The Last Day of 2025
HAVANA TIMES – Despite the expectations of some families to celebrate December 31, for others it no longer is an important date—quite the opposite. iI is painful because of family separation, material shortages, blackouts, and illness. Added to this is the return of those who emigrated to the United States, were sent back, and have now found an utterly unpromising outlook. What they have experienced is a moral defeat and mental exhaustion. They are devastated, because the solution to their lives was abruptly taken away from them.
In my case, most of my loved ones live in another country. I can’t complain about the help they give me, from the standpoint of food; however, warmth is impossible to feel through WhatsApp or any similar app.
I’ll tell you that my day was nothing momentous. I sent cards to my friends with the sole aim of reminding them that I’m here for them and that they mean something important in my life. Then I went on to household chores—cooking and washing—taking advantage of the fact that the electricity wasn’t cut off, except for a short while in the morning.
It’s sad to see and hear how people believe that in the coming year everything will be different; even so, people congratulate one another, wishing health and prosperity.
A friend who lives nearby invited me to dinner; she wanted me not to spend it alone, since my son is always invited out to eat. But I never intended to go to her house. I preferred to stay bundled up in my room (since it’s cold) and watch a movie on the computer. It’s my end-of-year ritual—transporting myself to other regions, even if only through cinema.
I was happy because my nieces and my sister called me on WhatsApp. We talked and laughed, remembering other gatherings when my parents organized the big event. I now recall the food my father baked, those wonderful homemade sweets. And the way we managed to get bottles of cider and wine. And finally, when midnight struck, we threw out the bucket of water to rid ourselves of everything negative.
But the essential thing was staying together. We never imagined the rift would open so wide.