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3.17.2007More Burundi Pics When I left Burundi in November 2003, David and Felicity were in the process of finishing the house on Samedi Street. David is a man who loves trees. This is a fact known by everyone who knows him. At that time he gave me the priviledge of choosing and planting two trees in the yard. I planted one for my father Orville Senger another man who loves trees and one for myself. I received reports every so often that the trees were alive. When I got to the house this time, I was warned that I might be unhappy whith what I found. The "Tree of Orville" as it is known, was two stories high and giving nice shade, even after a couple of scoundrels I know removed a branch to improved Satellite TV reception. The "Tree of Peggy" as it is known was less than two feet tall. It has three slender trunks and was infested with an african sort of whitefly. It was sad. It needed to be replaced but no one in the household had the  courage to dig it up. They thought it was bad luck or something to kill a tree planted by a traveling preacher.Everyone watched as I insopected the two trees and declared "Everything is as it has always been." David asked me if I would make a disposition about my tree during my stay. I had a little talk with the tree. I am pretty sure that it was hit by a soccar ball at least twice during its early life. At least that is what it said. I bathed it in soap to inhibit the fly and told it that it had six weeks to grow under my protection. I cultivated and watered it. It did not grow. So a couple of days before I left I got the family hoe and ripped it from the ground and threw it in the ditch outside the gate. No evil befell the house. Everyone was relieved. RIP Tree of Peggy
Comments:
The light is beautiful in these pictures. I am reminded of a comment in a movie I once saw about British Edwardian women going to Italy for a vacation. They commented that the sunlight was like cream, instead of the "skim milk sunshine" they were used to.
This Burundi is a beautiful place.
The light is amazing, and dangerous. I had two bad burns while there - both of them with sunscreen and through clothing.
Niyonzima once commented to me on a cold, sunny, day in Oregon. "peggy, What is wrong with your sun? It shines but it has not heat!"
How wise of you to to say," Yes, this is how is has always been." And to accept that it is OK!!
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A poem by David Ray about Robert Frost says something like: When asked if he had hope for the future, Frost responded "Yes, and even for the past: that it will turn out to have been all right, for what it was, something we can accept. That it will become something we can bear. -B # posted by
 : March 20, 2007 1:55 PM << Home |
