Cousins with Central Florida ties take different journeys
The lives of the three Collazo sisters — two in Puerto Rico and one in Deltona — have been upended by Hurricane Maria. Now they’re all facing change. Beatriz Collazo endured the storm in her Canóvanas home on the northeast side of the island.
Brenda Collazo lives atop a small hill in Rio Grande, just one town east. From her home, you can see the El Yunque rainforest.
And Michelle Collazo lives in Central Florida — and told her sisters she would help by letting her nieces or nephews come to stay with her and attend school as the island recovers.
With barely any storm damage to her house, Beatriz Collazo, 39, shares a line to her neighbor’s generator to power her home and cooks from a stove plugged into a gas tank to save diesel.
Her two daughters, 14-year-old Siarelis Gonzalez Collazo and 10-year-old Paola Gonzalez Collazo, attend Saint Francis School, a private academy in neighboring Carolina.
Beatriz Collazo discussed sending the girls to Florida with her husband. She thought it would help relieve the load. But
Saint Francis School was set to re-open in a few days. It wasn’t worth the pain to send them away for months, or maybe more.
“Going there won’t be like going to Disney,” she said. “I also want my kids to live through this and know what we went through … Now, I know what my mom went through.”
All three sisters lived through Hurricanes Hugo and Georges on Puerto Rico — and carry those memories with them as they try to make the best decisions for their families and themselves.
A short 15-minute drive away, Brenda Collazo, 38, lives a different reality.
The zinc roof that was attached to the main structure flew off. The wall on the outside bore long scratches left by the metal as it held on against Maria’s powerful winds.
“It looks like a horror movie,” said Beatriz Collazo, assessing the damage in her sister’s home.
“People say you can find food and supplies, but no, it’s not true. You gotta do lines, big lines for hours for ice, for gas. And see your kids suffer for a glass of water, cold water, but you can’t tell them no,” Brenda Collazo said.
Her children, 14-year-old Mizraim Ruiz Collazo and 10-year-old Samiliz Ruiz Collazo, attend public schools in Rio Grande.
She heard through word of mouth Samiliz’s school’s roof collapsed. In Mizraim’s school, the government is still housing over 80 people who’ve lost their homes. She’s also heard from neighbors that in some damaged areas, people are at risk of catching illnesses, which concerns her.
So Brenda Collazo and her husband made the decision to send her children to live with their Aunt Michelle in Deltona to get the education they deserve — a trend that could spark another wave to Central Florida’s already large Puerto Rican population.
“My girl has asthma, and not having the ability to connect a machine when her asthma acts up is stressful,” she said.
Brenda Collazo, who has no cellphone signal, power or water, doesn’t know when the government is set to begin operating schools.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Education in Puerto Rico, Yolanda Rosaly, said the government has information from 452 public schools out of 1,112 in the island. On Monday, the department announced that 22 of them will serve as community centers. In some areas, excluding Rio Grande, schools in good conditions began to receive students as early as Wednesday. Brenda Collazo admits the load of work and financial strain will be relived once her children are safe in Deltona. Her husband, who works for a supermarket in the town and is their family’s only source of income, could soon be out of work since inventory has not been distributed since the storm.
“They know that their dad and I are doing it because we want them to continue to pursue their future and we don’t want them to struggle here,” Brenda Collazo said.
The kids, who leave Oct. 13 for Florida, have mixed feelings about the move to 40-year-old Michelle Collazo’s home.
Samiliz said she was nervous to start school in a new place, but she’s already practicing how she will introduce herself to her new 5th grade classmates.
“My name is Samiliz Ruiz Collazo, and I come from Puerto Rico,” she recited.
Her older brother, however, is less excited about starting in a new place midway through high school.
“I haven’t been able to tell any of my friends I’m leaving,” Mizraim said.
Both Beatriz and Brenda Collazo are hopeful their children can one day receive scholarships and pursue college careers in the U.S.
“Their future won’t be interrupted because of this,” she said.