PADRE from the Monastery to the Forest
A memoir of my life journey in a war torn Eritrea and my immigrant life in USA
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The entire period, from my birth until I reached age 6, I was enjoying my mothers loving pre school care. She invested all her energy, to bring me up in the world and never hesitated to restore the mission she initiated responsibly. She took her time, to instruct and lead me in the right path. When I thought of leaving my mother going to school, I felt emotionally like guilty. There was plenty to do at home. In the area there was no an established pre school care. No, hired baby sitter to take care of me. If there was one, everything was gratis. A conducive environment of the neighborhood was one of the guaranty in growing children. Everything was covered by mommy. A simple life in a simple society. No recited rules and regulations. If I walked to another family house on my own, there was no preoccupation of being kidnapped. It was true I was always free to walk any where any place any time on my own. My house was located two blocks from the Parish of St. Michael. No street name but we shared the same wall with the seminary of St. Michael. One could easily hear all the movement of the seminarians. I remember there were two sounds of bells ringing at intervals. The first bell was very loud and I could hear it only three times a day, early in the morning, at noon and late evening. The second I could hear it at an hourly intervals ringing in a low noise. At home we did not have a watch. We did not need one. My mother was following the hours of the seminary discipline time. Mother knew when to start cooking, when to go to the shop, thanks to the seminary bells. She was tuned so eloquently that everything was done on time.
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About the Book
I initiated my book, by giving the title, "Padre", just to designate my life story in the monastery. I added the subtitle, "From the monastery to the forest", to highlight the content of my memoir.
As the Abyssinian saying goes, "GuYiY Kab MeWal KiSad MiHaz" (instead of running non stop, better to be on the hill top), as an author I was highly calibrated, with that passion of telling a story. As there is no "Asha Misila", (silly sayings), I was sure enough not to run aimlessly, at the end do nothing. I believed in the short blessing of my father and the recitation of my mother's rosary. If I am here or there it was only for their blessings.
Me and Beyene (Padre), lived in the same religious congregation, served the same poor people and committed to the same principles. Beyene was struck by the initial crises, to leave the congregation, at his early age, to joing the liberation front. The year was 1977. I was hit by the mid-crises, to live the life of an immigrant in USA, at the age of 40. The year was 1997. Two crises for two individual brothers, happened at different place and different times.
My book presentation could confuse my readers. That was my greatest fear, when I was compiling it, as a book I was trying to make an issue, to everything that had fallen on my eyes. One experience, one battle, one struggle. I wish I would have mentioned, all the names and lives, of all with whom I had direct contact. In my case I was very selective.
About the Author
People call me, Mr. International, when they see, me expressing my self in eight different languages fluently. My name is Hiabu Hassebu. I was born in 1957 in a town called Keren in Eritrea East Africa. The year I was born, Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia. I was born from a conservative Catholic parents. I went for my elementary and juniour high school in St. Joseph school Keren. When I was grade nine, I joined the De La sale Christian brothers to be a monk. After one year of a religious training, I was proffessed to be a member of the congregation. I lived in the monastery for more than twenty years, serving as a teacher in different schools. In 1979 I was lucky enough to go to Rome Italy for my further university studies. Keren Lalai is called the section of Keren town, I grew up. Half of keren Lalai residential area is dominated by a catholic mission community, which was helping the town of Keren without any distinction. My first exposure to the world of writers was in 2007. I published a novel book " Fagret The female survivor", based on a true story. It was my first serious literaray effort, to manage and tell stories. The second work was finnished in 2008, and I am publishing it as a memoir of my life experience. I needed ample time to reconstruct those days and years of struggle. Admit my self as part of the story. Welcomed my mind and tried to listen back, the out standing experience of struggle. I didn’t need help remembering. I had a local talent. I could engage my mind and imagine the right way. From the beginning, I figured out that it would be a lengthy business. But for whatever reason, the local’s struggle was getting more to my urgent attention. My tendency was a comedian rather than a novelist. My profession was more of a preacher than a writer. I had a good technique of speech, but never realized that my writing ability would give such an effect. To prove my self I have started it, but some times in the middle I felt a sense of non-sense. However for this little known community and country, I decided to engage by my pen to tell the true stories. As the Abysinian saying goes " Instead of running none stop better to be on a hill top". On my part I had only made a focus of the situations that fashioned my life.