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Love, Loss, and Laundry on a Tiny Puerto Rican Island

Ted Simmons

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Published in La Finca: Love Loss And Laundry On A Tiny Puerto Rican Island

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On a tiny island off the coast of Puerto Rico, there is a place where love, loss, and laundry intertwine. It is a place where the ocean breeze whispers secrets of heartbreak and resilience, and the scent of freshly washed clothes mingles with the salty air.

This is the island of Vieques, a 21-square-mile paradise that is home to just over 9,000 people. It is a place of stunning beauty, with white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and lush green hills. But Vieques is also a place of deep pain, as it was once home to a U.S. Navy bombing range that left the island contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

La Finca: Love, Loss, and Laundry on a Tiny Puerto Rican Island

by Corky Parker

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	24863 KB
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	256 pages

For the people of Vieques, laundry is not just a chore; it is a ritual. It is a way of cleansing themselves, both physically and emotionally, from the scars of the past. On a recent visit to the island, I met several women who shared their stories of love, loss, and laundry.

One woman, who asked to be called Maria, told me about her husband, who was killed in a bombing accident on Vieques in 1981. "I used to wash his clothes every day," she said. "It was my way of keeping him close to me." Maria still washes her husband's clothes, even though he has been gone for over 40 years. "It's my way of remembering him," she said.

Another woman, who asked to be called Carmen, told me about her son, who was born with a birth defect that was caused by the contamination on Vieques. "I used to wash his clothes every day, but it didn't matter how much I washed them, they always smelled like chemicals," she said. Carmen's son died when he was just 10 years old. "I still wash his clothes," she said. "It's my way of keeping him alive in my heart."

The women of Vieques have a saying: "El dolor se lava con agua" ("Pain is washed away with water"). And it is true that laundry can be a therapeutic act. The act of washing clothes can be a way of letting go of the past and moving on. It can be a way of cleansing oneself, both physically and emotionally.

But laundry is not just about the past. It is also about the present and the future. For the women of Vieques, laundry is a way of creating a clean and safe space for themselves and their families. It is a way of taking care of themselves and their loved ones. And it is a way of making a home on an island that has been scarred by war.

As I left Vieques, I was struck by the resilience of the people I had met. Despite the pain and loss they had endured, they had found a way to create a life for themselves on this beautiful but troubled island. And I was grateful for the opportunity to have learned from them about the power of love, loss, and laundry.