Another Sweet Story From The Farm

Medical care was available in many rural areas, often provided by doctors who traveled to the campo to render medicine to the campesinos.* Dr. Pérez Zorrilla, one of Holguín’s first doctors, visited the country once a week, riding on a horse. Once my mother and my uncle got the chickenpox at the same time. They were so uncomfortable from the itching that Dr. Zorrilla came around and prescribed a medicated powder to apply all over their bodies. My mom remembered getting such relief from the powder. My grandmother decided the children should be on a liquid diet while they were ill. When she wasn’t looking my uncle got out of bed, headed to the kitchen, and helped himself to a full plate of congrí† from the stove and ran back to bed, all in seconds.


* Rural people.
 † A Cuban dish of white rice and black beans, cooked together.

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Dania Rosa Nasca
April 9, 2016