CULTURE | HUMANITY

The Beautiful Kindness of Strangers

And why I love Loíza so much

Photo by litoon dev on Unsplash

It takes courage to be kind.
~ Maya Angelou, Poet, Dancer, Scholar & Civil Rights Activist

Parking all 123 pounds of self onto a small patch of shade in front of the cemetery, my body was shutting down.

Before I could grasp what was happening, a myriad of beautiful Black faces surrounded me. They held concern and worry.

I was going to be ok — even if this vehicle responsible for carrying me around for the past 50 plus years sent a different message to my brain.

But, back to las caras lindas de mi gente.

The first I remembered was Señor Colé (I’d learn his name days later), who had spotted me as I exited the Loíza cemetery across from the Fire House. Cellphone in hand, he asked “¿Quieres que llame la ambulancia?”

I barely looked up.

My body twitched as I vomited what little was in my stomach. Then I felt a stream of diarrhea run down my legs.

Other faces appeared as I lay crumpled on the ground in a fetal position. An elder woman stood outside of the van driven by a younger man, Leighton. She gently smiled as the young man approached me.