SALUDOS COMAPANERAS Y COMPANEROS GREETING COMRADES AND DEAR FRIENDS
FROM THE THE CENTER OF DISASTER , BROUNT BY HURACAINE MARIA I SEND YOU A HUGE LOIZENO EMBRACE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART ! I TRULLY APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT MY FAMILIA FROM EL BARRIO AND ALL THE DISPORA HAS PROVIDED. WOW! ! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE THIS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. I HAVE TO SHARE A STORY WITH YOU, AS A CHILD LIVING IN ELBARRIO MY FAMILY FROM GUANICA PUERTO RICO, USUALLY SPENT NAVIDADES AT MY HOUSE. MY COUSIN RUCA WHOM EVENTUALLY MARRIED MY HALF BROTHER TOMMY , MAY THEY REST IN PEACE,SHARED NUMEROUS ADVENTUROUS STORIES ABOUT HER ENCOUNTERS WITH HURAINCES. MY COUSINS WOULD RIDE ON PALM TREE LEAVES ALONG THE FLOODED STREET ENJOYING ALL THE MISHAPS OF KIDS. HONESTLY I HAVE DREAMED OF BEING ABLE TO BE IN A HURACINE IN OUR PATRIA, PUERTO RICO. LET ME TELL YOU IT WASENT AN ADVENTURE, IT WAS A FULL FEATURE WITH MANY SPECIAL EFFECTES CREATED BY MOTHER NATURE. IRMA AND MARIA CAME TO VISIT US WITH MASSIVE ROURING WINDS. I STAYED AT MY HOME DURING IRMA WITH MY DEAR FRIEND CARLOS BURGOS WHO HAPPENS TO BE A STATEHOODER IMAGINE THAT. WE WATCHED THE HUGE TREES IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE SWAY BACK AND FORTH LEAVING BRANCHES, LEAVES, ALL OVER THE PLACE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN TROPICAL TREES SWAY BACK AND FORTH UNTILL THEY BROKE IN HALF MAKING LOUD CLAMOUS SOUNDS AS THEY FELL PLUNDERING TO THE GROUND. I HAD NO ELECTRICITY, LITTLE WATER AND MY ATT CEL WAS INOPERATIVE. I HAD JUST FINSHED MY MOTHLY FOOD SHOPPING AND LOST ALL OF MY FOOD. THE BACK ROAD TO MY HOUSE WAS COVERED WITH HUGE TREES. A BLOCKADE BY MOTHER NATURE. HAD TO GET A FRIEND WHO HAS A HUGE TRUCK COME TO REMOVE THE WOODEN SCUPTURES. I KNEW ANOTHER VISTOR WAS COMING OUR WAY BUT NEVER IMAGINED THE FORCE AND DEVESTATION MARIA WOULD BRING INTO OUR LIVES. AT THE ADVICE OF MY SON ERNESTO AND HIS WIFE TANIA I WENT TO LIVE WITH TO LIVE WITH MY DEAR FRIENDS CARMEN DE LEON AND MIGUEL HER HUSBAND THAT LIVE NEARBY TAKING OF COURSE MY LOVING DOG TOA “ THE DIVA OF LOIZA”
ALL SEEMED WELL, ELECTRICITY WENT AGAIN, NO CELL SIGNAL, NO INTERNET. THE MELENIUM KIDS MUST BE GOING OUT OF THEIR MINDS!. WENT TO MY ROOM WITH TOA TO AWAIT THE ARRIVAL OF MARIA. PUT MY BATERY LANTERN ON, CHANTED TO THE UNIVERSE FOR PROTECTION AND TRIED TO SLEEP.
I FELL ASLEEP, MY REVOLUTIONARY SABATICAL WITH THE FEDS FOR 20 YEARS SHOWED ME HOW TO DEAL WITH LOUD SOUNDS. I LEARNED TO CONVERT THEM INTO SOOTHING RYTHMS COMFORTING ME INTO A QUIET RESTFULL SLEEP BUT NOT FOR LONG.
