The Two Streets

By Geshmerit Noray

Can you ever forgive me for being so immature and so wrong to ramble on the street of Garrison? Lee talking to himself, Garrison! You have something to say, the evil street that killed my dream at my younger age, he says, remembering the old odd days. Although his conscience was accusing him as he was rambling on the street of Garrison, he denied it until he experienced the life-giving street of Keren Lalai, thanks to Mike, his friends good advice. Lee thought he knew, and he is well aware of all the dedication of his grandma. He is tied by the dirty business he has started, right from the beginning. Grandma struggling against the bad influence of the Street of Garrison and Lee resisting to the end to be part of it. As the saying goes, It is shaken but never fallen on the ground. Despite all her effort, she is not able to convince her grandson, as she was alive in her lifetime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504962377

Geshmerit Noray

As he became an experienced author of books, constructing them some as a novel and some as a true story, this time he came out with a novel based on a true story. Virtually being part of the story, he narrates about two streets life, one in Africa (the Keren Lalai Street) and one in USA (Garrison Boulevard). He decided it was time to build with his imagination the true story of the two streets. Surprisingly, this time as he narrates, he brings a strong argument of a real life in two streets. His reflection he borrowed from his background of philosophy, highlighting his story-telling, with a new way of relating, just using the African way of thinking. After a decade of working at the BP gas station in Garrison Boulevard, the author forced to reveal his sentiments about the life on the street, here he comes taking advantage of the fact to recount it in writing. Garrison and its neighborhood is not ready to endure the constant and agonizing experience of being a place of drugs and killings. In time, the author, after his great success as a writer, his main objective is to motivate the neighborhood to stand against the drug selling, the number one enemy of the people. Can you forgive me, my dear grandma?

Book preview

© 2015 Hiabu Hassebu. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/20/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6236-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6237-7 (e)

Library of Comgress Control Number: 2015919354

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

The two streets

~~Laque~~

~~Legna~~

~~Sequa~~

~~Seja~~

~~Anqua~~

~~Sesa~~

~~Welta~~

~~Legneta~~

~~Sequota~~

~~Shika~~

~~Shikalaque~~

~~Shikalegna~~

~~Shikasequa~~

~~Shikaseja~~

~~Shikanqua~~

~~Shikasesa~~

~~Shikawelta~~

~~Shikalegnta~~

~~Shikasesa~~

~~Legneren~~

~~Legnerendilaque~~

Acknowledgement

To all Keren Lovers living in diaspora or at home. Doctor Senay Estifanos who read the manuscript thoroughly. Yohannes Ferdinando who has encouraged me right from the beginning. Jared who has technically helped me to repair my old computer. Dawit Tekeste my co-worker who was always present to me. Mr. Sajid and Khan kind owners of BP gas station. Faizan Khan a gentle soul and all friends from Garrison Blvd.

Dedication

To Saron my daughter.

The two streets

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Prologue

It must have been close to four o'clock in the afternoon and Mike was making ready all his bags, before he was to fly to LA, the next day. Mike mentally tired of packing, he sits on a chair in front of his computer and after reading his messages in Yahoo's messenger, he clicks to the page of Facebook. Suddenly an old friend from Canada, Yohannes Ferdinando greets him in the private chat, saying, are you planning to publish another book, he asks and types. Writing is my hobby Mike, responds and types. I am proud of you Hiabu, Yohannes types. If the horses are not available, the donkeys are ready, my dear, he types. Really I am surprised about you, he types. Nothing to be surprised I am just using the God given talent only, Mike types. When will you publish it, he types. Probably I will publish it, within three months, Mike responds and types.

Saron the daughter of Mike the author, she read his first book, "Fagret: The female survivor, in two days' time. She was 7 years old at the time Mike has published the book. Actually Saron have started reading English when she was three years old. Her father had a unique methodology created by him, to teach children at their early age, from the teaching experience, he had as an educator. One day as he took her to McDonald as they reached at the entrance, Saron backing up from her daddy, she starts to read mac---do---nal---d. Mike very surprised as she read it correctly, he hugs and kisses her. The three months of his stay with his daughter was very fruitful and wherever he takes her she reads, as she sees a taxi, she reads, ta---xi.

