Nike, a Cuban resident on the island, shares conflicting feelings about her childhood friend's upcoming visit from abroad. Joy at the reunion is tempered by economic hardships that leave her unable to reciprocate hospitality adequately. She hopes Cuba's situation improves by the time her friend arrives.
In her personal diary entry published on Havana Times, Nike reflects on the complex emotions stirred by news that a childhood friend living abroad plans to visit her in Cuba. 'I don’t know whether to feel happy or sad when a childhood friend who lives in another country tells me she’s coming to Cuba and wants to see me,' she writes, noting how initial joy turns to sadness upon realizing she cannot offer even a coffee, a meal, or a small gift.
Nike explains that one reason she stays in Cuba is her deep roots: it is the birthplace of her grandparents, mother, siblings, children, and best friends, now scattered worldwide. Despite hardships, she loves her country, its people, the beauty of its nature, and the sea. Yet she observes how many Cubans abroad suffer strong nostalgia and struggle to adapt, despite the freedom and economic improvements they describe.
She recalls her friend's March visit this year, when she arrived with a bag of gifts including soap, coffee, and milk caramels. They spent hours talking endlessly, laughing, and crying; the friend shared photos of family trips to other states. Using her manual skills, Nike gave her crocheted earrings, papier-mâché crafts, and a yarn hat—useful in the friend's cold climate. When she left, Nike burst into tears, saddened by offering little in return beyond a cup of coffee provided by the friend herself.
Economic struggles are stark: earnings from her handicrafts barely cover basic food, as few buy crafts amid survival priorities. Her town has transformed; neighbors have emigrated to places like Peru, making streets unrecognizable. For this recent planned visit, Nike repainted their chatting terrace, and her friend brought antibiotics for a local youth, responding to a Facebook plea from his mother.
The friend exemplifies Cubans who feel at home on the island, enjoying the sun and missing the sea's scent—distant in her continental life since the 1990s, where it's always cold and the sea is eight kilometers away. Facing virus outbreaks and garbage issues in December, Nike urged her not to come yet; the friend postponed to the new year. Now, Nike knits a yarn scarf for her, hoping Cuba's conditions improve.