND KILLING THE YOUNG PLANT
.

T
HEY CAME AND BEGGED ME
, “P
LEASE
, F
ATHER
H
AILEAB
! H
ELP US
! T
HEY HAVE THREATENED TO TAKE AWAY
T
EMESGEN’S LICENSE AND TO MAKE US PAY FOR THE DAMAGED PROPERTY
. T
HEY WILL STAIN OUR RECORDS AND MAKE US LOST
!”

I
DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO OR HOW
I
COULD HELP THEM, BUT
I
AGREED TO GO TO COURT WITH THEM SO THAT I COULD AT LEAST TRANSLATE ON THEIR BEHALF
.

Hntsa and I looked at each other with excitement, trying to imagine our father before a judge. This was going to be better than the
Sanford and Son
episode where Fred G. Sanford went to defend his son, Lamont, and got charged with contempt of court!

W
E WENT TO COURT, AND THE JUDGE ASKED ME IF I KNEW ENOUGH
E
NGLISH TO TRANSLATE AND IF
I
UNDERSTOOD BOTH LANGUAGES
. I
TOLD HIM YES AND
I
TOOK THE PROMISE THAT THEY MAKE YOU TAKE IN COURT
.

T
HE JUDGE ASKED ME TO ASK THEM IF THEY WERE GUILTY OF DESTROYING THE PLANTS AND THE SIGNS
. I
WAS GOING TO SAY YES
. B
UT
I
HAVE PSYCHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE — KNOWLEDGE THAT IS NOT CONTAINED IN BOOKS — so
I
STOPPED MYSELF
. I
KNEW THAT IF WE SAID YES, THE JUDGE WOULD FINE THEM AND GIVE THEM MANY OTHER PUNISHMENTS
.

B
UT WE COULD NOT SAY NO, EITHER, BECAUSE THE POLICEMAN WAS RIGHT THERE AND HE HAD SEEN THEM TRYING TO START THE CAR
.

“L
ISTEN TO ME
,” I
COUNSELED THEM
. “I
F YOU SAY NO, HE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE LYING AND HE MIGHT GIVE YOU AN EVEN GREATER PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR DISHONESTY
. B
UT IF YOU SAY YES, HE WILL STILL CONVICT YOU AND YOU WILL STILL FACE GREAT PUNISHMENT BEYOND YOUR MEANS
.

“S
O LET’S TELL HIM THAT A CHILD CAME ACROSS YOUR PATH WHEN YOU WERE DRIVING AND YOU HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HARMING THE CHILD AND DESTROYING THE PLANTS AND THE SIGNS
. B
ECAUSE YOU HOLD NOTHING HIGHER THAN THE LIFE OF A CHILD, YOU PURPOSEFULLY HOPPED OVER THE CURB AND DESTROYED THE PROPERTY
.

“T
HAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED
!” T
HEY BOTH NODDED
. “T
ELL HIM
!”

S
o
I
TOLD THE JUDGE
. H
E DID NOT UNDERSTAND ME AT FIRST, AND NEITHER DID THE POLICEMAN, BUT
I
EXPLAINED IT TO HIM IN A GOOD WAY AND HE UNDERSTOOD
.

Hntsa and I knew our father well enough to understand what he meant by “a good way.” We could picture him hunched over in the courtroom, with his head raised high and his body leaning on his cane, taking a deep breath, starting softly, then raising his voice to a near-shout, hands pumping emphatically to accentuate his points.

X
CUES ME, FATHER
. W
E ARE POOR
. Y
OU SEE ME
, I
AM DISABILITY
. I
AM POOR MAN AND REFUGEE
…. That poor judge, that poor policeman, that poor courtroom!

“W
HY DIDN’T THEY TELL THE POLICEMAN ABOUT THE CHILD?” THE JUDGE ASKED
.

“V
ERY GOOD
,” I
TOLD HIM
. “T
HAT IS GOOOOOOOD QUESTION
.”

I
HAD BEEN EXPECTING HIS QUESTION AND
I
HAD AN ANSWER READY FOR HIM
: T
HE CHILD’S MOTHER HAD GRABBED HER CHILD AND RUN OFF BECAUSE SHE WAS SO TERRIFIED
. M
OTHER AND CHILD HAD VANISHED BEFORE THE POLICEMAN COULD SEE THEM
.

A
s TO TEMESGEN AND KIBROM EXPLAINING THEMSELVES TO THE POLICEMAN
, I
TOLD THE JUDGE THAT THEY HAD JUST COME TO THIS COUNTRY AND COULD NOT COMMUNICATE
.

I
DO NOT LIKE TO LIE— YOU KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IT SELF TELLS US THAT WE SHOULD NOT LIE
. B
UT THEY CAME TO ME AND ASKED FOR HELP, AND
I
KNEW ONLY ONE WAY TO HELP THEM
. M
AY
G
OD FORGIVE ME
.

My father paused before continuing with his next tale.

A
NOTHER TIME, THE SON OF
T
ESFU CALLED ME IN A PANIC
. H
IS FAMILY HAD JUST COME TO THIS COUNTRY AND HAD MOVED INTO THEIR HOME
. T
HEN THEIR YOUNGEST SON, THE BIG, LUMBERING ONE, WENT TO TAKE A BATH
.

W
ELL
, H
AILOM HAD NEVER TAKEN A BATH THE AMERICAN WAY AND DID NOT KNOW HOW TO OPEN THE WATER
. H
E PUT HIS BIG HANDS ON THE TWO WATER OPENERS, AND INSTEAD OF TURNING THE OPENERS, HE PULLED
.

I
DON’T NEED TO TELL YOU HOW STRONG HE IS
. H
E WRENCHED BOTH OPENERS OUT OF THE WALL
.

