Natural Mystic….

When I described Africa before I used the word mysterious and that it is. It’s in the air, trees, water, people, everywhere: especially the trees which seem to have a language of their own. The mysteries are intertwined with the various cultures and traditions of Africa. When you hear people talk about some of these mysteries you want to discount them because they sound spooky and some quite foolish. Then you realize that some of what you’ve heard is some of what you’ve heard before from your great grandparents, grandparents and other elders in your family or neighborhood.

GOD seems so much closer here, almost like the static elsewhere blocks HIM out somewhat. I’m not talking about what I’ve heard, I’ve seen some things! A few months after my arrival I moved from the small house in Kololi I was living in to a larger house in Kotu. The house was still was being painted, but I needed to move to accommodate that so called friend (let’s call her frenemy from now on) that had joined me here. A side note: Gambia has some of the most beautiful birds I’ve ever seen in my life: all kinds of colors, sizes and beautiful sounds. The house had a small *Bantaba in the front yard close to the main house, a flock of yellow birds flew into the compound so fast that two of them flew into the Bantaba. One appeared dazed, but shook it off, staggered a little then flew away, but the other one just laid there. I couldn’t believe something so beautiful would die just like that in front of me in my new house. I began to cry. The painter came out and asked me what was wrong and I pointed to the bird lying lifeless on the ground. He shrugged his shoulders, but was apparently moved by my tears he picked it up and blew on it. He then took it to the backyard and laid it on the cement sewer cover and said it would die or was dead. You would’ve thought it was a lifelong friend the way I was carrying on.  I sat on the back stoop sobbing and began to pray for the bird. Frenemy came from out of the house and stated, “It’s the cycle of life, now it will be part of the food chain!” Huh, what!?  I could not bear the thought of a cat or anything else eating that beautiful yellow bird and the coldness of the people around me. I prayed and cried, cried and prayed refusing to leave the stoop in the backyard as I guarded the beautiful yellow bird as I prayed and cried for its life to be restored. My faith has taught me that and I felt that faith moving even more in Africa. I sat there for what seemed like hours when I noticed that the bird stretched out one wing then fell on its side. I prayed harder: the bird drew in the wing it had fell on and stretched out both wings as I continued to pray. Finally the bird tried to stand but fell over again, and then it spread its wings again, flapped them and stumbled around on the sewer cover for a few minutes. More tears, more prayers more flapping of wings till it was off the ground about a foot. Another attempt and it flew off the sewer cover onto the grass and then up and away high into the trees! No joke, no lie, no exaggeration! Yes, it’s mysterious here and GOD feels so much closer or is it me that’s so much closer to GOD!? I was elated! Frenemy and the painter could not believe it, but that’s where their faith lies.

That’s not all! I had a young man that worked for an old friend of mine that has been my lover off and on here for years when he’s in town from his second home in Sweden. Yep, that’s what I said, I’ve never claimed to be a saint, special yes, saint no. Anyway this young man started to demonstrate some signs of mental illness, his family said that someone had given him something to do this to him. His mother told me that she knew I could help him, I told her that all I could was to pray for him and that I prayed in the name of Jesus since I was a Christian and hoped that wouldn’t offend her since they were Muslims. She said she didn’t care. Long story short I prayed for the young man and his sanity was restored and when he felt discomfort he’d seek me out cause he said with me he found peace. HalleluJAH, it’s not me, but GOD in me!

The story doesn’t stop there with the things I’ve witnessed and done, but we’ll save more of that for later. Not to mention the talk of the penis snatchers, gins, witches and oh yeah, the spirit that has sex with women in the night. Yes I said penis snatchers! Uh huh, a guy touches another man and his penis disappears! Like I said mysterious, I wish I could spell the sound of spooky music: hahahaha. That would really get ya now!

The Language of Trees!

 

***Bantaba is the name of the place, often under the shadow of a tree, where people gather, discuss, drink tea and spend time together. ***It is also the original design of what we know today to be a gazebo.