Tan lejos de Dios

I grew up hearing the story of a Cuban boy who was found adrift at sea and protected by dolphins. I did not live through that event; the story reached me later, when it had already become part of a shared memory. Of all the images from that story, the one of the dolphins always intrigued me. I remember it precisely because of how strange it seemed to find them there, in the middle of the sea, accompanying a child trying to reach another shore.

Tan lejos de Dios returns to that image. A small boat floats surrounded by dolphins in a contained body of water. Little by little, it begins to fill with water until it sinks completely.

Years later, the story is different, yet the scene remains recognizable. Those who leave change, the reasons change, the destinations change. The sea remains.