Trip to Neverland

by Sabrin Abdu (Ethiopia)

A leap into the unknown Eritrea

Trip to Neverland It was Friday evening, two days before my 14th birthday, when my parents announced that we were going on a road trip. I guessed that we might visit a city, or two if we were lucky. We just assumed that it was a regular annual family vacation. We were all so excited. Our trip started early at 4:45 AM on Saturday. It was a very long and tiring trip. It has always been rainy in Ethiopia around July and August, but that day it was raining a lot. We passed five cities and we still didn't reach our destination. Our car was getting exhausted. The energy we had five hours ago was no longer there. For some unknown reasons, our parents weren't willing to tell us where we were headed to. It was around 9 pm and the car was steaming now. We didn't know where we were, but dad had to stop the car in front of a deserted farm. We were nowhere close to a city and there was no light. The car eventually broke down and the whole family had to sleep in it as we were in the middle of nowhere. My sisters and I still didn’t know where we were going when our mother said that we are going to Sudan by bus. It took us all three seconds to analyze, laugh and ask once more. We couldn't believe it. We had to wait for a bus to take us but that's just when we knew that this was only the beginning of our journey. Sunday morning finally came after what felt like an eternity; it was my birthday. It took seven hours until we reached the border of Ethiopia and Sudan, Metemma. We felt the sudden weather change. It was suddenly hot and humid; the desert sand was blowing everywhere. We were finally in Sudan. We could see Sudan’s national flag. Things didn't get easier when we got to Sudan. Our luggage was being searched at every stop and we were exhausted. My mother was breastfeeding my 6 months old sister, and my two other sisters were leaning on each other. We finally made it to our uncle's place around 10 PM. The whole family welcomed us with lemon juice and some Sudanese sweets, but all we could see were the swinging beds under the tree. We celebrated my birthday with delicious Sudanese food and slept right away. We didn't wake up until 2 pm the next day. Everyone was still tired and hungry too. We sat circling the dining table to notice that our dad was not there. He and his brother went out and didn't come back home until 4. When our father returned, he returned with papers. Papers that will allow us to enter Eritrea. Living in Ethiopia as an Eritrean was not easy. When Eritrea and Ethiopia cut diplomatic ties after a two-year-long war, families were separated, and this situation went on for more than 18 years. We all knew that going there would be a risk to our safety, but we also knew we would regret it if we didn't go. Hence, that meant another country to cross by bus. Two more days of dreadful bus rides, and we were finally there. This trip allowed me to see my parents in a different light. living far away from loved ones for such a long time must have been very difficult. We only stayed there for three weeks, but it was worth all the struggle, the joy we felt connecting with our families cannot be expressed with words. My grandfather passed away six months after our visit. Although we couldn’t attend his funeral, we took solace knowing that we at least got the chance to spend some time with him. Eritrea and Ethiopia made peace two years ago, and things have been improving between the two nations. We might have gone on this adventure nine years ago, but I still remember it as if it was yesterday because it has made me who I am today.