Yesterday, Lucía smiled again. The laughter came to her suddenly, as she joked with a neighbor about the trials of the past few days. With that uniquely Cuban ability to laugh at problems. When the euphoria subsided, she felt a little guilty. Was it okay to smile after a hurricane?
Yes, of course it was okay. It was a way to show that Melissa that no one can mess with these people. Her house was flooded, like it hadn’t been in a long time. She, a neighbor of a river, experienced firsthand its desire to enter through any crack or crevice. Despite that, she was alive.
She was without electricity for nearly five days. Two packages of meat she had in the refrigerator spoiled because she couldn’t find anywhere to store them. She will never forget that afternoon when she threw away what would have been her meal. She cursed and even cried loudly, where no one could see her. Then she dried her tears. Despite that, she was alive.
Also she was left without communications and without internet. Feeling like she was in a bunker for endless days. She had no way to talk to family and friends, who could also have been affected. What would become of them in this situation? When, suddenly, the first text message arrived on her cell phone, she knew that all was not lost. She was alive.
These have not been easy days, not by a long shot. Hours of work and sacrifices to make effective progress in the recovery. Always thinking about the well-being of a population anxiously waiting to feel that their lives are normal again. Despite an unprecedented weather event.
According to a recent report, which is not static, the Electric Company reports that it has restored service to approximately 90 circuits out of the roughly 120 additional outages caused by Melissa. Which are being addressed daily. Workers from Etecsa, the Water Resources Department, and other agencies are doing the same. No one here rests.
Lucía and the entire town have witnessed how thousands of people, institutions, and organizations have shown their solidarity by sending donations to the affected families. It is so comforting to see the face of someone receiving something after having lost everything. Every detail, no matter how small, makes a difference.
This woman from Holguin was deeply moved when she heard on the radio the story of Mariannis. A fifteen-year-old girl who thought all was lost when she spent her birthday amidst evacuation efforts. However, the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) and other organizations were determined that this young woman could celebrate her birthday, and the evacuation center became the perfect setting for a waltz.
“It’s true that this Revolution doesn’t leave anyone,” Lucía said upon hearing this story. She had read about something similar in Las Tunas and was certain that those in charge of the shelters for the evacuees were doing everything in their power to restore their sense of home, the one the hurricane had taken away.
That is Cuba, a nation that, despite its problems, will never forget any of its children. Melissa has taught us many lessons. But the main one is the importance of valuing our existence in this world. We must laugh, Lucía, we are alive!
By: Jorge Alejandro Fernández Pérez
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