A Garden in a Havana Building

Yanelys Nuñez Leyva

HAVANA TIMES — On the floor where I live is a beautiful garden. For some time, many of the residents of this fourth level had proposed beautifying the common areas.

Because of this, the flowerbeds, railings, walls, corridors and hallways are now green and filled with a certain vitality.

There’s a genuine concern that the plants receive proper care, which is why we always see one of the neighbors spraying the plants with water, removing damaged or faded leaves, moving pots to where the sunlight can reach them, and so on.

It’s interesting to see how everyone comes together to tend to a new organic being; it’s almost like welcoming a family member who has been away from home for a long time.

Nonetheless, there isn’t the same impetus to fix the doors of the common area balconies; these came off their hinges years ago as a result of termites and moisture.

Nor has the much needed painting of the building’s interior walls received the same degree of interest, let alone the structural problems with this building, which were detected some time ago now.

I have no problem with there being a general delight in sharing our daily lives with Mother Nature, since that feeds our spirits. However, from time to time we should take a look at the rest of the building’s environment, since its complete deterioration cries out for us to act on its part – or, better said, to act on our own parts.

One of the people who has done the most to encourage this effort of sowing and caring for the plants told me that soon a film crew would be coming from the Havana television station to record the achievements of this community, which feels deep and sincere love for nature.

Perhaps this would also be a good opportunity to bring other issues to light, ones that deserve more than a news story.