I used to live with my ex-boyfriend. He was always working or practising on his piano. He spent many hours on it and I didn’t want to distract him. We both had our own time where we didn’t want any interruptions. We both used a jingle bell as a key chain so we could distinguish the sounds from other people living in the house. That was our subtle form of saying that one had arrived home.
A year after living together as ex-partners, he decided to move from Cuba to Spain to live with his new boyfriend. The day we met to say goodbye I gave him a small box and inside I put my jingle bell next to a small note where I wrote: “Whenever you make the jingle bell sound, I’ll be willing to listen to you.”
Now it’s me living far away in a strange country, with a very difficult language, and I feel lonely sometimes. I have new friends that make me feel special but I miss my old friends. I also have the photo of the jingle bell I once gave away. When I look at this picture or whenever I feel lonely, I write to my ex that is now my best friend, and together we find solutions to the problems. Then I feel there’s a hidden force in me, helping me to adapt to my new life.