“¡Salsa Divina!” – Fotos y Recuerdos: More Today Than Yesterday Happy Anniversary...beber amor cada noche y comer amor cada día...“Esto es Vida” - I am often asked how am I doing and I answer: “I feel better today than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow!” and with good reason, because I truly believe that every day is better and at my age I know that I have more yesterdays than tomorrows…more past than future left in my life’s journey, so I try my best to make every day better. This past Thursday, Divina and I celebrated our anniversary by spending the day at Martha’s Vineyard…Oak Bluffs to be precise with a quick visit to Vineyard Haven. We spent the night before at Hyannis after eating dinner at the new Legal Sea Foods in Braintree as we waited for the evening traffic to die down en route to the Cape. The week before we had vacationed in Puerto Rico for my birthday, now it was time to celebrate our special occasion in the place that holds so many memories for us and our family. It was during my first visit to Oak Bluffs that I truly fell in love with Divina. Like the song “More today than yesterday” (originally sung by the Spiral Staircase, but you should check out Bruno Mars singing his version on YouTube)– “I dont remember what day it was, I didnt notice what time it was, all I know is that I fell in love with you…and if all my dreams come true, Ill be spending time with you.” Divina is a justice of the peace and has performed hundreds and hundreds of weddings during the nearly four decades that we have been together and many a time someone will approach me and say “Divina married me!” and I reply, “no she married me…and performed your wedding!” Like everyone who has been in a relationship we have enjoyed good times, great moments, trials and tribulations personally and professionally and through it all love has prevailed. We have grown together as friends, soul mates, lovers and parents knowing that unconditional love, the good and happiness outdistances everything else by far and as we sat on the deck of the Hy-Line cruise from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs basking in the sun, Bruno’s voice served as the soundtrack to our day. Everydays a new day, in love with you With each day comes a new way, of loving you Every time I kiss your lips my mind starts to wonder And if all my dreams come true, Ill be spending time with you. I love you more today than yesterday But not as much as tomorrow Oh, I love you more today than yesterday But darlin not as much as tomorrow Tomorrow makes each springtime just a day away Cupid we dont need you now be on your way Thank the lord for love like ours that grows ever stronger And if all my dreams come true Ill be spending time with you Oh I love you more today than yesterday But not as much as tomorrow Oh, I love you more today than yesterday But darlin not as much as tomorrow Everydays a new day Everytime I love you Everydays a new way Everytime I love ya I have shared with you how it was that I met Divina. The late Kenny Wilson insisted that I go to the South End Community Health Center for medical attention after I injured my knee and left foot playing basketball at O’Day Park on West Newton Street in the South End. Both were swollen and I was concerned that I might have fractured or dislocated my foot. My dear friend knew that I didn’t have health insurance since Antioch College and wouldn’t have any until I started working as a bilingual teacher in the Boston Public Schools that fall. “Just ask for Divina,” he said, “she’ll take care of you.” Jovita Fontanez, another dear friend, told me the same thing. “You’re set…just ask for Divina.” On the night of Thursday May 3rd 1973 I hobbled down the stairs of the center at 65 West Brookline Street on crutches expecting to get free care for my visit. I asked for Divina, and it turned out that she was the woman at the front desk expecting me as she asked me to sit down in order to gather my personal information for the new file she was opening. I was impressed with her professionalism, penmanship, smile and brown eyes. I weighed 142 ¾ pounds at 5’ 9” when the nurse took my vitals. When it was all said and done they suggested that I go to University Hospital for a radiologic consultation. I thanked them for their excellent care and attention. As I was about to leave, I thanked Divina as well. She then asked how I intended to pay for the medical visit. “What?!!!” I answered in disbelief. “I was told that you would take care of me!”…”We did take care of you,” she answered. “You can pay in cash, credit card or by check.” We continued back and forth and finally as I started writing out a check for payment she had the audacity to tell me how to write a check. I was fuming! The next day Kenny asked about my visit. “Isn’t Divina the greatest?” “No,” I answered, emphatically stating that I didn’t want to hear her name mentioned again. He couldn’t believe it. A few years later she would tell me her side of the story. Back in ’73 there was an influx of college educated, young Puerto Rican men moving into Boston, some to the historic South End. The close-knit community noticed this group of newcomers that they took to be somewhat different than those they were accustomed to…proud Boricuas who marched to a different drum, independent minded, leaders in the making, visionaries, fruit of the civil rights movement, Viet Nam war and freedom for Puerto Rico. So as I walked into the health center that night, with my Afro and beard, yellow jacket, tight jeans, silver and stone jewelry, brown handcrafted leather bag slung over my shoulder…in her words “thinking that you were all that”…she was ready for me. Ready to let me know that everyone else may have noticed us, but she wouldn’t be impressed that easy…after all, she had accomplished a lot by the age of 23 and she was a proud Ponceña! Not proud in the “come mierda orgullo” sense, proud of her roots, her puertoricanism and triumphs since the age of four. If anything, I needed to take notice of her. And eventually I did. So last Thursday, August 14th, as we held hands walking Circuit Avenue, once again I fell in love with Divina, the love of my life, the mother of my children, the grandmother of my grandchildren…the yin to my yang. That night as we started our journey back home from Hyannis after a memorable day on the Vineyard, we saw the last of the super moon slowing rising over the harbor and the voices of Draco and Juan Luis Guerra started us off on our journey…”Esto es vida”. I am truly blessed. Besar tus ojos oscuros, Dejar atrás las heridas Dormir, dormir pegado a tú pecho Esto es vida Cerrar mi mano en tú mano Y beber tú dulce saliva Meter mi cuerpo Meter mi cuerpo en tú cuerpo Esto es vida Vamos a hacer nuestra casa en el cielo En el cielo de alguna selva Cultivar amor en rama Y plantar, plantar estrellas Beber amor cada noche Y comer amor cada día Esto es vida, esto es vida Quemar el tiempo pasado Dejarlo todo en la huida Estar desnudos de todo Esto es vida Esto es vida Y vamos a hacer nuestra casa En el cielo de alguna selva Cultivar amor en rama Y plantar estrellas Beber amor cada noche Y comer amor cada día Esto es vida Esto es vida
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 02:03:28 +0000
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