A simple, almost silent gesture was enough to touch deep chords and remind of a reality that many Cubans carry daily, even far from the island.
Ivian García, a Cuban newcomer to the United States, tearfully shared her story on TikTok about her experience caring for an elderly American woman.
According to her account, everything happened during what seemed to be a normal day. While a company was installing central air conditioning in the house where she works, one of the technicians struck up a conversation with her. The exchange was brief, characterized by his effort to communicate in English, but it was enough for him to ask her where she was from. When Ivian responded that she was Cuban, the conversation took a different turn.
The man confessed to him that he had a Cuban friend who frequently traveled to the island and was well aware of the harshness of the situation. Ivian took the opportunity to explain what many Cubans no longer need to describe: the scarcity of medications, the constant blackouts, the impossibility for children to even enjoy a piece of candy. The worker was taken aback.
Soon after, he left the house and returned with a 50-dollar bill in his hand. Ivian tried to refuse it, but he insisted. “Here, so you can send it to your mom,” he said. It wasn't an act of charity towards her, but rather a gesture aimed directly at those who remain in Cuba.
The young woman recounted that the moment overwhelmed her emotionally. On her way home, she couldn't hold back her tears. She was moved by the fact that a practically unknown person, with whom she could barely communicate, showed so much empathy and understanding towards the Cuban reality.
"They understand how that country is," she said, still emotional, recalling that the man insisted she accept the money because he had more.
The video, published on TikTok, has generated a wave of reactions among Cubans both on and off the island. For many, the story encapsulates a painful truth: the Cuban crisis is no longer a distant issue but a reality that even strangers perceive and choose to extend a helping hand toward.
"These good people that God puts in my path," Ivian concluded, grateful for a gesture that, beyond money, restored a bit of faith to her and made her feel accompanied amid her sense of dislocation.
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