Another Voice

On the camel trail in Ethiopia: a story, a tragedy and a blessing

Thursday, 29th June 2006

The whole village had been shocked, for this region (like most of Ethiopia — despite impressions sometimes given in our news media) is an ordered, peaceful place. As the newly widowed mother recovered from the immediate shock, another nightmare unfolded. Her late husband had kept no proper accounts: it was all in his head — the camel-men to whom he owed money, the truckers and city salt merchants who owed him money; she had no way of knowing what debts must be claimed or repaid. She had a room full of valuable salt ingots but how could she take up the reins of the business? Most of her children were too small to help. The one son who might had won a place in college in the regional capital of Mekele.

Should he go? Should she try to carry on? There was local scepticism (Solomon said) whether she could, and for a woman it would have been extraordinary. But she was resolved to try. She told us her name but perhaps I shall not publish it, for she never asked for her sorrows to become a magazine story. We said a sad goodbye, and resumed our journey.

A week later we returned from the Danakil, adventures of our own behind us. We had taken a small collection among ourselves and called in to see her. I told her (Solomon translating) that we were sorry never to have had the honour of meeting her husband and wished, in his memory, to contribute to the continuation of his business. She told us that some of his colleagues and fellow traders had made a collection of their own for her; that she was blessed; and — in what was almost a song — she called down all the blessings of Allah on our heads.

And we headed again for the dusty road. What agonies and misadventures, what small tragedies and human triumphs too — what stories — lie around each bend of the road. Of every road.

Matthew Parris is a political columnist of the Times. Camel Train was broadcast on Radio Four at 11 a.m. on Friday 30 June and can be heard on www.bbc.co.uk/radio.