This is what took place in my last visit to Eritrea (2011).

One day, I met an old friend of mine that came from Italy for his own wedding in Asmara.   

After drinking with him a whole night, I asked his permission to leave his house 

and take the air, . . . which he granted.  



While I was walking on the downtown street of Asmara, I saw a young woman who 

appeared as if the rising sun beamed from her face.  

She had a basket, and I followed her.  She stopped at a fruiterer's, and bought 

some fruit; and observing that I was following her, she looked

back and abused me several times; but still I followed her until she 

arrived at a great door. . . . 

When she had entered, and the door was

closed behind her, I sat down opposite to it, deprived of my reason by

her beauty. . . . 

The sun went down upon me while I sat there; and at

length there came two handsome young men, and they

knocked at the door, and when they were admitted, I entered with

them; the host of the house thinking that I was their companion,

and they imagining that I was one of his friends. 

Inside the house, there were many other guests.  I found out that the host

had come from Germany and they were celebrating christening of the his first son.  

A meal was brought to  us, and we ate, and washed our hands, and were dried with 

the towel.   The host of the house then said to the two young men, "Do you have 

any desire that I should call such a one?" (mentioning a woman's name). They

answered: "If you will grant us the favor, well...." So he called for her,

and she came, and lo, she was the young woman whom I had seen. A servant maid 

preceded her, bearing her kirar (a string instrument), which she placed in her lap.

Drink was then brought, and she sang, while we drank and shook with

delight. I was very surprised because I had sang those two songs in 

a hotel's bar just few days ago.  

"Whose song is that?" they asked.  She answered, "Barnie's".  

She then sang another song, which she said was also 

mine.  She looking aside doubtfully at me 

until I lost my patience, and called out to her to do her best; 

but in attempting to do so, singing a third song, she overstrained 

her voice, and I said, "You have made a mistake"; upon which she 

threw the kirar from her lap in anger, saying . . . 

"Take it yourself, and let us hear you." I answered, "Well"; and having 

taken it and tuned it perfectly, I sang the

first of the songs which she had sung before me; 

whereupon all of them sprang to their feet and kissed my head. 




I then sang the second song, and the third; and their reason almost fled with ecstasy.

The host of the house, after asking his guests and being told by

them that they knew me not, came to me, and shaking my hand, said,

"My friend, who are you? " I answered, "I am Barnie and I had been 

singing occasionally but not professionally.” 

"And for what purpose," said he, shaking both my hands, 

"did you come to this place?"  I replied, "I just 

walked in" and I related what had happened 

with respect to the young girl.  I also asked the host to 

give me his permission to take that young girl for my friend's 

wedding, which was going to take place after a week.

Thereupon he looked toward his two companions and said to them: "Tell me, do

you not know that I had to pay for that girl 3000 nakfa ($200) per night, and

had to compete when others asked to take her?" 

They answered, "It is so." 

Then, he said, "I take you as witnesses that I have given her to him." 

"And we," said the two friends, "will pay you two-thirds of her price." 

So he left me and the girl to discuss; and in the evening, when I departed, 

he presented me also with a shirt that he had brought from Germany, 

with all of which I went away. 

 

And as I passed the places where the young girl had abused

me, I said to her, "Can you repeat your words to me"; 

but she would not for

shame. Holding the girl's hand, I went with her to my friend, whom I

found in anger at my long absence; but when I related my story to

him he was surprised, and laughed, and called that the host of the

house and his two friends should be invited for his wedding, that he might

repay them; to the former he gave two beautiful shirts that he had brought 

from Italy; to his two friends one shirt, one shirt each; and to me a nice shirt 

and a pant; and I kissed them all and departed.

To continue with the rest of the episode and the scheduled wedding date,

click here . . .