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LOCAL Monday 2 SepteMber 2024

Adriaan Laclé

One of Aruba’s richest men in the twentieth century

(Oranjestad)—The name Adriaan Laclé Regarding his personal life, it has been
may ring a bell to locals as one of the big- said that he was married twice during his
ger roads on the island, but about a cen- lifetime. He had his first daughter during his
tury ago, Adriaan Laclé was a rich busi- first marriage but lost his wife soon after her
nessman, well-known for his generosity, birth. During his second marriage, he fa-
wealth, and taste. thered 16 children. However, it has been
said that only 11 of those 17 made it past
Adriaan was born in 1866 and was the 18 years of age. Perhaps two of his most
eldest of six children. Not much is known well-known daughters are Maria Monica
about his childhood upbringing or any Laclé and Maria Veneranda Laclé, who
of his earlier business ordeals, but during went on to marry successful brothers Eloy
his hay day he often helped people get Arends and Maximilian Arends, respec-
loans, was a well-established trader, and tively. Their houses are still standing; Eloy
owned several plots of land. In fact, he and Maria Monica’s mansion functions as
commissioned the construction of the fa- a townhall, used to host civil marriages,
mous La Quinta Carmen manor—now a while Maximilian and Maria Veneranda’s
restaurant. Though he himself never lived house stands on the opposite side of the
in the beautiful manor, his own house also road to them—though currently under
reflected his success and good taste. To- renovation after years left in ruin. q
day his house still stands in good condition
and can be found in the back streets of Source: De Kolibrie op de Rots (en meer over
main street Oranjestad. de geschiedenis van Aruba) by Evert Bongers.

The legend of the Kibrahacha tree

(Oranjestad)—The Kibraha- cha that her father was sick, To her surprise, every time flowers and gave it to her
cha is a famous tree known he immediately accompa- she plucked a thorn of the sick husband. Miraculously,
locally for its bright, yellow nied Aretima back to her tree, a bright, yellow flower after just one sip of the tea,
flowers that blooms for just hut, where he encountered bloomed in its place. The the father’s fever left his
three days. Scientifically her father in a bad state. Not thorns were hard to pluck body immediately, and he
known as Tabebuia billbergii, willing to waste any time, he out, but Aretima continued opened eyes and sprung up
and in English as the Yellow told Aretima that the only plucking with enthusiasm feeling new.
Poui, this tree is native to the thing that can cure her fa- and wonder at the unfold-
Caribbean islands of Aruba, ther is a home-made potion ing sight before her. Not too The next morning, they all
Bonaire and Curacao, and is made out of the Kibrahacha long after she was able to visited the same Kibraha-
considered among locals as flower. At the time the Kibra- fill her entire satchel with the cha tree that saved the life
one of the most spectacu- hacha was not yet in her yellow flowers. Kudawecha, of Aretima’s father and they
lar trees on the island. But blooming season, but the satisfied to see Aretima so saw another miracle. The
did you also know that the stubborn Kudawecha was happy and encouraged tree was covered again in
beautiful yellow flowers have determined to bring back to help her father, took her the same bright, yellow flow-
a story behind them? The legend of the Kibraha- Aretima’s father back to back to her hut. ers, with not a thorn in sight.
cha health, and so off they went And as the legend goes,
The Kibrahacha is said Written by Hubert (Lio Booi) to the nearest Kibrahacha Upon arriving back at the from that day on, the Kibra-
to have extremely hard tree. hut, Aretima’s mother quick- hacha tree no longer pro-
wood—so hard that it can One day Aterima, who lived ly made a tea out of the duced any more thorns.q
break an axe. In fact, that’s west of the hill Sero War- When they arrived at the
what its name means in Pa- awara, woke up one day to tree, they saw that it was
piamento: “kibra” (break) find her father sleeping in his covered head to toe in
“hacha” (axe). The flow- hammock, suffering a bout thorns, with only a few
ers bloom around April and of terrible fever. Her mother closed flowers at the very
May, but this only last for was very worried, and as top. Kudawecha, experi-
about three days, as the was the custom in the olden enced veteran in all things
flowers start to fall off and days, asked Aterima to go Aruban flora and fauna, told
the tree starts growing its fetch Kudawecha, who was Aretima to start plucking the
green leaves. The Kibraha- a epistemophile, to come thorns of the tree to climb
cha is especially particular, see his father. to the top where the flow-
as it’s the only one among Aterima wasted to time and ers are. Aretima, just as de-
its neighboring trees to starts went to go fetch Kudawe- termined to save her father,
blooming first. cha. Upon telling Kudawe- didn’t hesitate to start.