We will
not disclose their names here, to respect the principle of the Cuban
electoral system that makes no promotion for the candidates: What a
difference! We will know only their testimony; therefore we will
refer to them only as “she” and “him”.
She is young, 24, fresh out of the classroom, who presently serves
her Social Services after studying a college career; he, a mature
fifty-year-old man with over three decades of experience. Both
candidates were nominated as Parliament delegates for their
respective constituencies.
Ladies first: “A neighbor spoke with me and said he intended to
propose me at the meeting and asked if I would accept it. I said
yes. To change and improve our society, someone must make sacrifices
and if I am elected, I will make my best effort.”
She felt the emotion that something important might shake up her
lives in the coming days, but challenging she started thinking on
how useful she could be for her community.
The night of the nomination three proposals were made, and she was
the only youngster without anything else to show but her excellent
academic results and the first steps in her raising working life.
The masses chose youth over experience.
”Can you imagine what it meant for me, when they overwhelmingly
voted for my nomination. I can not describe it to you.”
- Do you want to be elected as a delegate?.
“Yes, and many young friends feel the same. Society needs to move
forward, we must ensure our own future and those of my generation
bet for maintaining this political and social project, but to make
the necessary changes for improvement. I'm optimistic. Cuba has a
future, but we must work hard to live better”
He was born six years before the triumph of the Revolution. He keeps
some distant memory of “rebels” taking his hometown. He lived as a
child the Missile Crisis, suffered the economic blockade from the
first moments without being conscious of why he had no shoes.
He remembers the school and misses the days when everyone was equal
and even, we dressed almost the same. With bitterness, he talks
softly about the abrupt ending of the era of splendor and the
hardest times of the worst of the crisis.
“Times leave marks on you, he says, and at the same time commitment
becomes part of you. You have to be consistent and be ready at all
times to do what you must”
He recalls that the day before the nomination of the candidates in
his neighborhood, a neighbor told him:
- You have a lot of work, I see you being late, but we need you to
help our community, accept the nomination.
“My answer didn’t take long and I said: “I can not say no, I am a
soldier”
She hugged him tight, deeply moved.
In brief our characters neighbors will be able to learn some details
of their lives when their names and biographies get published, and
decide how to vote in the upcoming elections.
She and he know that, if elected, they will represent the district,
will become their defense attorneys for collective problems and some
individual ones. The family time should be shared with the
neighborhood.
Profits? Many, and the best of all: the pleasure of being useful.
