Addis Ababa stands as a defiant symbol of motion and progress. Unlike the stasis that has gripped cities like Durban, Luanda, Mombasa and Kinshasa, this mountainous city carves its identity as a hopeful antithesis — a space where despair melts into the promise of something greater.
I leave you now, Addis, reluctantly and with a heavy heart; this love we share is too sweet, too obsessive, too consuming. Each time we meet, I lose my head, much like Tracy Chapman sings: lost to matters of the heart. It is very difficult to fall or restore unconditional affection for African cities these days.
But alas, O land of the yellow blossoms, duty calls. I must tear myself away from your soothing embrace, leaving behind all my alluring desires….
