At Fikadu’s house

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Over the last few weeks we’ve been able to communicate well enough with the kids to start learning about their home in Ethiopia.  It started when I showed Fikadu and Tigist the video we created to show when we passed court (see post on Jan 2nd).  In it I had a photo of a mudhut house typical to the southern region of Ethiopia.  Fikadu’s eyes lit up and he pointed with glee and said, “Fikadu’s house!!”  This allowed for a continued conversation about what life was like at Fikadu’s house.  ***Edit*** This post will be continually edited as we discover new things out about the children’s previous home.

So far they’ve told us:

At Fikadu’s house there was no shower, and no bathroom.  Fikadu said he got to go shint and kaka (pee and poop) outside.  Followed up with, “America, no kaka shint outside, no?”  Yes, that’s right son, there will be no going potty outside until we take you camping, and then those skills will come in handy! He was also quick to point out that the dog got to go potty outside.   

There was also a Big Water (assuming a lake) by Fikadu’s house, he apparently knows how to swim as he performed all the motions of going under water and swimming.  He also quickly pointed out that Tigist no swim because she was a baby.  Also the big water was where they got fish.

His family raised many cows.  Not one cow, but yes, big, big, big cows.  Followed by 1,2,3,4,5. . .Big mommy big! (apparently we’ve made the switch from Bus, to big meaning many)  He also told us that only girls milk cows, not boys.

A friend named Yacob has a horse.  And Yacob’s mommy makes injera.  Yacob was Fikadu’s friend.

There was a church near Fikadu’s house and his oldest brother Marcos and his wife took Fikadu and Tigist to church.  They sang lots of songs.  

There are lions near Fikadu’s house and you don’t go outside at night.  This came out when we asked Fikadu if he wanted to go outside with Daddy to take the dog out one night.  He looked as us like we were crazy and said, “No, Daddy!  Lions! No outside!”  We had to distinguish that America has no lions.  We haven’t told him about the ones at the zoo.

One morning we saw 5-6 deer out the window and Fikadu got so excited.  He used charades to mimic throwing a spear at a deer, slicing its throat, and then eating it.  He also told us that Marcos, his brother kills deer, but that he has not killed one yet.  Hmmm, well that’s protected park lands back there so please don’t spear any of those ones.  But I’m sure when you get older you can go on a hunting adventure with Daddy, Grampy, Uncle Luke and Uncle Aaron, and that if you manage to spear one instead of shooting it with a gun, you will have the best bragging rights on the Blackstone side of the family.  

Fikadu also told us that he had a big brown dog, but distinguished that his had a tail (unlike our boxer Belle).  The dog helped in hunting deer.

At Fikadu’s house no shoes, no tv, no stove, no sink, no lights, no phone. 

At Fikadu’s house there are monkeys!  We think he’s trying to tell us that yes, there were lots of monkeys nearby, but that they also had a pet monkey.  He’s indicated this my saying, “Belle this house, Monkey Fikadu’s house.”  And then he’ll say, “yes many monkeys, one monkey Fikadu’s house”

Fikadu used to climb banana trees with a machete and chop down large bunches of bananas.  He told us this when I had a large meat knife in my hand and he said,”Mommy, yes, this knife big at Fikadu’s house.  Fikadu, Marcos go upstairs big tree and WHACK, WHACK, WHACK  Bananas come downstairs.” 

What insight this gives us into what life was like for them.  Even though to us it seems so far removed from what we know!  The kids both speak fondly of their Ethiopian home and it is apparent that they were well loved and raised in a caring family.  I look forward to helping them remember this amazing history that they have, and I’m grateful to God for their first family who took the kids to church and taught them about Him.  I pray that they know tonight that Fikadu and Tigist are well loved and cared for.  And that we will help them remember their first family and their Ethiopian heritage.

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