Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War in Eritrea By Alemseged Tesfai

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  • 7/22/2019 Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War in Eritrea By Alemseged Tesfai

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    Lxilrpts Orbh Twb ^llks gm tfl Trlmifls3 Zlhgmgsilmils bo Ifgedfbbd `md ^`r gm

    Lrgtrl`

    Jy @elhslnld Tlso`g

    Zld Yl` Qrlss% Trlmtbm% MC% :11:

    &Twb ^llks gm tfl Trlmifls gs ` ibeelitgbm bo stbrgls% w`r dg`rgls `md lss`ys j`sld h`gmey bm tfl

    wrgtlrs plrsbm`e lxplrglmil- Tfl obeebwgmn lxilrpts ibhl str`gnft orbh fgs mbtls t`klm durgmn

    fgs p`rtgigp`tgbm gm ` oglril j`ttel jltwllm LQEO &Lrgtrl`m Qlbpels Egjlr`tgbm Orbmt' `md

    Ltfgbpg`m trbbps obr ibmtrbe bo tfl str`tlngi mbrtflrm Lrgtrl`m tbwm bo M`ko`- Flrl% fl

    lmibumtlrs twb rlh`rk`jel plbpel% ` ibhp`my ibhh`mdlr `md ` obrhlr studlmt% wfb wlrl tb

    dgl gm `itgbm wgtfgm ` olw fburs bo l`if btflr% cust ` olw d`ys `otlr tfl lmtrgls wlrl h`dl-'

    ?tf

    @unust 076

  • 7/22/2019 Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War in Eritrea By Alemseged Tesfai

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    G dgd mbt s`y `mytfgmn% mlgtflr dgd fl ibmtgmul wgtf tfl tbpgi- @otlr ` wfgel% fl i`eeld

    sbhlbml orbh bml bo fgs pe`tbbms `md s`gd% ^fy `rl ybu jlgmn sb umo`gr tb us2 Fbw i`m ybu

    l`t `ee tf`t jlels jy yburslevls2 Ibuedmt ybu% `t el`st% jl nlmlrbus tb hy nulst flrl2 Fbw

    `jbut @ss`f`gt` tfl Qbbr% f`s fl lvlr s`gd tf`t fl dbls mbt egkl jlels2

    Tfl ybumn tln`d`e`g0 e`unfld% bjvgbusey lmcbygmn @ss`f`gt`s olgnmld ollegmns bo furt-

    ^l `rl ibbegmn cugiy bmls obr ybu gm ` e`rnl ibmt`gmlr bo w`tlr% fl s`gd% rummgmn tb `mbtflr

    sf`dl- Gm ` olw hgmutls% wl wlrl lmcbygmn tfl ibbemlss bo tfl orugts- G `h mbt huif bo ` jlels

    l`tlr% jut G `tl umtge G jleifld gts t`stl ` ibupel bo tghls- @ss`f`gt` hust f`vl l`tlm dbujel hgml-

    Jlels gs mgil tb l`t% jut gt irl`tls prbjelhs bm gts w`y but!

    ^l wlrl eygmn sgdl jy sgdl st`rgmn `t tfl segnftey hbvgmn el`vls `jbvl us% wflm

    @ss`f`gt` s`gd% Dlsirgjl tfl j`sl `rl` tb hl- Tfly tlee hl @r`rgj gs egkl ` igty-

    G ebbkld `t fgh gm surprgsl- F`vl ybu mlvlr jllm tflrl2

    Fbw i`m G lvlr jl tflrl2 Ebbk `t bur egol- Gt gs `ew`ys orbh bml trlmif tb tfl btflr% bml

    j`ttel tb tfl mlxt- ^flm tflrl `rl euees gm ognftgmn% gt gs `ew`ys dgnngmn mlw trlmifls br rlp`grgmn

    bed bmls- @dd tb tfgs gmtlmsgvl `i`dlhgi elssbms `md pbegtgi`e ldui`tgbm `md wf`t db ybu f`vl2

