I have always considered it despicable to grovel for your life as if life were a favor. If you cannot live the way you want, there is no point in living
Reinaldo ArenasBefore getting to my mother's house, I would always think of her on the porch or even on the street, sweeping. She had a light way of sweeping, as if removing the dirt were not as important as moving the broom over the ground. Her way of sweeping was symbolic; so airy, so fragile, with a broom she tried to sweep away all the horrors, all the loneliness, all the misery that had accompanied her all her life.
Reinaldo Arenas