Juana the Frog

Daisy Valera

For some time now, a small frog has been determined to live in my kitchen.  I affectionately call her Juana (despite not knowing its sex).

She prefers to spend the nights on the window casement because of the dampness and coolness of the air.

My first thoughts when discovering her were:

– If it jumps on me I’ll die of a heart attack.

– That frog has got to get out of here.

– Maybe I can fling it out with the broom.

– It’s upsetting my peace of mind.  When will it just leave?

Juana terrifies me. I’ve never been able to tolerate the sensation of cold and sticky frog skin in contact with mine.

Despite that, we’ve been adapting to our coexistence.  It’s to the point that now she prefers to spend the day in the pot of my plant Elizabeth; I’m sure that it must feel cooler there when it’s hot.

However at the beginning of our relationship, when Juana saw me coming into the kitchen or turning on the light in the morning, she would jump off of the window frame and hide behind the shelf.

I’ve decided not to work myself all up over the presence of a frog.  I believe we can coexist harmoniously.

Although she gives me chills when I look in her big bloated black eyes, or even think about contact with her slimy skin, she’s entitled to live where she feels comfortable.

So I’ll respect her space, but not from a position of power, rather from a posture of respect for life and for the preferences of a being very different from me but similar in importance in this world.

Then I asked myself:

In the current social and political context of our island, what approach is being taken to respect Cuba’s bloggers, whether they’re of the left or the right?

Is it perhaps from a position of power?