Page 13 - AHATA

a8 local
Friday 13 June 2025
The legend of the Kibrahacha tree

When they arrived at the
tree, they saw that it was
covered head to toe in
thorns, with only a few
closed flowers at the very
top. Kudawecha, experi-
enced veteran in all things
Aruban flora and fauna,
told Aretima to start pluck-
ing the thorns of the tree to
climb to the top where the
flowers are. Aretima, just as
determined to save her fa-
ther, didn’t hesitate to start.

To her surprise, every time
she plucked a thorn of the
tree, a bright, yellow flower
bloomed in its place. The
thorns were hard to pluck
out, but Aretima contin-
ued plucking with enthu-
siasm and wonder at the
unfolding sight before her.
Not too long after she was
able to fill her entire satchel
(Oranjestad)— As the cli- bean islands of Aruba, Bo- wood—so hard that it can Kibrahacha is especially with the yellow flowers. Ku-
mate begins to dry up here, naire and Curacao, and is break an axe. In fact, that’s particular, as it’s the only dawecha, satisfied to see
the Kibrahacha is ready to considered among locals what its name means in Pa- one among its neighboring Aretima so happy and en-
bloom. Known locally for its as one of the most spec- piamento: “kibra” (break) trees to start blooming first. couraged to help her fa-
bright, yellow flowers, this tacular trees on the island. “hacha” (axe). The flowers ther, took her back to her
special tree only blooms for But did you also know that bloom around April and The legend of the Kibraha- hut.
three to four days only. Sci- the beautiful yellow flowers May, but this only last for cha
entifically known as Tabe- have a story behind them? about three to four days, Written by Hubert (Lio Booi) Upon arriving back at
buia billbergii, and in Eng- as the flowers start to fall off the hut, Aretima’s mother
lish as the Yellow Poui, this The Kibrahacha is said and the tree starts grow- One day Aterima, who quickly made a tea out of
tree is native to the Carib- to have extremely hard ing its green leaves. The lived west of the hill Sero the flowers and gave it to
Warawara, woke up one her sick husband. Miracu-
day to find her father lously, after just one sip of
sleeping in his hammock, the tea, the father’s fever
suffering a bout of terrible left his body immediately,
fever. Her mother was very and he opened eyes and
worried, and as was the sprung up feeling new.
custom in the olden days,
asked Aterima to go fetch The next morning, they all
Kudawecha, who was a visited the same Kibraha-
epistemophile, to come cha tree that saved the
see his father. life of Aretima’s father and
they saw another mira-
Aterima wasted to time cle. The tree was covered
and went to go fetch Ku- again in the same bright,
dawecha. Upon telling Ku- yellow flowers, with not a
dawecha that her father thorn in sight. And as the
was sick, he immediately legend goes, from that day
accompanied Aretima on, the Kibrahacha tree no
back to her hut, where he longer produced any more
encountered her father in thorns. q
a bad state. Not willing to
waste any time, he told
Aretima that the only thing
that can cure her father
is a home-made potion
made out of the Kibraha-
cha flower. At the time the
Kibrahacha was not yet in
her blooming season, but
the stubborn Kudawecha
was determined to bring
back Aretima’s father
back to health, and so off
they went to the nearest
Kibrahacha tree.