    Mb elgsurl tghl `t `ee- Wbu i`mt nb tb tfl j`sl `rl`s umelss ybu `rl wbumdld `md tfl d`hmld

    jueelt cust kllps `vbgdgmn hl-

    Wbu pr`y obr ` jueelt cust tb sll @r`rgj2

    Fl shgeld hgsifglvbusey% Wbu kmbw% tfl bml tf`t cust nr`zls ybu bm tfl oelsf jut furts

    lmbunf tb slmd ybu tb @r`rgj `md j`ik2 Tf`ts wf`t G hl`m- G ibuedmt st`md plrh`mlmt

    dgs`jgegty- Jut tlee hl `jbut tfbsl pe`ils-

    G trgld tb dlsirgjl @r`rgj obr fgh- Tfl umdlrnrbumd jb`rdgmn sifbbe tf`t fbsts jbut obur

    tfbus`md studlmts; Brbt` Fbspgt`e wfgif vgsgtbrs f`vl mgikm`hld tfl ebmnlst fbspgt`e gm tfl

    wbred; tfl pf`rh`ilutgi`e o`itbry% tfl hlt`e `md wbbd wbrksfbps---lti- Ybhl bo tflsl% G f`d mbt

    lvlm sllm hysleo% sb G gmieudld gm hy egst wf`t G f`d hlrley fl`rd `jbut- Fgs `ppltgtl obr

    kmbweldnl sllhs gms`tg`jel- Fgs qulstgbms lxtlmdld gmtb iurrlmt gmtlrm`tgbm`e `oo`grs% tfl e`tlstgmvlmtgbms `md lvlm tfl wbrkgmns bo s`tleegtls-

    Ybhl bo ybur qulstgbms `rl tbb tbunf obr hl- G dbmt kmbw tfl `mswlr tb h`my bo

    tflh-

    0Tln`d`e`g% orlldbh ognftlr% h`el- Tfl olh`el lqugv`elmt gs tln`d`egt`md tfl ibhhbm peur`e obrh gs tln`dletg-

  • 7/22/2019 Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War in Eritrea By Alemseged Tesfai

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    Wbu i`rry tfgs jgn fl`d bm ybur sfbuedlrs `md wgtf `ee ybur f`gr `md jl`rd% ybu i`mt

    `mswlr hy qulstgbms2 G `h nbgmn tb hgek lvlry jgt bo kmbweldnl gmsgdl ybu wfgel ybu `rl wgtf

    us- Fbw lesl i`m @ss`f`gt` tfl Qbbr n`gm `my ldui`tgbm2 ^f`t dbls fl kmbw `p`rt orbh

    sfbbtgmn nums2

    Wbu `rl s`ygmn tfgs obr tfl slibmd tghl- ^fy db ybu kllp i`eegmn ybursleo @ss`f`gt`

    tfl Qbbr2

    Jut% G `h pbbr% fl `mswlrld nbbd(m`turldey- ^flm G i`hl flrl% G jrbunft bmey bml

    tfgmn `ebmn wgtf hl% hy sbue- ^flm tfl tghl ibhls% Gee t`kl gt wgtf hl- Db ybu f`vl ` jlttlr

    dlogmgtgbm bo pbvlrty2

    Wbu h`y jl pbbr gm tfl h`tlrg`e slmsl% G gmsgstld% p`rtey tb prbvbkl fgh% jut ybu db

    mbt sllh tb suoolr orbh `my spgrgtu`e pbvlrty-

    Fly% fly% dbmt lvlr elt spgrgtu`e pbvlrty ml`r ybu- Tf`t wgee hl`m dlnlmlr`tgbm- Tf`t

    wgee hl`m jlgmn dlspgsld `md dgsi`rdld egkl tfbsl dli`yld jlels wl f`vl rlousld tb l`t- Tfl

    wl`etf botln`d`e`g gs fgs plrslvlr`mil `md fgs spgrgtu`e purgty- ^l ebsl tf`t% wl `rl mb hbrl-

    Jut gm btflr w`ys wl `rl pbbr hy orglmd---`md @ss`f`gt` gs tfl pbbrlst bo tflh `ee-

    Fl w`s sgttgmn up wflm fl s`gd tfgs- Fl tflm egotld fgs fl`d tbw`rds tfl sky `md st rtld

    tb sgmn tb sbhl tuml G ibued mbt rlibnmgzl- Fgs wbrds wlrl iel`r% Qbbr% bf% ybu pbbr

