Oliver Benjamin
“No. We have a guest with us. Tonight we will have a great feast.
You can go to the movies anytime. And by the way, aren’t you curious
to know what I’ve brought you all from London?”
The children nodded vigorously and suddenly stood reed-
straight, as if improving their posture might increase the quality of
their presents.
Webele took from his bag all kinds of chocolates and candies and
cheap T-shirts and caps. The children set about dressing themselves
and suddenly looked as ridiculous as Roy. Every article of clothing
displayed names of Western pop stars or sports companies.
“Look ada me,” one of his daughters said, “I ama an American.”
Laughter filled the room. They started to tear into the candy, but
Webele stopped them. “You will have no room for the goat.”
The children ran away, and after his wife removed the coffee
cups, the two men were left alone.
“It is still early. Perhaps we can have chat,” Webele proposed.
“Sure. What would you like to talk about?” Roy said.
This threw Webele into an catastrophic laughing fit. Roy divined
his error.
Within an hour Webele had gathered up a group of friends,
mostly old men, who were happy to join them in a chat ceremony.
They sat together on comfortable chairs in the garden, beside the
ubiquitous pot of incense and a table positively buried under a pile of
the bright green leaves.
All of them smoked cigarettes and chatted without stop, dragon-
mouths spouting fumes and wisdom through forest-stained teeth.
Eager to display their command of English as well as honor the
prodigal son in their midst, the majority of conversation was directed
at Roy.
Roy did his best to oblige them. However, he was baffled by the
drug. They had been chewing it for over an hour and his jaw was
about to fall off. Yet it tasted awful and he felt nothing.
“Why is it you have come to Ethiopia? To see your family?”
another retired medical doctor asked him. He seemed pathologically
unable to stop smiling.
Roy explained that he had no family left but that he was
searching for a particular type of coffee. He hoped to bring it back to
the states to resurrect his flagging business.
“What type? We boast so many varieties here in our country.”
“The original coffee,” he confessed awkwardly.
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