Sadly, since the passing of my father in law, and the move of my mother in law to the city, the beautiful gardens no longer thrive. Missing are all the orchids and many other flowers that surrounded the yard. The coofee plants that served as boricua christmas trees, adorned with ripening coffee beans, no longer thrive. Fifteen feet high plantain plants bearing foot long plantain bananas, that looked more like palm trees are no longer cultivated. Nature is working fast at claiming what it is hers. Hornets are building their nests everywhere they find a suitable place, and a bee colony has made it's home inside the walls of the old laundry room.
The trails where we used to escape to become part of nature are no longer passable. You can no longer hear the the roosters sing, neither the hundreds of perickites, lovebirds, cockatiels and parrots they used to grow, that use to fill the air with their songs. Much less heard are the voices of the family chatting and laughing in the kitchen, accompanied by the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and hot pan de agua and sobao (French bread, and lard bread), eaten with lots of butter.
The hammock were we used to escape to sleep off after over indulging on delicious food no longer hangs. The nights sitting on the balcony looking down at Ponce, shivering from the cold breeze, and enjoying the coqui frogs singing after the afternoon rain showers, no longer happen, at least not there.
Without the hands of my late father in law, and his wife who tirelessly worked to keep nature from taking over, the place is not the same. Someone recently broke into the property and stole several copper pipes for the water and the gas system, a problem that abounds on the island thanks to high copper prices paid by metal recyclers. Well, tomorrow I'll be working on the issue as well as ways to protect, water, gas and electrical lines from theft.
For about a quarter of a century "la casa de campo" served as a little peace of heaven where friends and family were always welcome, filling our hearts with peace and happiness. This was a place that allowed me to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city to become a jibaro.
Today, even though no one is living the house, it is still a very peaceful and serene place that evoke the memories of past times. Memories of gone by times that will never return. But at least I have those memories, that coupled with the many pictures I took there, will allow me to re-live in my mind those beautiful times.
Lamentablemente, nada es eterno ni dura para siempre. Por lo menos quedan los hermosos recuerdos de todo lo vivido. La evidencia de la belleza y esplendor que una vez hubo, quedò plasmada en todas las espectaculares fotos que posees y has compartido.
ResponderBorrarLa naturaleza y el vàndalo han dejado huellas, como has descrito. Pero los recuerdos son imborrables y permaneceràn toda la vida. Se podràn llevar la tubería de cobre y quién sabe cuantas cosas mas, pero los recuerdos de todas las vivencias, no. Serán tuyos toda la vida.
Mi cariño con ustedes.