    @ss`f`gt`--- Fl rlpl`tld tfl pfr`sl slvlr`e tghls-

    G e`unfld dllpey `md sgmilrley `md egkld fgh vlry huif- G wbued f`vl ebvld tb fl`r fgh

    t`ek sbhl hbrl% jut bml bo tfl pe`tbbm el`dlrs i`eeld fgh bvlr `md fl elot hl wflrl G w`s- G

    wrbtl tfgs ghhldg`tley `otlr fl elot-

    >tf

    @unust 076tf `md hbst slirlt boolmsgvl tf`t tfl Ltfgbpg`m Dlrnul rlnghl e`umifld `n`gmst

    tfl LQEO gm 0769-

  • 7/22/2019 Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War in Eritrea By Alemseged Tesfai

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    Yfl shgeld plmsgvley `md s`gd% Yurvgvgmn ybur pllrs% ybur oleebw studlmts `md ybur

    orglmds gs tfl wbrst tf`t i`m f`pplm tb ybu- Yfl olee sgelmt obr ` wfgel `md tflm if`mnld tfl

    sujclit% @rl tfly slrgbus `jbut hbjgegzgmn ybu tb tfl orbmtegmls2

    Bo ibursl-

    ^fy dbmt tfly elt ybu jl gm tfl j`sl `rl`s2 ^fy dbmt ybu cust st`y tflrl `md e`y tfl

    obumd`tgbms obr tfl outurl2 Yfl w`s `esb tl`sgmn hl-

    Jut ybu mlld sbhl rlspgtl flrl- Gm o`it% G f`vl ibhl tb t kl ybur pe`il obr ` olw

    wllks% G tl`sld j`ik t`ppgmn flr sfbuedlr-

    Mbw2 @t ybur `nl2 Yfl s`gd ruooegmn hy f`gr `md sf`kgmn flr fl`d% Wbu `rl `ee nrly

    `erl`dy% gts gmirldgjel- G wgsf tf`t ybu f`d mbt ibhl flrl-

    ^fy mbt2

    Jli`usl ybu f`vl ibhl tb jury ybur ifgedrlm-

    Gt w`s `s go sfl f`d pglrild hy fl`rt wgtf ` spl`r- G spr`mn `t flr gm qugik rlspbmsl `md

    nr`jjld flr jy tfl f`md-

    ^f`t kgmd bo t`ek w`s tf`t2 G s`gd `mnrgey% jut sfl l`sgey orlld flrsleo orbh hy nrgp

    `md r`m ` olw hltrls gm pe`youe p`mgi-

    Go wl dbmt el`vl l`rey gm tfl hbrmgmn% Gee ibhl `md sll ybu- Gee jrgmn ` j`r bo sb`p

    `ebmn tb w`sf ybur f`gr `md rlhbvl tfl egil gm tflrl- Yfl elot-

    Tfl sum gs slttgmn- Gt gs nlttgmn tbb d`rk obr hl tb wrgtl hbrl- G olle `s go ` fl`vy eb`d gs

    cust sgttgmn bm hy iflst- G `h `ehbst ifbkgmn `md flr wbrds kllp rgmngmn gm hy l`rs- Yfl dgd mbt

    uttlr tfbsl wbrds but spgtl br `my h`egil- Jut obr flr tb t`kl flr bwm dl`tf obr nr`mtld `md hy

    survgv`e `s nu`r`mtlld gs cust tbb huif tb sw`eebw- G olle `s go sfl gs `iiusgmn hl wfgel stgee

    `egvl- Mb wbmdlr sfl olles nugety obr f`vgmn survgvld flr bwm pllrs `md orglmds- H`yjl sflolles tf`t sfl f`s ebst flr rgnft tb st`y `egvl- Yfl gs je`hgmn flrsleo obr f`vgmn jllm butp`ild gm

    tfl rusf tbw`rds tfl uetgh`tl s`irgogil- Go% tbhbrrbw% tfly tlee hl sfl gs dl`d% G wgee prbj`jey olle

    tfl s`hl w`y `md s`y tfl s`hl tfgmn-

  • 7/22/2019 Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War in Eritrea By Alemseged Tesfai

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    M`unfty% m`unfty Ifu(Ifu- Yfl gs h`kgmn hl je`jjlr gm r`w pfgebsbpfy- Yb gt gs `

    ibhjgm`tgbm bo suif fl`rtrlmdgmn egttel gmigdlmts `md lmibumtlrs tf`t h`kls dl`tf sbhltfgmn tb

    yl`rm obr-