Alejandro, a Young Cuban Worker

By Irina Pino

HAVANA TIMES – Youth is a constant state of euphoria. Generally, it is the parents who bear the burden and worries. The most important thing is to be able to endure and have someone to support us. In this case, I rely on my son, who is practically supporting the family at the moment.

On the contrary, many young people are supported by their parents. Most of their parents don’t have enough money to provide them with good food. The streets are tough, survival is the true main dish.

I know young people who have had to abandon their studies to start working. Some in restaurants and cafes, or other private businesses.

Alejandro, a neighborhood friend, first started working at a pizzeria, now he’s unloading goods at a private business, and sometimes selling. He is saving to buy a motorcycle, but he still sees that dream as too distant.

He used to come visit us frequently, spending hours in my son’s room playing PlayStation. He even ate here if it got late. But now, he gets home exhausted, showers, eats, puts on a movie, and falls asleep immediately.

He doesn’t even try to find a girlfriend to go out with, because he says the girls only think about expensive outings. He argues that almost all the girls he’s met recently expect to have a boyfriend with a wallet bursting with money. So, he prefers to go out alone, or with his friends.

He has gone through moments of great tension, when his grandfather passed away, and he had to take care of the funeral because his mother was devastated by the loss. Then there was his parents’ divorce. Trying to get along with each of them, as each wanted to defend their point of view and he was caught in the middle of that madness.

His real long-term plan is to leave the country, as he’s been waiting for the parole his aunt put in place for him months ago, which has yet to arrive. When he arrives in the United States, he will have to start from scratch. The positive thing is that he is 23 years old and has a purpose to achieve.

On Sundays, he reads the Bible or attends mass. It turns out that he has even become a believer. He says he was baptized as a child, but never set foot in a church again. Now he occasionally goes to the San Juan de Letran Church with his cousin.

The beauty and tranquility of the place left him impressed the first time he visited. The masses and religious commemorations there are memorable. He has told me that his faith has gained meaning.

His perseverance and faith have reminded me of the philosophy of Saint Francis of Assisi, who said: “Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Read more from Irina Pino’s diary here.