Communication with Friends via WhatsApp
HAVANA TIMES – It might sound strange, like science fiction, but the reality is that I’m only communicating with my friends through WhatsApp. Even before ETECSA’s recent price hike for data and Internet access, we were already doing so, due to the scarcity of public transportation. Private collective taxis for long distances are outrageously expensive.
It feels as though we’re living in different countries, and I say that seriously. Never before has it been so difficult to meet up; we always used to do it naturally, and it was something uplifting.
Friendship needs feedback, and if it can be frequent, all the better. Right now, we’ve had no choice but to send messages, voice calls, and photos. That’s how we stay informed about each other.
One of the issues affecting us is the power outages. Sometimes, there’s a blackout in my area and not in theirs. It creates constant stress, and if someone’s phone isn’t sufficiently charged, the call drops and we say goodbye.
With Tania (the only one who lives nearby), we still talk here too. It’s always about food; not even a month ago, due to the frequent blackouts, she lost the food she had stored when her refrigerator gave out. She had to call in a repair technician (who came more than three times) to fix it. It not only cost her thousands of pesos but also wasted time. Now she’s always checking the “energy deficit schedule”—a pretty stupid name they’ve given the blackouts, just to avoid saying the word apagón.
Luckily, she now has a generator and suffers less. Still, she feels pressured, since the generator runs on gasoline and that’s a considerable expense.
With two other friends, K and N, we talk about less painful topics, we rely on humor, we discuss the importance of nature, medicinal plants, what animals mean in our lives, books, films, and music.
We share many affinities: we all love rock and classical music. We used to go together to the Yellow Submarine bar and the Casa de la Amistad venue. We also attended classical and early music events at churches in Old Havana. But that’s over—because of everything I’ve already mentioned, and also because of the danger of being out alone at night, as assaults have become more common and people are even killed for their phones.
We used to meet at each other’s homes, share lunch, and spend time chatting in total harmony, with the hours slipping by unnoticed. Our goodbyes weren’t really goodbyes, just see you soon.
I miss Norma and Olguita just the same. They emigrated and now live in the United States. One works at a school, the other in a shopping center. Their lives have gotten complicated, but we still talk despite everything.
On a more spiritual level, literature and cinema connect me with Veronica. We’re colleagues and writers, as well as die-hard movie lovers. We’ve also shared many experiences over the years, in different places—writing workshops, walks through El Vedado and the older parts of the city. Conversation between us is never boring; we have so much to share. She keeps me up to date on the latest news, since I hardly go on Facebook and I’m not one to watch the TV news. She also sends me beautiful videos of cities I’d love to visit, photos of cemeteries, monuments, historical sites, and of doors—she’s fascinated by artistically detailed doors.
There are three men who are writers, so literary titles, plans, and anecdotes always come up. We also share secrets.
I wish I could see and touch them all, to feel that they’re real. It’s sad how bonds of love can be damaged by a country’s crisis and the disaster that comes with it.