The closest reference to the Latin phrase, “In ictu oculi,” “Life is a blink of an Eye,” seems to be apropos to our dear sister’s passing. In reality and from the time that we first met her, it now seems as if we knew her for eons. Her infectious demeanor filled with laughter, wit and impious humor made for frequent outbursts of jocularity.
Generous to a fault is the least to be said about how she always gave; she was beyond that, she was spiritually munificent. One of her best sayings was “Yo no vine aquí a sufrir,” “I did not come here to suffer,” as if she could prevent that from happening! Even in her final days she was reticent to admit the extreme pain she was experiencing. Again, her spiritual beliefs were the pillars that held her up and sustained her, never permitting any signs of inevitable defeat. She was stoic till the end, one of her many admirable traits. I once asked her if she was a Buddhist; she said, “No, I’m a Puertorican.” We just laughed as always.
Evi was endlessly proud of her Boricuaness. Much to our enchantment, at times it seemed as if that were all she could talk about. She was the consummate traveller, always off to the next place looking for adventure or perhaps something she could not find. Her favorite destination was Boriken where she seemed to find the X that marked the spot.
However, most of her time was spent in the diaspora, like most Boricuas who were born here. She always had an itinerary filled with engagements, gatherings and other things that were culturally interwoven in a mosaic of Hispanidad that complemented the itinerary. Evi was also very eclectic about her circle of friends; her crew consisted of a potpourri of cohorts from the Spanish Americas.
Her tenacity and leadership qualities motivated some of her Salsa mates to come along on one of her final pursuits, to study music! She loved to dance Salsa, and I believe her participation in those classes lead her to Raíces, not simply to learn how to play, sing and dance Bomba, Plena and a few other genres of Caribbean musics but to also find a space where she could hone her spiritual roots without reservation, fear or retaliation of reprisals, something that draws many people to our spaces of teaching, community and collective sharing!
Christmas Eve was a shock and a terrible night as we learned that Evi had passed into the realm of the ancestors. As we played dominoes and listened to music there was an air of sorrow, masked by smiles, jokes and jocularity. We were happy that she was no longer in pain. We believe that her pain was passed to us as the reality that we would no longer have her in our midst became factual. The best consolation is in knowing that she will always be with us in spirit but terribly missed.
All in all, Lupe, as we affectionately called her, was and will always be, a precious part of the Raíces family. I just learned today that Evi’s mom called her Belen, from childhood. “Mama, cuídame a Belen, cuídame a Belen, Mama” – the only song that she sang the lead to in the Raíces Student Ensemble. Now we understand why!
Love you Evi – Frankie, Nicole and the Raíces Family
