Life had never been fair to Sumubaridi. Bad luck seemed to follow him from the minute he was born. Sumubaridi was born somewhere in the vast desolate wasteland between Wardheer and Mudug. HIs birth occurred during one of the worst droughts in Somali history. The three year drought decimated the fortunes of his family. During any other season, the birth of a male child would have been an auspicious moment to be celebrated in pomp and ceremony but not for poor Sumubaridi. To his family, he was just another mouth to feed. The food would have to be spread even further.
It only got worse for the Sumubaridi family. The rains did not arrive as expected. The little hope that the family had evaporated in the desert heat. Their flock was nearly wiped out except for three camels and a dozen goats. Haji Abdallah, the Patriarch of Rer Sumubaridi, gathered his three sons: Farax, Jama and Koshiin, Sumubaridi's father. He told them that there was no salvation for the families except to move south towards the grasslands of the South perhaps Galhareeri or Ceelbuur.
"But father, we are in no shape to make the long trek: supplies are minimal and the animals won't survive the long journey," said an exasperated Farax. "We must stay put and wait just a few more weeks. The rains will come. Insha Allah!"
"Farax, you may be our Sheik and be full of faith but father is right. We won't survive if we stay put. If we stay put, we will die,"
"Jama, stop being so negative, but you are right. Father must have seen it all in his lifetime. If he says it is time to go, we must move now!" said an angry Koshiin.
"Waryada, as your father, I have made my decision. We will leave tomorrow at first light. Save your energy for the journey ahead instead of bickering."
During the morning, the Sumubaridi clan loaded their worldly possessions on their three camels and began the trek across the bone dry plains. The family was a mere shadow of their former selves. During better times, the caravan would have been large and splendid: teeming with dozens of camels, herds of goats and sheep. Yet today, the humans outnumbered the livestock and neither beast or man looked happy to be on the move.
After marching for nearly a week, the caravan arrived at the first town in what was Somalia, proper, Gelinsoor. The normally small settlement had mushroomed. Thousands of nomads had fled the countryside to seek aid there and camped on its outskirts. The young Marxist government in Mogadishu had began distributing aid using Soviet assistance. Food aid was trucked in and an elaborate evacuation plan was drafted to resettle drought victims in the less drought prone, lush South.
Haji Abdallah who had kin in the city began to seek them out. In a matter of hours, he found out that his nephew, Mohamed Ruush (the Russian), who was a young government official in charge of the aid program for the Galgaduud region. Mohamed had recently returned from a three year training in the Soviet Union where he studied public administration. He had excelled in his studies and was lauded by his Soviet trainers as a selfless "Marxist comrade." Yet even the bonds of kinship overrode any other affiliation: political or religious. Mohamed soon granted audience to his uncle, Haji Abdallah who had been waiting outside the government building for the entire day.
"Adeer Abdallah, how are you?"
"As well as we can be?"
"I know adeer. How is the family doing? What brings you from Galbeed?"
"Adeer, I am here to seek your assistance. We have fallen on bad times. Our livestock have been nearly wiped out, only 3 camels remain. The children are hungry. I ordinarily would have never asked you for any favors but circumstances force me to beg you my nephew for aid."
"Sure adeer, I can get you enrolled into receiving food rations like everyone else!"
"I appreciate your help adeer but I may be an old school geeljire and not a learned man like your father whom I raised like a son. Yet I know that there are not enough resources for all the people in this town. I beg you to help your family in its time of need."
Mohamed was conflicted. He viewed himself as a fair and impartial man who treated all equally. Yet the old man's words got to him. He knew that his uncle had raised his father like his own and got his father enrolled into a boarding school. If his uncle had not helped his father, Mohamed would have been just like his cousins: half starved nomads instead of an aspiring civil servant. He owed his uncle.
"Okay, adeer, let me see what I can do. Return tomorrow afternoon at the same time."
"God bless you my nephew!" said Haji Abdallah who smiled for the first time in months.
To be continued.
The Life and Times of Sumubaridi
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This General Forum is for general discussions from daily chitchat to more serious discussions among Somalinet Forums members. Please do not use it as your Personal Message center (PM). If you want to contact a particular person or a group of people, please use the PM feature. If you want to contact the moderators, pls PM them. If you insist leaving a public message for the mods or other members, it will be deleted.
- AbdiWahab252
- SomaliNet Super
- Posts: 56715
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:00 pm
- Location: Unity. Strength. Capital.
Re: The Life and Times of Sumubaridi
so Mr Abdiwahab this is the second time as the chief of HAG on snet you r confirming mr Sumubaridi's Habargidirness while other junior HAGs are disputing. Why is that why are they refusing to toe the line. I know this is meant to be sarcasm but still.......................!
- AbdiWahab252
- SomaliNet Super
- Posts: 56715
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:00 pm
- Location: Unity. Strength. Capital.
Re: The Life and Times of Sumubaridi
This is the internet. We can claim to be whatever qabiil we wish. I am actually flattered that he is seeking membership into the baddest gang on the Somali peninsula.
Re: The Life and Times of Sumubaridi
Brilliant story adeer, isn't Gelinsoor where they settled in those abaar days and tried to claim it before they got kicked outAfter marching for nearly a week, the caravan arrived at the first town in what was Somalia, proper, Gelinsoor. The normally small settlement had mushroomed. Thousands of nomads had fled the countryside to seek aid there and camped on its outskirts. The young Marxist government in Mogadishu had began distributing aid using Soviet assistance. Food aid was trucked in and an elaborate evacuation plan was drafted to resettle drought victims in the less drought prone, lush South.


- AbdiWahab252
- SomaliNet Super
- Posts: 56715
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:00 pm
- Location: Unity. Strength. Capital.
Re: The Life and Times of Sumubaridi
Nah, they lived there for eons to be fair. Our people are more recent settlers. We hailed from the Shabeele before the great migration north during the time of the Iron age.
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