A few days ago, I was on an errand for a friend in the states. He wants to start a business here in Tigrai and asked me to stop by the Tigrai Development Association and get some forms and information for him. Some friends told me the office was in the main branch of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. So off I went.
The bank is a great, marble-clad edifice and after I entered, it was obvious that if the office I was seeking was here, it was certainly upstairs. I went to the third floor, saw a man in his office, and asked where I could find the TDA. “Not here,” the gentleman said.
I noticed I was at the top of a stairway, not the one I came up and asked, “Can I get outside if I take this stairway?” This time the answer was yes. I descended the stairs and noticed it looked like I was in some kind of maintenance area, but I saw daylight and soon arrived outside.
“What are you doing here?” said the old man. Actually, I think it was the well-worn AK-47 rifle he was holding that asked the question. I guess I’ve been in Ethiopia long enough, because I wasn’t afraid. As the gun was pointed in my direction, I simply put my hands up and smiled.
Another voice speaking very good English asked me again and I looked over to see Atakiti, the father of one of Jane’s second graders, looking at me. Not remembering his name, I said that he looked familiar. Did he have a child at MTA? And so he did.
We chatted some more and he asked to escort me to my car. I surprised him by saying I was afoot. Not too many firengi walk around as much as I do. WE shook hands and I continued my search.
What did I interrupt? A Toyota pickup was loaded with cardboard boxes filled with new currency, fresh from the printer’s. I had walked into an Ethiopian-style armored car delivery: a pickup truck and an old man with an AK-47. Attention Wells Fargo and Brinks: The Ethiopian system works very well. Maybe you guys should try the direct approach. Think about it!
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