Armored (26 page)

He passed the
vanity mirror. Why view the image? He knew who he was. There’s a distinctive walk of a man that clothes never alter. He was born on the streets and believed in a code. He didn’t send anybody to deal with family.

When it’s real personal, he
did the deed.

That’s the swag of a
gangster –refined.

The Final Volume in the Alfonzo Saga coming Spring/Summer 2014

ATAVUS

Alfonzo Volume XV

The Latin word for Ancestor is Atavus.

Atavus is defined as: great-great-great grandfather, ancesto
r
.

Prologue

The heat was at his back, Vitamin D from the sun soaking into the golden skin cut, marred and tatted. The entire Giacanti clan had converged on African soil, some with smiles and others with downcast lips. Dons and their
Donnas sought to make sense of the long feuds that shortened their bloodline. They were here in celebration of Nicolo Giacanti’s 98
th
birthday.

For an elderly man, his blue eyes were clear. His skin wrinkled, yet taut around the neck and cheeks. An ice cap mountain of white was his hair, and the fiery spirit of a Giacanti breathed in the air.

He watched them, great grandsons and great-great grandchildren of his brother. The teeth which chewed bani and hasema were lined in a wide smile. The years of secret exile were past. An old man was free. This seb’ay had overcome the worst of trials. He was proud. A strong aged hand balled into a fist to grind to his libi –heart.

The youngest leader, with the semayawi colored eyes more brilliant than his brother’s
; fierce they were but loving.

Alfonzo
walked to where an elder reclined in a weathered bamboo seat. There was something in those eyes that craved knowledge, perhaps he was tired, this great warrior who perhaps in ancient days may have been a gladiator, conquistador or tribal leader. Wise beyond his age and a king in all respects in the world where chivalry and love were dying.

“Selam.” Alfonzo greeted
with the Tigrinya word for hello he recently learned.

“Selam, metsia ambear?”

Alfonzo’s forehead wrinkled. Hello is all he knew and megbi, which meant food and oh yeah, happy birthday. “Zibug lidet!”

The senior with sun burned skin laughed heartily. “Grazie, gracias, thank you wedi.”

“You speak English well.”

“Yes, and many other languages equally. To live in a world of many tongues, it is a handicap to speak only one.”

“I agree.”

Nicolo tapped the tome sitting on his lap. It was as fat as a dictionary. “Today, we not only celebrate the day of my birth, we will also honor our ancestors.” He opened the book and in a commanding voice shouted, “Abahago, ahabaga, abo, ade, wedi, gual, amo, hatne, amitche and gorebet –come. It is the hour to learn of your ancestors.”

He looked at the brown woman holding the hands of her children, the one with hazel and walnut colors in her eyes. That one, was not aware of her heritage, she was lost.

There is wisdom gained in life. But how does someone understand their purpose if they lack knowledge about their ancestors?

Today, she will hear of her people as well, an ancient tribe of Ethiopians who once ruled long before popular religions. Today as he opened the large book, he took satisfaction that the recordings carefully chronicled with his hand would bring her peace. “Rhus,” he smiled as the large assembly took seats upon the sand. Today they would hear on the wind, songs and the forceful drums of their ancestors. They will hear not fictional words but truths from the chronicles of a Giacanti who lived to see this glorious day.

The r
oyal bloodlines survived.

Glossary

Tigrinya Words of Eritrea and Ethiopia

Abdomen = Kebdi
 
ከብዲ

Aba djigo = God (esp. the rain god
)
ኣ
ባ 
ጅጎ

Adult = Abi 
 
ዓቢ

Ago, A few days ago = Kedmi kurub qenya
t
ቅድ
ሚ 
ኩሩ
ብ 
ቅነ

Amitche = Eritrean born or brought up abroad (esp. in Ethiopia
)
ኣሚጬ

Amlak ymesgen = Thanks be to God
 
ኣምላ
ኽ
ይመስገን

Angry = hariku (m); harika (f
)
ሓሪ
ቃ
 
 
ሓሪቁ

At last, So it’s come? = Mewedaetius ... metsia ambear
?
መወዳእቱ
ስ
.....
.
መጺ
ኣ
 
 
እመበር

August = Nehase
 
ነሓሰ

Aunt = Amo (aunt from father side); Hatne (aunt from mother side)
 
ኣ
ሞ
 
 
ሓትነ

Bad dog = himak kelbi
 
ሕማ
ቅ 
ቀልቢ

Beer = Bira
 
ቢራ

Beer (home-brewed) = Suwa
 
ስዋ

Beles = cactus fruit
 
በለስ

May you feel better soon = Mihret yewrdelka
 
ምኺረ
ት 
የውሪደልካ

Birthday, Happy = Zibug lidet
!
ጽቡ
ቅ 
ልደት

Black = tselim
 
ጸሊም

Bless you = Teb

Bless you = Tebarek!
 
