Fans of Biniyam Shibre are really feeling for him as this season unfolds.
Ariela Weinberg took baby Avi to America to undergo hernia surgery. It was the right call, but it wasn’t easy.
Biniyam Shibre has been in distress, crying in front of the cameras as he recalls losing his previous family.
As all of this plays out on screen, Bini is posting photos of his first son — Avi’s older brother.
Ariela Weinberg and Biniyam Shibre had baby Avi together.
Despite some concerns on her part and that of her parents, she had her son in Ethiopia.
Because she had him early via emergency C-section, her parents were not able to be there for the birth.
Avi had never been to America, but as the child of an American citizen, he is entitled to citizenship.
Biniyam actually has been to America … it’s where he was married to his ex-wife.
The idea of any members of his family going to the United States while the borders were closed to visitors (liki Bini) broke his heart.
He has real trauma from losing his first son and his ex-wife.
She apparently accused him of cheating on her and ended the relationship, and he hasn’t seen his son in years.
Not in person, anyway. He still has photos.
Following the airing of Sunday’s episode, Biniyam shared two photos of his firstborn son, Simon.
“I can’t believe how much my son has grown,” he remarked.
“I miss him every single day,” Biniyam expressed.
“I can’t wait to give him a hug and kiss,” Biniyam wrote.
“I can’t wait to hear him call me dad,” he added.
Biniyam then asked his fans and followers to “Please pray for me.”
On screen, Biniyam explained why he was so afraid of Ariela and Avi leaving for even a short time.
“When I say goodbye to Ariela and Avi, I get flashbacks of my previous family,” he detailed.
“Kissing them with happiness and love, and my ex saying they’d come back,’ Biniyam recalled.
“When I lost my first child, when I really think about it, I really feel … I really love my child,” Biniyam said.
“I haven’t seen him in two years, at least,” he stated.
Biniyam broke down into tears on camera, which was hard for many viewers to watch.
This is a complicated topic, because though many fans are outspoken about siding with Biniyam, not everyone is onboard.
In fact, many viewers have openly wondered why Ariela stays with Biniyam considering the way that he treats her.
(Well, actually, we can all see why she stays with him … but that’s not the topic at hand. Ahem)
Ariela gave up her entire life to live with Biniyam when she discovered that she was pregnant.
She flew home while pregnant to give birth in Ethiopia, and ended up doing so without her parents present.
In so many ways, she feels alone there … and Biniyam often does not seem to appreciate it.
In fact, Biniyam frequently treats Ariela as if her ideas and wishes and desires are ridiculous and unworthy of consideration.
Now, many fans and viewers are at times baffled by some of Ariela’s choices.
But we didn’t date, impregnate, or propose to her — Biniyam did, but continues to act as if her feelings do not matter.
When Ariela first arrived, Biniyam’s excuse for being out of the house and out of contact often was that he was working multiple jobs.
That’s a very noble reason to be out of the house, but even so, someone with a partner should be in touch in reasonable intervals.
He was not. And he acted as if she were “crazy” for wanting him to check in on her and their baby.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Biniyam’s number of jobs shrank to zero … but he was for some reason still constantly leaving the house.
Sometimes, it’s getting home late. Other times, it’s being gone for days.
That’s not an acceptable way to treat a partner. If he’s with Ariela, he should love her enough to care how she feels.
It is also, to be blunt, unsettling to watch a Jewish woman repeatedly participate in her husband’s Christian Orthodox faith without reciprocity.
There is a difference between being included in a family event and being asked to participate in religious rituals that are not your own.
That is a line that Biniyam clearly expects Ariela to cross again and again, whenever he asks.
Finally, there is Biniyam’s history of being accused of cheating.
Tsion, his gorgeous ex, accused him of cheating. His ex-wife, Simon’s mother, accused him of cheating.
And while we don’t have a lot of details yet, it looks like Ariela is also going to accuse him of cheating.
All of this combined paints an unflattering portrait of Biniyam.
We don’t know a lot about Bini’s ex-wife or the full story of their breakup, but some fans are wondering how sorry they should feel for him.
His emotional displays are pitiful, but until we know more, some viewers wonder if his misery is of his own making.