Troubling update from Cuba

I received his update about 10pm Sunday (3/29)/2020:

After four days here in xxxxxx, Cuba, under a mandatory lockdown inside our home, I’ve spent a lot of time in our rocking chair out on our balcony reading (“Splendid and the Vile,” by Eric Larson) and observing the certain changes in the daily behavior of the thousands of pedestrians, bicyclists, etc., dashing here and there on the street below. Likewise on several occasions I’ve been out; on my bicycle also, scurrying about with them, searching for necessities for our survival: water, food and to get things that were broken heretofore, repaired. Hence, I’ve had a birds eye view of the sense of urgency that has been cast upon the citizens as they attempt to face head on, comprehend, and adjust to the inevitable. The arrival of an invisible enemy (Covid-19) that has been long talked about by their government and its media apparatus. But now a stark reality of a possible death within their midst; abounds! And if you recall from my previous report. Last Tuesday the twenty fourth of March everything changed when the government here in our city closed the schools, virtually all public establishments, and told every one to go to their homes and stay; especially the children, and stay their with few exceptions. But since then; I’ve noticed a gradual up-tick in pedestrian activity here in the city. And at least ninety percent of them, or waring face mask as they move back and forth. I believe the reason for this increase in pedestrian activity is because many essential services have been ordered to reopen. And a good number of these individuals are waring federal uniforms of all kinds. And that most government offices have scheduled their employees to return to there workplaces for security reasons, to prevent looting and be available for vital services if needed. Thereupon each employee is working at least one day a week or more as a guard in his or her place of employment. For example, yesterday a friend, neighbor and a boss here in the city pounded on our door and shouted, “Yxxxxx (my wife), I need a mask! Well, I need five face mask to be exact, because no one is allowed to go into our office building without one.” Then he handed my wife the money in advance of making them, “but I’ve got to have one for me, right now,” he continued speaking to my wife’s mother Nxxxxx who didn’t have a single one completed. Then Yxxxxxx took upon the task and hurried back to her machine, made one, walked downstairs and handed it to her mother within 3o minutes. Then Yxxxxx walked on over to the clients home to inform him that one of the 5 he wanted was ready, but he wasn’t there so she returned, but as she approached our’s and her mother’s doors, she noticed her mother taking money from another customer through her door, then Yxxxxx asked her. “What are you doing mama?” “I sold him a mask, what do you think?” she murmured. “What mask?” Yxxxxx asked. Her mother stared at her with absolute amazement spread all over her face while pondering the question, this I was told. Then her mother exclaimed! “ The mask you just handed me!” “What!, I made that was for the neighbor, and he has already paid-for it! The words ejaculated from my wife’s lips. “WTF!” So down the stairs I bounded to witness the misunderstanding, between my wife and her mother, but after a few choice words and some deadly facial expressions passing back and forth between them, they both shook their heads smiled and resumed the task of producing the five mask they were under obligation to produce before the customer returned to take them, at eleven. Then, on another occasion; just this past Friday, a sweet little lady rushed up to Yxxxxx’s mother’s door, desperately needing a mask; on her face, before entering her place of employment. Nxxxxx promptly handed her one through the door and the lady handed Nxxxxx the payment, neatly folded. Then after taking the money, Nxxxxx turned her back to the entrance and headed toward her work station 3 or 4 yards back inside her home, but just before she reached the back of the chair she was anticipating taking a seat on, she discovered in her hands only half the money she had charged for the mask; “she wailed,” to the top of her voice. Yxxxxx’s sister ran to the door and stuck her head beyond the jamb and looked right, there she saw the woman as she turned right at the corner 30 yards away and then, out of sight. Yxxxxx leaped from the door landed on her feet in a full stride toward the corner, there she looked around it but the woman had vanished. Pissed! Because, we had no drinking water in the home, so I was forced to take a perilous trip on my bike to refill one of two, of our six gallon empty water jugs and procure a few other items on a growing list of things we needed to acquire while I was out. But because I had a couple of “spokes” broken away from the rear rim of my bicycle, I was afraid to load the additional weight of water (50 pounds), upon the rear wheel for fear of breaking another spoke, so as a precaution, I stopped by a repair shop to have the two broken ones replaced, and the others fine turned. Done, I dashed directly to a nearby outdoor market: purchased a few more pounds of black beans; a staple in times like this, a couple of large papayas, a string of garlic and some onions, then over to the ice cream factory, and filled the jug I carried with fresh water to drink. But, during my quest for our necessities I couldn’t help but notice, all but a few people scurrying about including myself were waring face masks that reflected every color of a rainbow, and also moving about with a sense of purpose. And not one person was dawdling an attribute of Cuban society, and another attribute of the Cuban culture is that the older kids play kick ball in the middle of the streets for entertainment when not in school. As a result of the present danger that activity has disappeared too along with our grandchildren which I’ve not seen since the lockdown was announced last Tuesday. But I’ve heard that some of the younger children, within different neighborhoods had been venturing out of their homes and into the streets to play,... but that activity was squashed immediately by the authorities who announced over the radio, as well, for this activity to cease, and if seen by anyone; any where, please call the police. Long lines prevail wherever: food, paper products, soap, oil, toothpaste, etc., are for sale. Not because those wanted items are in short supply, but because of the exponential rise in prices of everything essential. And with out a doubt. Heretofore the virus too, was was kilometers away in some distant provinces or countries. Thereupon, deviation from normal behavior was not necessary and the people responsible for those kinds of things; thought they only needed to curtail the transportation system and close the borders until the threat abated. However, today Saturday March 28th there’s one case of the Covid-19 amongst the population here in our quiet little city despite all our efforts to prevent that from happening. And as a result, and without a doubt there is an obvious change in the Citizenry’s: postures, demeanors and their overall appearances, as the news that one of their own has been infected by this life threatening influenza. As a result of knowing the unimaginable is amidst, they’re actually trotting through these almost empty streets without tarrying in the least bit, with their heads lowered looking straight ahead, shoulders rounded, faces shrouded from the crown of their noses down and beneath their chins. Another reaction, from this depressing discovery is that everyone “today” is waring some kind of eye protection; in addition, the women that are “with child” even have their heads wrapped. Thereupon, unless, you know the persons you’re observing very well, they’re almost unrecognizable in their rigged, colorful and protective attire, which is a stark contrast to the carefree and dawdling behavior that was exhibited amongst the population here in eastern Cuba; just one week ago.” When “I” too began pining for the return of normality(?). 

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