DON’T REMEMBER THE EXACT TIME I WAS AWAKENED BY WISKLING SOUNDS OF FLYING LARGE PIECES OF ZINC PANELS. THEY WERE FLYING DOWN THE STREET ACROSS FROM MY MIAMI WINDOW. THE SMALL WINDOW SPACES WERE MY MY VISUAL OUTLETS. TWO LARGE PALM TREES STOOD FIRMLY ON THE SIDE WALK OF THE HOUSE IN FRONT OF MY WINDOW. ITS HUGE BRIGHT COLORED GREEN LEAVES LOOKED LIKE FEATHERED LOCKS SWAYING BACK AND FORTH IN GALOPING MOVEMENTS. THE WIND WAS BLOWING AT 150 MILES PER HOUR. CONYO! IT WAS WILD! ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ZINC PANELS JOINED IN THE WIND DANCE SYMPHONY. IT WAS INCRDEIBLE I WAS BEING ENTERTAINED BY HURCANE MARIA. EARPIERCING SOUNDS LIKE FLUTES IN A SALSA MELDLY . SOMETHING I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE.
I HELD TOA IN MY ARMS TO MAKE HER FEEL SECURE DOGS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO HIGH PITCHED NOICES. THE WINDS KEPT BLOWING, MOVING ALL THAT WAS TO BE FOUND.
THE AFTER MATH
WHEN ALL SUBSIDED WE WENT TO THE BACK YARD TO CHECKOUT WHAT HAD BEEN DONE . NEIGHBORS HOUSES HAD DEBRE EVERYWHERE ,SOME GAGEBOS WERE TORN DOWN, ROOF TOPS WERE COVERE WITH LEAVES AND BRANCHES. THERE WAS A SOLUM SENSE OF SILENCE THAT PIERCED MY HEART. MARIA HAD LEFT , MY PRARDISE INVADED ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO DEVESASTATED.
AS WE DROVE BY THE ROADS ALL ONE COULD SEE WAS BARREN LAND.NOTHING WAS GREEN ANYMORE. THE STREETS WERE COVERED WITH MULTITUDES OF ZINC SHEETS ,WOODED PIECES TREES IN MANY SIZES FALLEN ON TOP OF EACHOTHER. NO WATER, NO ELCTRICITY NO WAY TO GET CASH BUT TO GO TO THE BANK TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THE LINES WERE AS LONG AS THREE BLOCKS. SUPEREMARKETS ONLY TOOK CASH.. YES LONG LONG LINES. WE DECIDED TO GO TO WALGRRENS AND WERE ABLE TO GET SOME ITEMS. I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY SURROUNDINGS. WE WERE ALL WARIORS AND HAD TO SURVIVE.
BECAUSE OF ALL THE COMOTION WE TOOK IT LIGHT. I DIDNT COME TO MY HOUSE FOR TWO DAYS. THE ROAD TO MY HOUSE WAS BLOCKED WITH DEBRIS AND TREES THAT HAD BEEN PULLED FROM THE ROOTS. I HAD NEER SEEN SUCH A HUGE FLAMBOYANT TREE WITH MASSIVE ROOTS LYING ON ITS SIDE. WE DROVE TO THE BACK PART OF MY RESIDENCY . IT WAS ALL ENCLOSED. HOW TO GET TO MY HOUSE. ONE OF MY NEIGHBOR AND HER HUSDBAND WERE CUTTING DOWN THE BLOCKING TREE PIECES TO THEIR HOUSE WITH THEIR MACHETE. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I GO TO AN OPEN SPACE NEXT TO MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE AS A POSSIBLE ENTRY TO MY HOME.
HAD TO GO THROUGH THEIR CAR PORT TO GET TO MY HOUSE. I WAS IN SHOCK. MY FENCES WERE BROKEN TREES ALLOVER MY YARD. THE TILES FROM ROOF WERE IN SHREADS ALL OVER MY YARD. THE GREENERY OVER MY GASEBO WAS ON THEFLOOR. AS I LOOKED TO THE SIDE MY HOUSE ANOTHER SIDE ENTRANCE, IT WAS COVERED BY A HUGE TREE THAT FEEL ONTO MY LIVING ROOM WINDOW. I OPENED MY DOOR, WATER WAS EVRYWHERE MY ART PIECES WERE ALLOVER THE PLACE. MY FLOORS WERE OVREDWITH LEAVES. I WAS OVERWHELMED. WENT UPSTAIRS TO FIND A TOTAL MESS. PIECES OF ART ON THE FLOOR MORE WATER. I TOOK A DEEP BREATHE, CHANTED, NAM MIOJO RENGE KIO, FOUND MY SCARED SPACE IN SILENCE.
