(Camerun, 30 decembrie 2011)
Era dupa culesul meiului si al porumbului, in mijlocul anotimpului secetos, si toata natura se scalda in praful fin al Harmattanului, vantul dinspre Sahara care imbacseste totul – cerul, iarba inalta si ingalbenita si frunzele tufisurilor, rasucite de uscaciune si de caldura. Firele de praf, ridicate departe din creasta dunelor marelui desert isi incheie astfel calatoria spre sud, patrunzand in fuioare subtiri prin podeaua masinii si prin crapatura geamurilor intredeschise, lipindu-se de pielea noastra umeda, acoperindu-ne ca o armura crocanta, strat dupa strat. Soarele inceputului de dupa-amiaza ardea drumul rosu, plin de bolovani ascutiti printre care masina gafaia intr-un slalom hurducat, iar noi ne rugam sa nu mai prindem inca o muchie taioasa, pentru ca nu mai aveam roti de rezerva sa depasim a treia pana.
Muntii Poli
Ramazan schimba roata. Daca mai avem o pana, aici ramanem...
Muntii Poli
“Asta nu e un loc de ramas peste noapte”, ne spune Ramazan, strangand de volan. “Dincolo de marginea drumului, in maracinisurile prin care nu vezi nimic, stau nomazii, dar si talharii, oameni fara capatai veniti din Nigeria peste munti, pandind pe trecatorii fara aparare”
Acum nu roata e problema... ci motorul...
Aveam slabe sperante sa ne intalnim cu cineva pe drumul pustiu, asa ca am marit ochii atunci cand la orizont a aparut un norisor de praf compact care se apropia repede de noi. Si cand ne-am intalnit cu el, din haloul galben de siliciu s-a conturat o motocicleta, cu doi oameni calare pe ea – in haine largi, albastre, cu poale lungi, cu fesuri pe cap si …Ce ? Pasagerul are un Arc in spate, si o Sabie la brau, lovindu-se ritmic de coapsa in hurducaturile armasarului de metal.. Am vazut bine ??
“Asa e”, confirma Amadou, din dreapta soferului. “Sunt inarmati. Ei sunt soldati din Garda Regala, a Sultanului din Poli. Ei pazesc acest drum si vaneaza talharii. Asta e un loc unde armata si politia de stat nu mai asigura protectia, si oamenii se organizeaza cum au facut-o de sute de ani.”
Satul Poli, sediul sultanului, unde am ajuns in curand, era ultimul loc unde mai puteai cumpara paine. Pe strada care se largea intr-un fel de piata centrala, flancata de mica moschee si de cateva dughene cu obloane din scanduri, cativa oameni cu motociclete asteptau eventualii musterii, pasageri pe care sa-i duca in vreun catun. Cativa oameni inalti, cu fete prelungi tatuate discret, cu barbi scurte, in caftane albastre, banansandu-si in joaca pe umeri sabia lunga in teaca de piele, sau strangand afectuos praselele celei de la brau, scrutau aparent neinteresati masina oprita pentru aprovizionare, cu cel doi albi care priveau curiosi in jur, cantarind oportunitatea de a scoate aparatele foto – s-ar rupe oare vraja daca ar face-o ?
Poli
Am lasat in urma Poli si continuam pe drumul brazdat de santuri si ars de soare, tot spre est, tot mai adanc, spre muntii unde Camerunul se termina, inspre teritoriul Sultanului din Wangai, care, speram, ne va primi si ne va gazdui la noapte. Pana la Wangai nu a ajuns nici curentul si nici telefonia, asa ca nu l-am putut anunta pe sultan din timp de venirea noastra. Speram sa il gasim, pentru ca fara acceptul lui nu putem continua pe potecile din muntii Alantika, muntii “la care Allah s-a oprit”, dupa una din formele de interpretare a numelui acelui loc, in care caii Jihadului Fulani din secolul 18 n-au mai putut sa urce.
Intunericul cobora cu repeziciune si noi eram inca departe. Ramazan conducea de aproape 12 ore. Crusta de praf de pe pielea noastra era uscata si crapata, ca si cand am fi fost facuti pane si bine prajiti. Si in goana masinii, in fapt de seara, era cat pe ce sa lovim niste aratari albastre care au iesit din tufisurile de pe marginea drumului. “Stop !” Valurile albastre ezita, facand rapid doi pasi spre liziera tufisurilor si privindu-ne tensionate, cu un ochi la noi si celalalt spre desisuri, ca pisicile de care dai in curtea blocului si care stau un moment incordate ca un arc, cantarind in ce directie sa fuga. “Mbororo !” Striga Ramazan de la volan si am sarit toti jos din masina, cu soferul si ghidul repezindu-se spre oamenii albastri, explicandu-le in fufulde ca am venit cu ganduri bune. Noi, cel doi albi, am ramas in spate, asteptand semnul ca sa ne apropiem incet.
Ca niste naluci, traind in ritmurile doar de ei stiute, de secole, nomazii Mbororo strabat brusa, marea de tufisuri si ierburi inalte si aspre ale Sahelului, in ritmul migrarii sezoniere pentru a gasi locuri de pasune bune pentru vitele lor. E un fapt rar si un mare noroc sa dai de nomazii traditionali pe drum. Fetele au fata impodobita de balafre, scarificari, si mainile cu modele delicate de henna.