ተባረሕ

Blue = Semayawi
 
ሰምዋው

Body = Akalat 
 
ኣኻላት

Bon Voyage = Tsibuk guezo
 
ጽቡ
ቅ 
ግሾ

Boot (a make of light B. preferred for Sawa) = kongo
 
ኮንጎ

Boy = Wedi
 
ወዲ

Braggart = Hadadi/t
 
ሓዳ
ዲ/
ት

Bread = Bani
 
ባኒ

Bread, Home-made = himbasha (cf. Too bad they are far

away, we would have visited them with some himbashas =

Adi arhikom koynom ember ... himbasha hizna

mbetsahnayom nierna)
 
ሕምባሻ

Breakfast = Kursi
 
ቁሪሲ

Brother = Haw
i
ሓው

Crazy, Oh, I think he’s going crazy = Wey gud, abidu

ember
 
ወ
ይ
ጉ
ድ
ዓብዱ

Day = Mealti, Ketri; Days = Mealtat
 
መዓል
ቲ
፣
መዓልታት

Day, Have a nice day = Bruk mealt
i
ብሩ
ኽ
መዓልቲ

Day, How was your? = Kemey wielki? (wielka if

addressing a male
)
ከመ
ይ
ውዕል
ኪ/
ውዕልካ

Days of the week = Mealtat nay semu
n
መዓልታ
ት
ና
ይ
ሰሙን

December = Tahsa
s
ታሕሳስ

Delicious (of food) = t’ium t’ium
 
ጥዑም

Devil, - seyta
n
ሸይጣን

Dog = Kelb
i
ቀልቢ

Doomed, I am = Weyti gude
y
ዌ
ቲ
ጉድይ

Drinks (alcoholic) = Alkolawi mest
e
ኣሃልኮላ
ዊ 
መስተ

Drinks (soft) = Islus meste
 
ሉስሉ
ስ
መስተ

Drunk, he got = Sekiru; she got d. = Sekira
 
ሰኺ
ሩ
፣
ሰኺራ

Drunkard = Sekram
 
ሰኽራም

Eagle = nisri
 
ንስሪ

Ear = Ezn
i
እዝኒ

Eat, to eat = Miblae (enjera belia = she ate enjera
)
ምብላዕ

Egg = Quakuh
o
ኢንቆዖኾ

Elephant = harma
z
ሓሪማዝ

Evening = Mishet
 
ምሸት

Evening, Good = Bruk mishet
 
ቢሩ
ኽ 
ምሸት

Evening, and good night = Bruk mishet, Bruk leyti
 
ቢሩ
ኽ
ምሸት፣ቢሩ
ኽ
ለይ
ቲ
Excuse me = Keshegereki/a
 
ከሸጊረ
ኪ/
ካ

Eye = Ayni
 
ዓይኒ

Father = Abo
 
ኣቦ

Feast = Nigdet
 
ንግደት

Finger(s) = Asabiti
 
ኣጻብዕቲ

First= kedamay You came first = enqua Hagoseka!

Kedamay wesika
 
ከዳማይ
፣
ዕንቋ
ዕ
ሓጎሰካ
፣
ከዳማ
ይ
ወጽካ

Food = Megbi
 
መግቢ

Foot = Egri (Feet = YeEgar)
 
ኢግሪ

Forehead = Ginbar
 
ግንባር

Girl = Gua
l
ጓል

Give me = habeni (m), habni (f)
 
ሃበኒ፣ሃብኒ

Go, to go = mika
d
ምኻድ

Go away! = kidi ske rehak/i
 
ኪ
ድ
ስ
ከ
ረሓቂ

Good dog = Grim kelbi
 
ግሪ
ም
ከልቢ

Good news = Bisrat
 
ብስራት

Grandfather = Abahago
 
ኣባሓጎ

Grandmother =Abahag
a
ዓባየይ

Grown-up, adult = Abi
 
ዓቢ

Hair = Cheguri
 
ጮግሪ

Half = fereka
 
ፍርቅ

Hamawti (wedding custom where day after wedding

bride’s family take food to bridegroom’s relatives and the

women spend the day eating and dancing!) = Hamwati
 
ሓማይቲ

Hand(s) = Ed, Ye’Eda
w
ኢድ
፣
የእዳው

Happiness = Hagos
 
ሓጎስ

Happy = Hgu
s
ሕጉስ

Happy / Blessed = Rhus
 
ረሑስ

Harmony = sni
t
ስኒት

Heart = Lbi (chest = Af lbi
)
ልብ

Heaven = Genet
 
ገነት

Hello = Selam, Selama
t
ሰላም፣ሰላማት