As his life settled into a routine of going to work from 7-3, staying in front of the computer writing and playing music before he goes to bed, he wonders where his life will lead and end. The reality of being a writer and living the normal life of engaging himself in a marital status of life only became a dream. It is the beginning of summer 2010, July 1st a special and historical day of Independence Day, for the Americans. All Keren high school association, from different corners of the world are gathered in DC area in Hilton hotel in Alexandria. Mike still feeling loneliness, he decides to join the group, by being at the event. Loading some books and the musical instrument in his car he heads towards Virginia. Bereket Desta as he sees Mike coming towards the entrance gate of the hotel, he greets with a cultural Habersha greetings, Selamat. I read your second book Padre, in almost 10 hours, he says excitedly. Good at least I got moral complement, Mike responds. I am really impressed about your skill of writing, Bereket says, expecting an explanation from the author. Be a beginner and hope within the process and you will reach your goal, Mike responds, expressing himself philosophically.

The work, since it is in manuscript, before it was constructed to be a book, the author of the story this time, he has preferred it, to be on a screen play. Three month later he welcomes his mind, to make his work to be a book. Two projects for one story, like killing two birds with one stone as the author exposes himself, in writing he has to deal with two files and two works at the same time. One thing he is conscious about is not to write a fiction. What the author wants is just to convey a true story of his life experience in a way of a novel story is a novel based on a true story of his life experience at a street in Baltimore city. The street is particular, bearing its unique character of life adventures. The name of the author in the story is Hiabu Hassebu, usually known by his nick-name Mike. The contents of his story in its entirety, mainly, is a full fact of truth, happening right now as he writes. Though the names of all the actors is selected from here and there, all the facts are documented true and correct, as far as the authors knowledge.

Now the way that the story winds up, is like this: He compares two streets, two life experience, and two way of life in two different continents. His mind continuously try to connect the two streets, just reconstructing those years of his life experience, growing on the street of Keren Lalay and working at the street of Garrison Blvd. He doesn't follow any organized chronology, in his style of composing the story and it is neither as it comes to his mind. His expectations around the writer's set are running high and optimistic. Two life reality clashing in his mind. He has only written down, the things that his mind dictates him. He does not try to accomplish something out of nothing.

~~Laque~~

He stands there, immersed in a deep thought and an aura of memories comes to his mind. Those old ones when he was back home and the more recent ones living in Baltimore city near the famous street of Garrison Blvd. His name is Mike a slim, middle aged man, who immigrated to USA sometime around 1997. His hair was afro at the time he was hired, at the BP Gas station. In eight years he has lost half of his hair and to cover his baldness he uses to shave all his hair. Though he does not find Garrison as comforting place, to live and work, there is no other choice or way, since it is his bread place. He wonders whether Garrison will be a place of his success in his life King Lee of Garrison Blvd, a good looking boy, his hair braided, in the fashion of the day, as he smiles one can see the artificial golden teeth, covering his natural teeth, is a young African-American boy on his mid-20th and he becomes the friend of Mike, right from the beginning. Unfortunately, they are two opposite creatures, Mike possessing intellectual brilliance and King Lee a drop out from high school. King Lee as he is not able to proceed with his studies, he tends towards taking drugs. Finally he takes the night odd job of selling drugs, a short cut to earn money.

The testing spot, Garrison Blvd situated on the western side of Baltimore City, is the home place for King Lee and a work place for Mike, the immigrant clerk from East Africa. This is certainly, the place where Mike put his feet for the first time, on July 2006, to work at the BP Gas station, in Garrison Blvd. If it can ever be described, Garrison Blvd. is a place where cowardice of the neighborhood is tested, where cursing and blaming are practically recited on the street, where honesty and greed are in confrontational mood, where you don't know who is your friend or