Walking With "The Enemy"

Walking With "The Enemy" / Rebeca Monzo
Rebeca Monzo, Translator: mlk

We have spent more than fifty years hearing talk of "the enemy." All the
blame for our deficiencies is charged to this, just like all the evils
and misfortunes, product of carelessness, inattention and neglect, also
go to his credit.

With that idea they have tried to hypnotize and "idiotize" the
population of "our beloved planet," and regrettably, in many cases they
have achieved it. But in spite of all that, when someone thinks about
emigrating, it is always to the country of the "enemy" (USA). Also on
occasion to others, which they use as a bridge, in order to achieve the
same end.

Many of us have resisted letting ourselves be influenced by such
fallacy, but even so, due to all the notoriety that precedes the matter
and to the prejudices sown around it, we take care not to fall in the
ideological trap, and to pander to the representatives of power.

Just a few days ago I received an e-mail from a very dear American
friend, where she announced to me the visit of a friend of hers of the
same nationality who wished to get to know me, and in turn he was the
bearer of a gift that she was sending me. I was very satisfied to meet
him and to report that the friend of my best friend, was a charming
"enemy." Empathy soon arose between us and it remains for us to meet
next time.

Last Friday afternoon, this one invited us to go to see the traditional
ceremony of "the cannon shot," a custom that exists since the epoch of
the brief English occupation, when at exactly nine at night, they closed
the doors of the walls that protected the city, and that they now
recreate with a pretty representation in the Cabana Morro Tourist
Complex. I was pleasantly surprised by how well restored and preserved
is this emblematic place, thanks to the work of the Office of City
History, the only state entity, that without fear of being mistaken, we
can say has been busy rescuing and conserving some of our traditions.

We had a great time in the company of him and his parents. It was what
could be called a beautiful night of "walking with the enemy."

Translated by mlk

November 25 2012

http://translatingcuba.com/walking-with-the-enemy-rebeca-monzo/