Holy Mondays

Rosa Martinez

HAVANA TIMES — A few months ago, and after a lot of looking around, I got a new job at the Medical Sciences University, in Guantanamo.  This institution has given me a lot of anecdotes to share with HT friends, but I’m a little disheartened right now, so I’ll write them slowly over time.

Among the advantages of working at a university, there is one which has made it a little bit more difficult for me to take on other jobs: a flexible timetable.

Those who have experience with this already – who aren’t forced to stay at work, if they have nothing to do – know how difficult it is to get used to staying 8 hours in the same place, when you have absolutely nothing to do.

This flexible timetable, which I recently got, has allowed me to put aside a day just for me, which in reality should be used for pursuing other personal educational goals, but because I do that anytime I can, I make the most of this day to resolve personal issues or just to be at home by myself and reflect upon life.

Mondays are my holy days: for 24 hours, I don’t have to deal with my work colleagues or my students and, what’s even better yet, I get a few hours away from my husband and daughters.

I have a good friend who gets upset when I talk about how peaceful I feel when I’m alone in the house.

“Good God, don’t talk like that Rosita,” she tells me, “children are never a bother.”

“Who was talking about them being a bother?” I answer in fits of laughter, “but what evil is there in wanting to get a little rest from them?”

Sometimes, I feel ashamed because I think I’m not a good mother like I want to be; that I’m being selfish, and I’m even afraid that the All-Mighty will strike me down for my thoughts.

But, when I sit down calmly in front my beloved laptop without being bothered by hunger, school activities or other people’s arguments; eating anything for lunch without anybody complaining about the taste, color or how it looks; I sleep a one or two hour nap without my feet being pulled just for fun, or being woken up for any reason, or they cuddle up to me because they want to get something…

Dear God, I ask for your forgiveness a thousand times over, but I think having a Holy Monday is the best thing in the world!