It wasn’t just any tree. In the years past, it was like a lighthouse guiding the villagers walking through the fields, it was the resting place after a game of soccer for the children and youth. And over the last few years, for the discerning tourists, it was a quick stop for a photo-op or selfie.
Remember the movie Finding Fanny or the Hutch commercial that had this mango tree in the middle of the fields? Well, one couldn't miss this icon standing tall and wide. Gusty winds and the rains brought the tree down, and for many the otherwise grey Sunday, turned gloomier. Emerging from the Ribandar ferry and heading towards the residential part of Divar, for the villagers of the island, that single tree in the field held a special place in their hearts.
And, today, as it lies uprooted, there’s a void that comes with losing someone that was truly loved. Surrounded by prancing fields, the lone mango tree along the Sao Pedro ferry route stood tall for decades, but when it met its fate it saddened all those who shared some special memories with it. Speaking over the phone to Gomantak Times Digital from the spot where the tree fell, Simon Gomes from Primeiro Waddo turned nostalgic.
“I remember my young days when we rested under the shade of this iconic tree after our football matches. I also can’t forget the small parties and get-togethers we have had at the place,” he recalled. Sarpanch Mario Pinto, who was also on the spot, said, "I grew up looking at the tree and have memo.