March 1992 - Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

“Hurry woman!”

Bilillee looks up to where her husband is and looks down before she makes eye contact. She wipes her hands on her rag and puts it on the counter and picks up the cake. She plasters a smile on her face as she walks towards the large crowd waiting on her.

She sits the cake down in front of the now two-year-old Amare and moves to the side to stand next to her husband. She hears him suck his teeth at her and she looks around to see if anyone is watching as he visibly moves inches away from her.

The singing starts, but Bilillee’s mind is more on what she can start cleaning now instead of the words coming out of her mouth. She looks at her son’s smiling face and little waving hands and smiles.

Her smile fades as she finds a man in the crowd wearing a fine all-black fitted suit.

Her stomach drops as she looks at her husband. He is already looking at the man and starts walking towards him. Bilillee ignores the gawkers as she follows close on his tall.