MY FRIENDS HUGGED ME THEY TOOK A MOP AND BEGAN TO PICK UP THE WATER. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO CHECK THE AREA I CALL MY ART WORKSHOP, IT’S A SMALL SPACE BEHIND MY KITCHEN. EVRYTHING WAS FILLED WITH WATER. MY ART MATERIALS WERE SWIMMING IN DIRTYWATER MY TOOLS WERE RUINED. I TOOK ANOTHER MINUTE TO ENCOMPASS ALLTHAT I HAD TO DO. IM ALIVE ! WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT A NEW BEGINNING IS ON ITS WAY.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED? WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN MATERIAL THINGS ARE GREAT IF YOU LOOSE THEM WELL ONE REGROUPS ONE’S ENERGIES FOCUSES ON WHAT TO DO. SO I HAVE ASKED MY FRIENDS TO HELP ME GET BACK ON MY FEET. THEY HAVE RESPONDED WITH LOVING THOUGHTS ,ACTS OF KINDNESS AND POSITVE ENERGY. GRACIAS YOU ALL
MY SON CAME BY WITH HIS FRIENDS TO MOVE THE BIG TREE BY MY SIDE ENTRANCE. MY DAUGHTER IN LAW BROUGHT ME COOKIES FROM MY GRANDDAUGHTERS . FOLKS ARE SENDING ME MONEY VIA MY PAY PAL ACCOUNT DPATRIALIBRE @GMAIL.COM. TITO KYAKE CAME TWO DAYS AGO TO INSTALL MY GENERATOR YOU ALL HELPED ME PURCHASE. IM BACK HOME. WITH LIGHTS NOT ALL THE TIME. GAS IS EXPENSIVE.
I HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE LIFE MORE SIMPLE . HAVE TO WATCH WHAT I BUY THE FRIDGE IS NOT ON 24 \7. SOME TIME WE WILL HAVE ELECTRICITY FULL TIME. I DO HAVE WATER.MY NEIGHBORS ARE TALKING TO THEMSLEVES. PEOPLE ARE HELPING EACHOTHER OUT. MY TOWN IS DEVESTAED LOIZA HAS OVER 2000 FAMILES THAT LOST THEIR HOMES. FEMA HAS NOT VISITED US. THE GOVENOR HAS BI-LINGUAL PRESS CONFRENCES DAILY ,TRUMP CAME TO PUERTO RICO WOW! LA JUNTA IS INOPERATIVE VAYA!
ONE THING THAT I HAVE NOTICED OH MY TV IS NOT WORKING. I LISTEN TO A BATTERY RADIO THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY THE DIRECTOR OF METROPOLITAN”S HOSPITAL REHAD DEPARTMENT , GRACIAS GEOFREY WHEN I WAS HOSPITALIZED. I HAVE BECOME A TALK SHOW FANATIC LISTENING TO ALLTHE COMMENTARIES ABOUT EVERY DEVELOPMENT HERE ON THE ISLAND AND OF COUSE EVERY VISIT BY THOSE GOOD SMARATIANS THAT WANT TO HELP US.
ONE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT FOLKS HERE ARE CHANGING. YES BELIEVE IT OR NOT WE ARE NO LONGER PUETO RICAN FROM THE DIASPORA, OR NYORICANS. . ALL THE CODMMENTATORS HAVE AGREED THAT WE ARE ALL PUERTO RICAN S NO MATTER WHERE WE RESIDE.. QUE CHEVERE!
WE WILL WIN THIS CHALLENGE BESOTWED UPON US BY MOTHER NATURE. WE WILL BECOME MORE HUMANE WITH OUR FELLOW WOMAN AND MEN. WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE OUR NATION PUERTO RICO.
AND FOR ME , I WILL ALWAYS BE A WARRIOR WOMAN THAT BELEIVES IN THE FREEDOM OF MY COUNTRY , PUERTO RICO. I WILL CONTINUE MAKING MY ART PIECES OF HIGUERAS MASKS OF CASICAS AND QUEENS. MY HIGUERA LANTERNS . AND I WILL LOVE MY PEOPLE OF COLOR FOREVER.
GRACIAS FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I WILL NEED TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON MY HOME. YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT ME. BY 2018 MY FIRST BOOK SHOULD BE PUBLISHED” GUIDED BY LOVE” UN ABRAZOTE FROM MY HEART TO THE THE MOON AND BACK TO YOU. QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE! ASHE!
CON AMOR PATRIOTICO SIEMPRE EN LUCHA SU HERMANA DYLCIA PAGAN RIVERA HASTA LA VICTORIA! CONYO YO NO ME VOY DE PUERTO RICO!