Se uitau la noi cu sfiala, gata, parca, sa se intoarca si sa fuga, dar in acelasi timp cu curiozitatea pe care ti-o da descoperirea unei noi specii. In fata intentiei noastre de a-i fotografia, explicata de noi prin aratarea aparatelor si de Ramazan prin explicatii in fufulde, mai mult sau mai putin intelese, fetele s-au retras cativa pasi cu chicoteli si cu semne de negatie, de parca le-am fi spus sa se dezbrace. Dar a fost de ajuns sa recurgem la troc, pentru ca ele sa se transforme in fotomodele, dar ramanand sfioase, incercand sa ocoleasca cu privirea “ochiul” camerei. Sapunul a facut diferenta, o bucata mare de sapun pentru rufe, din setul cu care ne-am aprovizionat, in exact acest scop, de dimineata din piata din Garoua, ultimul oras prin care am trecut.
Fete Mbororo
Mbororo
Intunericul ameninta sa cada dintr-o clipa in alta, asa ca i-am lasat pe nomazi in drumul lor si am pornit inainte spre est.
Am ajuns la Wangai la vreo 2 ore dupa lasarea noptii. Satul era cufundat in bezna, cu doar cativa licurici strabatand cate o fereastra, o lumanare poate. Am ajuns prea tarziu ? Ne mai poate primi cineva ? Am oprit in fata complexului sultanului, cufundat si el in bezna. Din intuneric, s-a despreins o umbra inalta invaluita intr-o haina lunga si dupa susotelile cu Amadou si Ramazan, ghidul si soferul nostru, am inteles ca suntem invitati sa intram si ca sultanul va fi anuntat.
Am intrat in complexul palatului pe sub o poarta scunda, apoi prin curti despartite prin ziduri scunde din pamant, printre cladiri din chirpici, totul pustiu si intuneric, pana intr-o curte mica, unde oameni iviti de nu-stiu-unde au intins o rogojina si au adus doua scaune de plastic, indemnandu-ne insistent sa stam pe ele, in timp ce ei s-au asezat pe jos. “Sultanul va veni imediat”. Ne-am asezat si noi pe jos, lasand scaunele goale, asteptand, in timp ce localnicii susoteau cu Amadou.
N-a durat mult pana cand s-a apropiat un om inalt, cu o haina de culoare deschisa, lunga pana la pamant, cu fes alb si barba. Sultanul din Wangai. Ne-am strans mainile si ne-am asezat cu totii pe jos. “De unde veniti ? Cu ce va pot ajuta ?” ne-a intrebat sultanul in franceza. I-am povestit. Cine suntem, din ce colt indepartat al Europei venim, de ce am ajuns pe pamantul lui.
Vrem permisiunea sa mergem mai departe, sus in munti, acolo unde traiesc oamenii Koma. Vrem sa traim cateva zile cu ei, sa cunoastem modul lor de viata, obiceiurile lor. Koma, pana la granita cu Nigeria, sunt supusii sultanului de Wangai. E pamantul lui, de secole, de cand ai lui au venit dinspre nord si s-au instapanit aici. Suntanul a dat din cap intelegator si aprobator. “Fiti bineveniti. Maine dimineata oamenii mei cei mai buni se vor ocupa de voi. Pana atunci, in noaptea asta, dormiti aici” si ne-a lasat, retragandu-se, pentru ca sultanii nu trebuie sa fie prea curiosi si nici nu trebuie sa se implice prea mult in amanunte.
Am inteles ca vom primi un ghid local. Cineva care stie limba komari, limba celor din munti. Amadou va veni cu noi, vor fi si unul sau doi hamali angajati, iar Ramazan va ramane jos la masina, cu misiunea de a incerca sa faca rost de o roata de rezerva cumva. Vom plati. E o taxa pe care trebuie sa o dam sultanului, pentru permisiunea de a umbla prin muntii lui. Mai sunt niste taxe pentru ghid si pentru hamali. Mai e o suma pentru cei din satele din munti, bani care se vor converti in cadouri. Totul e transparent, clar, se plateste aia si aia si aia, atat si atat. Nu e mult, totul adunat, pentru doi albi, vreo 60 de euro, pentru 3 zile si 4 nopti. Aici insa, la Wangai, astia sunt bani seriosi. Platim in franci CFA, dar omul sultanului ii va schimba dimineata pe naira nigerieni, pentru ca aici, la asemenea distanta fata de restul Camerunului, piata se misca in ritmul traficului transfrontelier, iar Nigeria e doar la o aruncatura de bat.
Pentru noapte, avem la dispozitie un colt din complexul regal – o cladire mica din caramida, complet goala, cu o curte imprejmuita, plina de nisip, iar in spate, doar pentru noi, o gaura in pamant, drept toaleta.
Cina la Wangai - mancam fufu cu tocana de peste uscat din raul Faro si bem Buii - cu Amadou, Issa si seful securitatii sultanului (cel cu lanterna, tolanit). Foto de Istvan Trombitas
Am adormit usor, visand la calareti inalti, cu pielea neagra si fata prelunga, cu sabii lungi si haine largi albastre. Maine, urcam in muntii Alantika. Muntii in care caii mandrilor fulani si-au frant picioarele, muntii in care Jihadul a trebuit sa se opreasca, muntii in care Koma traiesc de multe mii de ani liberi, ca intotdeauna. Ca la inceputurile istoriei. Sau, poate, chiar de mai demult…
Panorama satului Wangai - foto de la intoarcere
(Va urma …)
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