Hailemedhin: Enjoys eating scrambled egg, Kitfo and could be fan of comedy series “The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother.”

www.simplesharebuttons.com Share this post...

………..[part of the full article omitted]……

Hailemedhin lives in a rental one bedroom condominium house located off the ring road behind Sami Building in the southeastern part of the city. Positioned around the former Imperial Hotel, it is a mixed-income area. His flat is on the first floor of Block 7. The building can be considered to be a convenient living quarters for Hailemedhin as it is less than five minutes drive to the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines. In the wake of the hijacking his home was searched by police, and is still guarded by members of the Federal Police.

People in the neighborhood know Hailemedhin by the name Tade (a shortened version of Tadlo). According to some in the neighborhood Hailemedhin is a timid man of few words, who rarely mingles with people in the community. One of his neighbors described him as a quiet bachelor who does not interact with people.

“I learnt about his real name from the media,” Mekdes, a waitress working in Tekle Grocery, where Hailemedhin sometimes dine, told The Reporter. Tekle Grocery is a modest bistro that caters to customers that mostly reside in the condominium building. The eatery is on the ground floor and can be considered as a place that would not be frequented by pilots, who usually prefer to wine and dine in upscale establishments.

“He has been our customer for more than four years. For breakfast he eats scrambled eggs, or scrambled eggs with meat “enkulal besiga”. I have known him for four years. He is very peaceful and quiet. He always comes alone. He greets us and orders whatever he wants. He then pays and leaves,” Mekdes said. “I never saw him taking alcoholic drinks or smoking cigarettes. He is a gentleman. But he is always quiet and alone”.

Gossaye, a young waiter who has worked in the Tekle grocery for three years, frequently served Hailemedhin. What makes Gossaye different from the other waiters at Tekle is that he frequently delivered food to the young pilot’s house. Gossaye describes Hailemedhin as a guy who has always been calm and lonely. “On his day off he usually stays at home watching a movie. He calls me and orders food like minced beef (kitfo) or tibs and soft drinks. I take the order to his home. He is a nice person,” Gossaye said. “He is always quiet and alone. I never saw anyone at his home. I never saw a friend or family member with him.”

Hailemedhin used to give Gossaye decent tips. “If he left without settling a bill he would call me as soon as he got back and tell me to collect the payment. Of course, with a decent tip,” the young waiter told The Reporter.

On Friday he took a local wine, Gouder, and two alcohol free Maltas from the grocery and settled the payment in the late afternoon hours of Sunday [the eve of the hijacking] before his flight to Rome.

Hailemedhin is not on Facebook or Twitter. However, right after his name was revealed to the media four Facebook accounts were created, and so far three of them have more than a thousand likes. Still, he appears to use the internet for another purpose.

Meseret is the owner of an internet center near Hailemedhin’s house. Meseret opened Mesi Internet Center seven months ago, and since then Hailemedhin has been a frequent visitor. “He is a good customer. If it is his day off he comes and spends hours watching a movie. I think it is a comedy series, as he laughs while watching,” Meseret told The Reporter. One may speculate that he could be a fan of CBS’s hit The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother. Be it as it may, Hailemedhin enjoys comedy series.

According to her, Hailemedhin is a very quiet person who does not keep company. “He always comes alone. He greets me and asks for a headphone set. That is it. Then for at least two hours he watches a movie. He greets some people, but I have not seen him have a conversation with anyone.”

He usually takes the same seat by the side of the small business center, with his back to the window. He uses the same computer. Anyone from the outside can see what he is watching. “So I do not think he is involved in any political activity.”

The last time Meseret saw him was on Saturday, a day before the hijacking. “He came to us wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts as usual. He greeted me and asked how my business was going.” That was her last conversation with him. “He is a calm and nice person. I wonder what triggered him to do this tragic act.”

One of the guards at the gate of the condominium told The Reporter that Hailemedhin had lived there for five years. “He is a peaceful guy. It is hard for me to think why he has done this.” According to the guard, Hailemedhin was at his home on Sunday. “I saw him on Sunday afternoon. As usual he was alone and was casually dressed. He greeted me and went to a mini market out side of the condo compound, bought some stuff and went back to his home. There was nothing unusual about him,” he said.

One of the people in the neighborhood who knows the young co pilot is Ashenafi Bekele, a teenage shoeshine boy, who works in front of Sami Building. Ashenafi, a medium height cheerful boy, usually cleans Hailemedhin’s shoes. “I charge three to six birr to clean a shoe based on the shoe polish I use. But Hailemedhin pays me five to ten birr. He was very kind to me,” Ashenafi told The Reporter.

Reporter

By Kaleyesus Bekele and Bruh Yihunbelay