[17 December 2003] ((Go Beyond the sun by five))
Like many Yemeni literary works, Zaid Muttee Dammaj`s short story Go Beyond the Sun by Five is founded on a real social phenomenon of Yemen : migration . The setting of the story alternates between the present in Britain and Yemen ,and the past in Yemen ,Ethiopia ,Brazil and Britain.
In an alternating narration of short paragraphs ,the main character ,referred to hereafter as the Emigrant ,eventually develops from an introverted farm- labourer to an extroverted world traveler.
Go Beyond the Sun by Five displays two worlds are of bitter experience for the central character who remains anonymous to the end. All we know about him is that he comes from Al- Oslah village in Ibb a sub-district in Yemen ,and that he is a descendant of the Jawmari (Al- Jawmari ) fanily .
The short story starts with the Emigrant`s departure from his village because of a quarrel with his elder brother. His marriage had been delayed by the loss of most of their income on a suit about property that has been brought against a relative of theirs .
The prolonged suit result in nothing but the loss of most of the little money they have. To meet the loss ,they have sell much of what they have inherited ,even the mattock and the black- wool carpets.
To put an end to all his problems ,the Emigrant decides to leave for Asab a busy Ethiopian port at the time, which he thinks is the best of cities .He verbally assigns all his property and possessions to his elder brother.