Mati had been sick in bed for two months caused by a sciatic nerve pain; Yuclemen had had his intestinal flora ruined for years, prompting constant diarrheas, so it was sheer luck that both of them, my parents, happened to be in a rare period of good health when Valeria, Natacha, and I were getting ready to go to Cuba from New York. Mati and Yuclemen then, without any delay, made last minute reservations, got on a plane, and traveled from Peru to Cuba to meet Valeria, their granddaughter.
It took a lot of courage from both of them, whose health had been fragile,
to make this trip, but they brought joy to us, and something unexpected, support to
Valeria’s treatment.
My parents are about 70-years-old, and they had already gone
through a big disappointment, wanting to travel when Valeria was born. They had been prepared for months to come to New York, but when the date approached, mom fell
sick. Sadly, they had to cancel everything.
Months went by, and they didn’t know when they were going to
meet their granddaughter; she wasn’t going to go Peru for the moment; her surgeries were the priority, but fortunately, close to the days we were traveling, sicknesses gave my parents a break, so they took the risk, and got on a plane.
After many hours of flying, a lay over in El
Salvador, and a long drive from La Havana to Varadero, they finally met Valeria. Mom couldn’t let go of her granddaughter even though she had some muscle
pain; and dad, whom I’ve always seen as a strict, tough person, was carrying
and kissing Valeria. They didn’t get sick during the trip, on the contrary,
they felt rejuvenated, doing a lot of activities by themselves, like touring in
the hop-on hop-off buses, having exotic drinks at their hotel, and going to see the Tropicana
show in La Havana days later.
They did what one has to do at an age when health becomes
more unpredictable. They enjoyed the present; their health gave them an opportunity, and they took
full advantage of it.
On our last day together in Varadero, they came up with a
surprise; since they knew that the costs to treat Valeria’s mirror foot in Cuba
were higher than expected, they offered their support. By telling us that they'd cover some part of the first surgery, they filled us up with joy and hope;
they opened a slight opportunity to have a great surgeon in Cuba, and to have the help
of Loly, the other grandmother.
Valeria's grandparents had traveled to Varadero, risking their health, to meet her, also to show that they were there for us. Valeria is fortunate to have such amazing
grandparents, just as I'm fortunate to have such amazing parents.
Mati, Yuclemen, Valeria, and Natacha in Varadero
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