T
HE WATER STARTED TRICKLING OUT AT FIRST, THEN RUSHED AT HIM IN FIERCER BURSTS
. S
OON, IT HAD FLOODED THE BATHROOM AND FLOWED TO THE REST OF THE HOUSE
.

T
HE POOR FAMILY SCURRIED LIKE A ROOSTER WITH ITS HEAD CUT OFF, TO THE KITCHEN, TO THE BASEMENT, TO THE LITTLE PIPES OUTSIDE, LOOKING FOR A WAY TO TURN THE WATER OFF
. B
UT THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT THEY WERE DOING. THE WATER KEPT CLIMBING HIGHER AND HIGHER, AND DAMAGING MORE AND MORE OF THE TOWNHOUSE, SEEPING INTO THE WALLS AND EVEN INTO THE APPLIANCES
.

F
INALLY, THE SON OF TESFU KNOCKED FRANTICALLY ON HIS NEIGHBOR’S DOOR
. H
E COULD NOT TALK WITH HER BE CAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW
E
NGLISH, BUT SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT HE NEEDED HELP, AND SHE RAN BACK WITH HIM AND TURNED OFF THE CENTRAL WATER SOURCE
.

B
UT IT WAS TOO LATE
. T
HE WATER HAD FLOODED THE ENTIRE HOUSE, AND WORST OF ALL, IT HAD SEEPED INTO THE WALLS
. P
ERMANENT DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE
.

W
HEN THE LANDLORD SAW HIS HOUSE RUINED, HE BECAME CRAZED AND TOOK THEM TO THE HOUSE OF JUDGMENT, CLAIMING SOME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
. B
UT SEVERAL THOU SAND DOLLARS MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN A BILLION DOLLARS — THEY COULDN’T PAY IT
.

I
HAD ALREADY TRANSLATED FOR THEM DURING THEIR FIRST DAYS, AS
I
HAD DONE AND STILL DO FOR MANY OF THE
HABESHA
.T
HEY HAD HEARD ABOUT HOW I HAD HELPED
T
EMESGEN AND
K
IBROM YEARS AGO
. S
O THEY CAME TO ME AND BEGGED ME FOR HELP
. A
GAIN
, I
DID NOT KNOW HOW
I
COULD HELP, BUT
I
COULD NOT REFUSE THEM
.

I
TOLD THE JUDGE — A DIFFERENT JUDGE FROM THE LAST TIME — THAT
I
COULD TRANSLATE
. A
GAIN
, I
TOOK THE PROMISE
.
AFTER EXPLAINING THE ACCUSATIONS TO ME, THE JUDGE ASKED ME TO ASK THEM IF THEY WERE GUILTY.

L
IKE WITH
T
EMESGEN
, I
KNEW THAT WE COULD NOT COMPLETELY DENY OUR GUILT
. T
HE PROOF WAS TOO STRONG
. B
UT NEITHER COULD WE ADMIT OUR GUILT BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD PUNISH US BEYOND OUR MEANS
.

“W
E ARE POOR PEOPLE
,” I
TOLD THE JUDGE
. “W
E DO NOT KNOW YOUR LANGUAGE OR YOUR WAYS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE FIRST COME HERE
.
THEY CAME TO THIS COUNTRY FROM THE BACKCOUNTRIES OF
E
RITREA AND
S
UDAN, AND THERE, WE DO NOT HAVE PLUMBING SYSTEMS
. H
ERE, YOU CAN EASILY OPEN THE WATER AND TAKE A DRINK OR A BATH
. T
HERE, JUST TO DRINK WATER, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DRAG THE WATER FROM THE WELL, EMPTY IT INTO A KETTLE, AND BOIL IT TO KILL THE PARASITES
.

“W
HEN THIS FAMILY CAME HERE, THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO OPEN THE WATER
. I
N FACT, YOU ARE LOOKING AT A FAMILY THAT KNEW SO LITTLE ABOUT LIFE IN AMERICA THAT WHEN THEY CAME, THEY MARKED THE SAME BIRTH DATE FOR THEMSELVES
. L
OOK AT THEIR
M
EDICAID CARD HERE; IT SAYS THAT ALL SIX OF THEM WERE BORN ON
J
ANUARY ONE
.

“T
HE SON WENT TO THE BATHROOM, HOPING TO TAKE A BATH, AND INSTEAD, HE FLOODED THE HOUSE
. W
E DO NOT DENY HIS MISTAKE, AND IT SEEMS THAT HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED
.

“B
UT LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS
: W
HO REALLY MADE THE MISTAKE
?

“T
HE LANDLORD KNEW THAT HIS TENANTS WERE REFUGEES FROM AN UNDEVELOPED COUNTRY
. H
E KNEW THAT THEY HAD JUST ARRIVED.
D
ID HE GIVE THEM A TOUR OF THE HOUSE AND EXPLAIN THE NECESSARY THINGS TO THEM
? D
ID HE EXPLAIN HOW TO TURN THE FIRE ON
? D
ID HE EXPLAIN HOW TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HEAT
? D
ID HE EXPLAIN HOW TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE WATER
?

“W
HOSE FAULT IS IT, THEN, FATHER
? D
OES THE BLAME LIE WITH THESE POOR REFUGEES
? I
S IT FAIR TO PUNISH THEM FOR BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT
? I
S IT RIGHT TO PUNISH THEM FOR HAVING HAD TO FLEE THEIR HOMELAND AGAINST THEIR WILL
?”

“O
R IS IT FAIR TO BLAME THE LANDLORD
, W
HO DID NOT TAKE EVEN ONE SECOND TO SHOW THEM HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HIS HOME
?