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REMATRIATING BORIKÉN
When My Deceased Cousin Appeared to Me in a Dream
I knew it was time to return home.
Este es el tipo de lucha que le da significado a mi vida.
~ Dominga de la Cruz Becerril, Puerto Rican Freedom Fighter
Rocking the biggest, baddest Afro, wearing the most infectious smile of anyone in our entire family, he is just as I remember: tall of a naturally muscular build — legs that go on for miles. His witty sense of humor always had us in hysterics at his jokes.
Freddy is larger than life.
From what I [initially] knew of his existence, [besides those early college days] it was all basketball, disco music, and dancing. During those many summer vacations to Borikén, we visited our tío Jesse and his wife, Tere, in their airy home in the northern coastal plain region of Trujillo Alto countryside.
I especially enjoyed those trips because (a) Tere cooked the most delicious arroz con gandules (brown rice with pigeon peas), (b) there was something extra welcoming about the vibe and (c) Freddy spoke Spanglish fluently — just like my two brothers and I did.
I remember an afternoon during one of those visits, walking past his bedroom (he had his own room, while his two sisters, Daisy and Joann shared a bedroom), he…