It had been a
while since my friend Cheito called me…
-“Oye
chico
-“Hi
Cheito…” “Had not heard from you in a
long time…” “What’s going on?”
Cheito,
for those of you who may not know, is a dear, dear friend –more like family-
who lives in Hialeah Cuba
And
this is where Cheito and his family have chosen to live. For the older members
of the family, it is an easier entry process into a very different life and
culture. Their changeover is cushioned by being able to continue to live within
a very similar cultural ambiance to the one from which they came; for the
children, it is an easier stepping stone into the new world. If we look
closely, we will find evidence of this in many cities… the “Little Italies”…
the Chinatowns, Germantowns, the Irish neighborhoods, the Indian Neighborhoods… and so on. Each migrant society tries desperately to hang on to their historical and cultural values
while adapting to the new ones. And from these small neighborhoods have come
great minds who have truly added to our society’s values and growth.
So,
when Cheito came to these shores, it was almost natural that he would end up in
Hialeah , the heart-city of the working class
Cuban community and close to Miami
-“Yea
man”… “ so juat is Gually Pond?... “I
din’t knoe ju had a contri jaus”
-“Well,
Cheito… Wally’s Pond is not a real place… It’s a mind place where I can go and
think”
-“Juat
ju mean?” … “We caint com and visit?” … “Ju holdin’ out?”
I
knew it wouldn’t be easy to explain to Cheito…
-“Well,
actually… It’s not a real place Cheito…”… -“you know that wherever I am you and
Cachita and princesa are more than welcome!!”
This
mollified him somewhat, and I proceeded to try and explain how sometimes the
stress of everyday life became heavy and how I had come up with this virtual
place to go to and relax, to think and to dream… Told him just what an
important personal place it had become…
-“Lemme
see if I unn’erstan” he said…
after a few seconds of reflection, he came
back to me and said:
-“
Ju get tierd and wanna get away… sooo, you mentally giv’ up reelity an’ jus’ go
crazy man… jus give up your min’ and go to this plays that not a plays reely
and make up a worl’ that not a worl’ reely?”
What
could I say to that simple logic?
–“You
got it Cheito…”… “That’s about it”
-“WOW!!!...
Thas a trip man!!” “An’ ju can make it up anytaim?”
-“Yes,
I can”
He
was silent for a while, like trying to encompass this thought of going “out of
my mind” in order to be able to sustain its functionality.
-“Ju
knoe… mebbe ju ken tiich me sometime hao to do dis my fren’… I dunno… la calle
está dura por acá (literally: The streets are harsh over here) an’ I’n goin’
crazy with Felicita an’ Cachita and my suegra… sumtimes I’n no sure I can pay
all the bills, ju knoe… an I dunno what to do” … “mebbe I hav a plays to me
only… but I hav to call it the orillas of Canal Hialeah (The Shores of Hialeah
Canal) cuz thas all I knoe over heer... and if I sit to close mebbe the gators will get to me…”
As
Cheito was mumbling on about having his own place to get away, I wondered just
how he would manage to do this, in the middle of a world that was so basically
different than mine; a world that perhaps would not allow for something like
this to be done. I felt bad for him; he
works hard at any possibility of making some money to feed his family… He
needs some relief and I don’t know how to help him get it.
Sometimes
I don’t really know how to give it to myself… even at Wally’s Pond…
Be
Well … Be Back!!!
Final Notes:
- Pray for those who are fighting an illness which
may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and
counts!!
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Otra Caja de Pandora”… The
Spanish language Blog… “otracaja.blogspot.com”
… Bienvenidos!!!
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