I was awake before dawn. The truth is I never slept due to the inordinate amount of caffeine I had been obligated to drink the day before and the the rooster in my yard which had been crowing since 3:30 a.m. I crept out of my room and jiggled the skeleton key on the tricky door as silently as possible. The howling of the dogs on the other side awakened my host "mother." She came scurrying out of her room in a slip, throwing her shash over her head, and shouting, "Don't go. Bad. Very bad." She opened the door and emphatically pointed to the sky. "Bad. Wait. The boy. The boy. Wait" The Orthodox call to prayer was already sounding and the sky was an eery grey-purple. I stood there wondering what horrible thing was happening beyond our gate. What impending doom did I face if I stepped beyond the threshold?
It soon became clear, as Mahreea called for Mamush, that she was only warning me that it was to dark to walk to the MCC country representatives' compound in the dark alone. Mamush and I walked in silence for a while. I struggled with my netala(head scarf) as we jumped from rock to rock to avoid the muddy puddles. I racked my brain for something to say. The only thing I knew how to say in Amharic was "I am going to Afar today." The young man's one good eye lit up. He nearly jumped up and down with excitment, telling me in Amharic what I assume meant "I am from Afar." Soon we reached the CR's gate and he bid me a good trip. The family was not up yet, although we were to leave at 6:15, so I sat on a ledge and watched the African sun rise over thei gate. I could not imagine what adventures I might have that day. I had never been to Africa before and this was to be my first trip out of Addis.