The haunted tree near Diembéring
Diembéring is a pretty Casamance village inhabited by Christians, Muslims and local believers. All the village streets meet at the center. There, the central square is occupied by an enormous, impressive baobab tree. That’s where the social life concentrates.
The road to Diembéring leads through tropical forest. At one point the forest opens, and among the fields stands a lonely tree of a fantastic shape. I asked the driver Omar about the tree and got this response:
“We all know something lives in this tree. And many of us have seen strange things here. We sometimes see strange small people walking out this tree. Sometimes they wave to us from distance and disappear.
“I have also lived something strange. One time, I was driving and saw a girl near this tree. She was of an exceptional beauty: her hair was reaching to her ankles. She sat in the car, said no word and gestured me to drive, which I did. I was not scared, but I could not tell where she came from. She was not like one of us. We drove in silence until Cap Skirring. She did not pay and I did not ask. She thanked me with a gesture, got out of the car and disappeared.
“After the girl disappeared, I immediately felt very sick. I went home and lay on my bed. I stayed in bed for three long months, that’s how sick I was.”
In Casamance, the magic can be felt in the air. The Diola sorcerers from here have reputation of being strong and dangerous. I also noted that people from Dakar refused to walk with me in the forest. Some said they were afraid of the rebels. But the separatists declared peace a decade ago. I think the Casamance forest hides many more things, some of them unspoken. I also heard this intriguing phrase: “You, the white, are safe here. But we are not”.
