The True Story of A New Currency: The Deaf Experience

Dear Friends,

For the  benefit of English-speaking Eritreans and the friends of Eritrea, I have translated the Tigrgina version appeared earlier in Madote  as the following. It is based on free translation while keeping the moral story intact.

            The True Story of A New Currency: The Deaf Experience

            Our protagonist whom affectionately called Bahta was born, and grew up in rural area. He was deaf since birth. Unfortunately, in that remote village there was no any other deaf with whom he could play with. That is why he developed a Sign Language that he could only understand in his exclusive silent world.

            In his early teens, he started to tend a cattle from sunrise till down. His only contact was confined to non-human animals such as cattle, beasts and birds. As such, the open beaks, but not the beautiful songs of the birds,  and so is the swift running of rabbits, but not their fearful cries attracted him.

This is because their movements are within his visual reach!!!  

            When he was eighteen, Bahta moved to the city in search of work. He was living with one of his relatives till he got a job. However, as they could not communicate with him, they helped him move to   a small room that looked like a prison cell without windows and electric light. It was a dreadful sight indeed! As mentioned, deaf people are visually-oriented, and as such, they fell unsafe and insecure in the absence of light. That is why they keep light on even whenever they sleep in the dead of the night.

            Bahta was under the care of his close relatives till he learned how to manage money on his own. After learning how to use money, he started to receive salary every other week. He was very careful with his money. He was saving his extra bucks in a small box hidden under his bed. How dark and how undetectable indeed! Nevertheless, who else could visit him in that lonely room whose door was always open in order to keep any light in.

Please be aware that light first and foremost is essential for survival in the deaf world.

            It happened one day, Bahta went to the market to buy a new shoes. However, the shop keeper refused to sell the shoes. Bahta was a bit confused, and thought that the money he had with him was not enough. So, hurriedly he went to his house to bring more money. But the shopkeeper nodded his head just to show him that he still would not sell the shoes. Again Bahta thought the money was not enough, and soon headed to his house to bring an additional money, but the shopkeeper insisted, “No.” Even so, Bahta time and again,  went to his house to bring more money – Mind you!  Four times in all.

            Finally, the shopkeeper realized that Bahta didn’t know about the change of currency. He said to his son, “Please take him to the bank, and see if the authority could give him a new currency in a place of old ones.”

            He went hurriedly with a paper bag full of money.

            Unfortunately, the Banker said, “Where was he for such a longer period of time? The dead line for the replacement of a new currency passed about six months ago. We could not change his money.”

            Bahta did not know what was going  on , and neither the banker understood why he kept the money for so long.

            Result! An absence of DEAFNESS AWARENESS;  not only on the part of the Banker, but on Bahta as well.  

-Haile Bokure

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