Pages

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Havana’s Beggars

Havana's Beggars
October 7, 2014
Jorge Milanes

HAVANA TIMES — It's 9 in the morning. Obispo street, in Havana's old
town, is seeing one of its busiest mornings. Workers, tourists,
students, artists and beggars are its main witnesses.

A mother carries a baby that didn't sleep well the night before (or had
any breakfast that morning) in her arms. Her face is expressionless. She
has one hand to her nose and the other outstretched. She doesn't
understand that her mother is training her to beg for money.

They advance slowly down the street, step by step. The girl goes first,
then the woman: "A dollar, sir, to buy the kid some food."

I am right behind them, following their steps without them noticing.

At the corner, the mother puts down the child to have a rest. A dirty
handkerchief falls from the girl's hand onto the ground. I pretend not
to notice. A dog barks insistently at them, but the owner brings the
situation under control. They have only managed to panhandle a single
dollar and they have to keep going.

A tourist and his wife walk past her. She lunges her dirty hand towards
the foreigner's elbow.

"Friend, five dollars to buy some milk for the child. She didn't have
breakfast today, plees."

The tourist's quick hand intevenes. He takes pity on the woman and
searches for five dollars. He gives it to her.

The body, spirit and consciousness of the beggar paint a smile across
her face. She thanks the tourists and continues on her way. I part with
them here.

In the afternoon I see just as many beggars walking down the street.
She, however, is no longer there. Her work for the day had finished.

I arrive at Parque Central. They're all there. I see them from where I'm
standing. The child is playing with a rag doll. The mother is sitting on
the bench closest to the corner, knocking back and hugging a bottle of rum.

Source: Havana's Beggars - Havana Times.org -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=106578

No comments: