Friday, March 13, 2015

THE KISS THAT POLIO LEFT ON MY LEG ... AND MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH A BICYCLE



       
The Kiss That Polio Left On My Leg … And My Love Affair With A Bicycle

      (From Memoir, A Dot In Time)                   




 

 To: My sister who gave me the bicycle charm … and to all who have experienced a handicap.

I sat alone on the cold tile floor in the small bathroom of my mother’s sewing room, above our garage in our home in Cuba, wiping tears. Coming through the window I could hear the sounds of children laughing and ringing their bicycle bells.

“I want a bicycle. I think I can ride!” I had said to my mother and father again that morning but they just gave me that sad, lost look.

I knew what they were thinking. Stricken with polio at the age of four I was a survivor. The diagnosis of the doctor, “She will probably never walk again,” had been deleted by heaven’s plans for me. Months at the hospital, with a year of bed at home, and then I walked! But before polio retreated it left its signature kiss. Some of the muscles in my right leg had atrophied, never to be revived again. My parents worried that I would fall off a bicycle and be seriously hurt.

Yes, I couldn’t lift my right leg. Steps of stairs would be taken for the rest of my life with my left leg. No skating. Not enough control with my right leg to keep my balance. But no bicycling?

A day of “Reyes Magos” came, the day of The Three Kings, who leave presents like Santa Claus in the United States. And, there it was. A bicycle! But with training wheels? How could I ride such a thing? Here I was eight. Ridiculous. Children in the neighborhood would laugh at me!

No compromises were made. Mami and Papi knew I needed to do a great deal just to learn to balance even getting on a bike with only one healthy leg. So the work started. And yes, some children from the neighborhood stared and snickered. And that bicycle was to be used to ride to our new school. My father’s business had done so well that we were going to a beautiful private school for girls, The American Dominican Academy, on a very large property where the pupils entered the gates and rode and rode their bikes to the buildings. And most of the students were well-to-do. What would those classy girls think of me riding with those baby wheels behind me?

First day was the hardest. And the grins and smiles did come but I was determined to be proud. I was riding a bike! And I rode and I rode, pedaling with the power of that strong left leg while the wind hit my face. The bicycle had given me wings!

Much riding practice brought confidence to me and my parents. A bicycle graduation day arrived. The training wheels were taken away. At last, I was normal, like the other children. And along with some falls and scraping of knees I had learned precious lessons.

First, no matter how hard, don’t give up on my dreams.

Second, remember my parent’s wisdom. Papi said, while teaching me to ride, “Keep your eyes ahead, not on your feet. Watch your balance. Test your brakes before you start. Look out for any danger ahead.”  Wow! Life’s lessons I’ll never forget.

I rode my bicycle all the way into university life when, as a newlywed couple, we studied together at the University of Florida and I didn’t know, yet, how to drive a car. Off to class every day, up and down hills I flew on my red bike!

          Some see a bicycle and see a tool for exercising and a fun ride. Me? I see a bicycle and behold the conquering of the pain from rejection and loss, the victory over a handicap, and the love of parents who took a risk in letting their child learn how to fly.
                                            The charm my sister gave me. The bracelet I bought was not gold so it tarnished with time. The charm my sister gave me many years ago was gold. I keep it as treasure. Golden like the love that gave it to me.
                                                                           
 
 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

MAMI'S RED BEAN SOUP ... WITH A TOUCH OF AMARILYS!



HILDA GACIO'S RED BEAN SOUP WITH A TOUCH OF AMARILYS!   
                                                               
 
Ingredients: 1 16oz. pkg. of dark red beans

                    1/ 2 of 16oz. pkg. of light red beans

                    3 ham hocks with lots of meat or

                    2 small ham hocks and one small ham steak (we like it with lots of ham).

                    4 small potatoes (peeled and cut in large pieces)

                    2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cut in large pieces).

                    1 small can 8oz. tomato sauce

                    Salt and Pepper to taste

 Sofritooooo!  1 and ½ big Spanish onion or sweet onions (cut up for sofrito)

                       1 and ½ big green pepper (cut up for sofrito)

                       4 Dientes de garlic, (garlic cloves) (cut up for sofrito)

              

Procedure:  In a 6 quart pressure cooker place your beans and your ham hocks or ham hocks with ham steak and cover them up to the top with water as directed by pressure cooker instructions. Usually inside the pressure cooker is a little circle that I call the marker. The water should stay below the marker unless you want to do a lot of cleaning! You are warned now by the voice of experience. LOL.  Water should not go above that. Cook the beans and the ham for about fifteen minutes after the top of your pressure cooker, (the little hat it wears,) starts dancing a rumbita.

Make your sofrito by placing your cut up onion, garlic and green pepper in a bath of olive oil and cook on low until tender. Drain off the olive oil. (THIS SOFRITO COMES OUT BETTER IF YOU KICK OFF YOUR SHOES AND DANCE AROUND THE KITCHEN TO THE RAP OF MY SOFRITO POEM!

After your pressure cooker has cooled and you can open it, pour in the cooked sofrito, the small can of tomato sauce, the potatoes and sweet potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste into your pressure cooker. If you used a lot of ham you are going to need less salt. Cover pressure cooker for a second time of cooking and cook contents again. About five or six minutes after the little hat on the pressure cooker starts  dancing again. I don’t cook it too long because the potatoes can turn to mush.   

There are times I don’t have the garlic and I use garlic powder. That also works. If for some reason your potatoes do not get cooked the second time because they were too many or cut too big you can let it simmer on the stove until they are done. We eat this many times over white rice. The next day it thickens like a potaje, which is a thicker soup. Not hard to make. Fun! Great therapy especially when your family tells you they love it! 

So what’s the touch of Amarilys? I use beans of two different colors and I dance to my Sofrito Poem while I make it!
                                                                             
                               Mami, Hilda Gacio, receiving the book I dedicated to her and Papi,
                               Cuban-American, Dancing On The Hyphen!