Falling in love with Konjo Habesha, our trip to Jimma

In August 2012, Konjo habesha and I embarked on a trip to Jimma, unknowingly at the time, this trip would change everything.  This is when I was to fall in love with him.  

Click here, to read how we first met.

In south-western Ethiopia lies Jimma, situated in the Kaffa region, according to history it is home to Kaldi and his goats, hence the birthplace of coffee (buna).

'Jimma the Origin of Coffee' Roundabout

I wanted to visit some of my Ethiopian friends whom I had met in my first trip in 2007 with Habitat For Humanity to Jimma, very beautiful people dear to my heart, the very people who endeared me to Ethiopia in the first place.  We were lucky to have the companionship of two robust habesha boys we befriended on one of our adventures (konjo habesha and I) in Megenenya (ampharic translation: meeting place), a bustling transport epicentre/sub-city in Addis Ababa.  

Scenes of bustling public transport hub Megenenya, meaning 'meeting place' -  a sub-city of Addis

Soon after, we became friendly with their family, especially their grandmother who was their main caregiver.  We told 'grandmother' our Jimma plans and asked her permission to take her two grandsons as our companions on our trip.  She gave us her blessings, probably happy with the prospect of having a quieter house and bewildered that we would want to take her two active grandsons with us to Jimma, a rough 300km away or 4-5hours on the road by car or 7-8hours on a public bus, south-west from Addis!  We thought it would be fun - the four of us, and it was!!!!  
R O A D  T R I P!!!!!!!

Left: Ethiopia map - Jimma lies south-west of the capital Addis Ababa
Right: The winding and undulating Addis-Jimma road

The Addis-Jimma road takes you on a visual feast from the highland of Addis Ababa slowly through Ethiopia's south-western plateau which reveals rich greenery, breath-taking views at times from jaw-dropping heights, with the all-too-occasional encounter with livestock and their famers along the way.  It's road sharing at it's finest!  

Left: Young herders with livestock on the Addis-Jimma road, a common sight
Right: Ethiopia's countryside of rich greenery and clusters of huts

Ethiopia's agricultural lifestyle is on full display as groups of isolated round thatched huts and livestock are a common sight.  Young cattle herders learn to contribute to their family's work by tending to their family's livestock from a young age, often seen carrying long sticks.

Our two active habesha companions: Kidus (glasses), Dagim (orange shirt)

Kidus, 10years old (at the time) is exuberant, social and stubborn.  A real hand-full!  Although he was deaf, this disability did not hinder him one little bit, it actually ENABLED him to use his other senses to the max!  He played hard and got into mischief like any other 10year old young boy.  

Dagim, 7years old (at the time) pocket-sized, wise and charismatic beyond his years.  He could talk the pants of anyone, even though talking the pants of anyone a common trait of the Ethiopian people, Duggam could find an argument to back up the most minuscule point.  I would often hear him and Yonas debating over some topic (a favourite Ethiopian pastime) and I loved to just listen to him talk, mesmerised by his wisdom and charm.  I often told Yonas that he would be the next prime minister of Ethiopia. 

Main pic: Jimma's bajaj's
Surrounding pics: Scenes from Jimma

I love Jimma.  It is a special place for me - the original buna (coffee) region of Ethiopia, hence the world, we had the time of our lives.  We dissected the town, discovering and adventuring on the local blue bajaj, bikes, the blue public taxi vans and by foot, visiting some of the boys family members and my dear Ethiopian friends.  

Reuniting with friends in Jimma after 3years

We enjoyed getting to know the boys better through countless conversations and day-to-day dealings, most of it good and then of course we experienced our obligatory "other moments" of looking after kids.  There was one interesting time, one of the boys had an all-consuming melt-down/tantrum which totally caught konjo habesha and myself off-guard, having NO IDEA how to calm him down IN PUBLIC and then behind closed doors, which quickly turned into two fighting brothers!  

Weyneeee!!!!! What did we get ourselves into?  

It was a crash course into what having children might be like and working together.  What a wonderful crazy beautiful time we all had together.  It was during this trip that I had a heart shift and started to see konjo habesha in this beautiful paternal light, a most illuminating yellow 'halo' light.  He would make a wonderful father I thought to myself. 

Jimma, now with more reason, continues to hold a special place in my heart as the region where I fell in love with Ethiopia AND with the man of my heart.

I fell in love with konjo habesha unsuspectingly and unexpectantly.  Just as the sun rises each day and the seasons change from spring to summer, from autumn to winter and back to spring again, my love developed so very naturally, with each season of our relationship, love growing and laying a meseret of friendship ripe for love to crystallise.