Speaking of frustrations

Speaking of frustrations
May 8, 2012
Maria Matienzo Puerto

HAVANA TIMES — My mother used to always tell me: "Study Maria. One day
things are going to return to normal, and you'll get back more from
knowledge than what you spent."

I should note that my mother's idea of ??"normalcy" was linked to the
idea of professionals returning to the top of the social and economic
pyramid.

In any case, even though I wasn't a very obedient child, I kept
studying. In the meantime, I didn't stop having boyfriends or quit going
out dancing.

Likewise, I continued wearing the clothes that I could come up with;
they weren't anything that made the fashion statement and they were
often homemade – but I went out to have fun, not to model.

This is the topic of conversation between Liu and me every time we meet.
We recall the old days, when we exchanged clothes so that it would
always seem that we each had something new. We laugh at that. We don't
regret all the crazy things we did together because in the end we were
studying what we wanted.

Then, among all the memories, popped up the name "Julitico."

He wasn't a child of either of us, nor was he an old boyfriend. He
wasn't a dance partner or anyone who we once shared a beach cabin with
on some weekend excursion.

I simply asked Lui: What ever happened to Julitico?

As she hadn't lost touch with him, Lui answered, "He's the same as
always; still hoping to get the right clothes, a good job and a house to
seduce a woman."

I couldn't believe it, though nor did I doubt what Liu was telling me.
She said that throughout the duration of school he always kept saying
that once he graduated, he would start a new life, one that would
include women.

Julitico is a man about six feet tall, thin, a mulatto, nice looking and
someone who knows about everything that's discussed in his presence. If
you talk about sex (at least in theory), he knows it all. If the subject
is astrology, he can share his opinion. If it's about cooking, he'll not
only talk about it but he'll cook up a spectacular meal.

He's an open type who accepts his gay, lesbian and straight friends for
what they are. Everyone seeks him out to confess their troubles and
he'll always give good advice.

His mother also told him that life would change him once he became a man
who was economically self-sustaining. But she didn't let him run the
risk of not surviving the nineties, when you had to block out a lot to
be free of the differences.

Julitico is now a professional (like the two of us) and he doesn't have
anything – no wife or children or house or a decent wage. His
engineering degree has served him only to deepen his frustrations.

We don't have anything either; or rather, we don't have much – because
at least Liu has a home (her husband's) and children.

It's true, Julitico is crazy if he thinks his problem will be solved
when the economy improves, but everyone cements their personality in
what they can or what they want – whether right or wrong.

My mother, Liu's mother and Julitico's mother were right. You had to
study, but not because things in this country would ever return to
normal, but because the only thing that saves us from madness are our
professions.

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