174 DAHLAK 



even at the other side of the sea. Never tell your name to a 

 Budàh! . . .' said Tesfankièl. 



*No, you white men are not in danger from Budàh 

 because you eat salami. Me too Catholic and eat salami, 

 but am black man. And once when I was boy I played with 

 the son of Budàh without know it. Then they told me : you 

 don't know, but that Budàh. And I play no more. After 

 three days was ill unconscious. Pains in the belly and near 

 die. My mother called the Santon. He pray and after thirty 

 days I get better. . . .' Tesfankièl whispered in the night. 

 The leaves around us rustled and we could just hear the sea 

 washing over the beach. 



*The Budàhs change into hyenas and come to the villages 

 to laugh and shout their uar uar hahahahaha! They turn 

 to hyenas and come in the night because they run fast like 

 this and can come to the huts and hear the names of those 

 they want to kill . . . Yes I see the Budàh. With these eyes I 

 see him run out of the village and turn back to man behind 

 a bush. . . . Yes I am Christian. But what this mean? You 

 don't understand, Mr Giggi. You and Mr Gianni not good 

 Christians because you no pray. I know you not pray. I 

 have never known good white Christian. You no believe in 

 Budàh and King Solomon, but you have many tabu. Mr 

 Cecco shouts and puts salt over his shoulder. My boss 

 shouts if I put hat over his bed. You make strange signs if 

 black cat passes you at Massawa. What does mean the salt, 

 hat on bed and poor cat ? And you no pray you white men, 

 but always with salt and black cat. If you come Mr Gianni to 

 my momma's house, you who know more than me of the world 

 and knowledge, you see Budàh become hyena and see the 

 root that kills. Then you pray to the Lord and King Solomon 

 for protection. In my house I have big picture of Jesus, yes, 

 black with long beard and spear because he is strong. . . .' 



