CEIBA, PUERTO RICO (MLIY)—It is official. The people are afraid.
Although Puerto Rico is considered one of the happiest places in the world –especially during the holiday season-, our news agencies have noted many long faces and low countenances. Some grieve for the unprecedented amount of deaths that have been locked up recently. Others mourn because they have lost their jobs; and, “with six mouths to feed, I really have nowhere to go”, as someone told our news service in Spanish.
A young woman, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to us about how the current tragedies have affected her family: “I wanted these holidays to be even better than they were last year, but now, I had to go to three burials near Christmas Day-and it’s not fair…No, it’s not…”. She addressed these words to us before crying in despair.
An elderly man at a local colmado spoke to us at a rather outraged tone of voice: “Son to’s unos ca(expletive), hijos de la gran (expletive)… They’re always ruining EVERYTHING we’ve already built! Se pueden ir pa’l (expletive) to’s…” He threw to one of our photographers with an empty can of Medalla Light, a local Puerto Rican beer.
Upon further examination on the streets of Ceiba, we figured out that people have been feeling worried, insecure, weary about their decisions. To test our assumptions, we smiled at them, but we received a myriad of responses. A lady carrying her bags showed us “the finger”. A teenage boy wanted to yell at us. Even a young lady flirted at our cameraman. But most of them, the responses were mixed.
It took us a while to soak in the ominous atmosphere that was hanging over Ceiba. A prolonged atmosphere of sadness.
But something happened, and it really brightened up our day. Well, at least mine.
There was a young girl in a wheelchair, with her mother by the side. It was apparent she had congenital muscular dystrophy, slurred speech (because of a stroke), and bad coordination. And yet, she was holding a beautiful yellow sunflower on her hand. I did not know why she had that flower.
As I looked on that girl, she looked at me. Her head tilted to the left, and then tilted to the right. Upon that, she pushed through those wheels like there was no tomorrow. With all her spunk and passion, she gave me that beautiful sunflower. I had to bend a little bit to get it, but I just loved the little words she could say to me:
-Hi. I love you.
Any person would condemn the girl for being too trusting. Anyone could belittle her with all passion and might. ButI didn’t care. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. That yellow flower wasn’t even making aguajes of wiltering –as of yet-, but I felt inclined to put it in my bottle of water.
The people are afraid, yes, but at least I know someone who isn’t.