The Las Calabazas neighborhood is a place you want to return to again and again. Its friendly people are known for their warmth and spontaneous way of speaking and doing things. Today, we'll explore some of their everyday stories.
Yexibel Escobar Escobar is a young woman of just twenty-six years old who became a mother of four sons at a very young age. She lives with her husband, Yusmany Rodríguez, in the Las Calabazas People's Council, in the municipality of Calixto García. She is grateful because, despite her and her husband's health problems, she has received a helping hand to support her children's development. Two of them attend primary school, while the youngest, just seven months old, is well cared for by the nurse and doctor at the local clinic.
Yexibel Escobar Escobar is a young woman of just twenty-six years old who became a mother of four sons at a very young age. [Yexibel Escobar Escobar with her octogenarian grandfather, Norge Escobar Aballe] Yexibel Escobar Escobar with her octogenarian grandfather, Norge Escobar Aballe
This is confirmed by the octogenarian grandfather, Norge Escobar Aballe, who highly values the care his granddaughter and husband receive. "What worries me is the instability in the delivery of liquid and powdered milk, a necessary food at young ages," he says while attending to a customer arriving at the sales point. "It's not mine, it's my granddaughter's, and sometimes I lend a hand and it keeps me busy."
Erasmo Ramón Sánchez Llerena, a worker on a subsistence farm, agrees at the kiosk. "The amount of unproductive land, uncultivated and full of marabou weed, is worrying. Sometimes I think people don't want to work. Agriculture needs hardworking, enterprising hands. Look, there are young people who have finished their military service, they ask for land, and it takes forever." “The delivery is too slow; they put obstacles in our way, and sometimes they don't deliver at all. This prevents us from moving forward as we want and as the country's leadership has asked us to,” he says.
The grandfather returns to the conversation, “At 85 years old, I hope and have faith that things will improve for the good of my family and my neighbors. Listen, I am very grateful to the Revolution. Thanks to it, my children have grown up safe and sound, and one of them, Regis, is a teacher and has held positions in Municipal Education. He served a mission in Venezuela and is now on the Municipal Electoral Council. What more can I say?”
[Erasmo Ramón Sánchez Llerena (right), a worker on a subsistence farm, is concerned about the amount of unproductive land.]
I say goodbye to these humble people, but I continue my journalistic journey, and what a surprise awaits me!
From the road, I spotted a group of men in the midday sun, taking measurements on a plot of land. "What are you doing?" I asked, barely introducing myself. "Fixing up the baseball field, taking measurements, cleaning, repairing the perimeter fences," replied José Angel Reyes Rosal, the director of the neighborhood baseball team. He recognized me immediately and gave me the information I needed.
"We're all working voluntarily here to get this baseball field ready so that everyone who wants to come can have fun. We have dozens of problems, but what we can't lack is optimism in tough times, and what better way to do that than to use some of our Sunday rest time to dedicate it to this national pastime.
"There are some stories in this group. For example, the one doing the weeding is Rodolfo Fernández Pérez, a humble farmer. We told him, 'Let's go,' and he didn't think twice. He does it voluntarily, and because of how quickly and well he does it, we've nicknamed him the 'Chainsaw of the team.' You see, we have all kinds of people."
[Resident of Las Calabazas next to the furrow] Resident of Las Calabazas next to the furrow
And Rodolfo, what does he think about what he does? "For me, it's a great thing to be with these good, hardworking people, all to bring joy to the lives of my people, not only from Las Calabazas, but also to anyone who comes to visit us and whom we invite." "To witness a baseball game on this little field that we defend and will make even nicer than before."
Rubiel López Rodríguez, a former baseball player and pitcher for the People's Council team, is interested in the topic. "From now on, we're busy dumping several truckloads of fill to improve the field's condition, and we don't have enough time to do it. We're even working overtime because we're fathers, and this takes time and understanding," he tells me and continues with his Sunday chores.
It's time to head back to the road to Buenaventura. I look up at the sky; clouds are visible, but they seem far away. I hurry a little and reach the road. I ride my bike slowly, a few drops of rain telling me I should speed up, but it's no use. The torrential downpour, the lightning, and the wind force me to stop and take shelter at one of the rest stops at the Guayabo Crossing. There I stayed, accompanied by two motorcyclists and their families, for more than two hours. The downpour continued intensely, and the thunder didn't stop. The road looked like a sea, a deluge. It needs attention; the grass around it needs to be cut, and ditches need to be built so the water can flow without damaging a road that's almost a century old. Finally, I decided, along with another young motorcyclist, that in boundless solidarity, we would embark on a journey through the pitch-black night, facing imminent dangers from flooding and almost constant traffic in both directions.
I arrived completely flustered and shivering from the cold water pooling on my body. But it was worth it to connect with the people, to learn firsthand about their concerns, such as the fact that the water supply through the aqueduct is an outstanding issue that must be resolved as soon as possible with the collaboration of those directly responsible and the community. I'm also recording these and other matters in my voice recorder and notes. I leave with the conviction that in unity lies the strength of victory, as demonstrated by those volunteer neighbors who are preparing their humble yet magnificent baseball field, their stadium, to bring joy to the lives of their fellow citizens. Thank you; you are the true protagonists because you show with great love and determination that this town is invincible.
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