Crawfordsville news: Final chapter in Abaco

This is the final chapter of Abaco, Dorian and the virus given to me by Linda Wiltfang, Crawfordsville resident, who formerly lived in Abaco, Bahamas. She recounted all the hardships that have taken place since Hurricane Dorian literally destroyed much of the island.

As this was written last month, it tells things were at a complete standstill and her sister and husband were working five days a week since the hurricane and were very close to being able to restock and open their business. The day they installed the new windows in their building's storefront, there was a real celebration. It was an exciting sign that things were returning to normal.

The electric company, alongside those from all over the Caribbean, have been working tirelessly erecting poles to restore power to homes and businesses. Having power was an enormous step to recovery. There were people doing their best to open businesses. The need to reestablish a means to earning a living as well as provide services was showing up in unusual ways.

There were many signs, T-shirts, stickers, banners, bags, all proclaiming 'Abaco Strong!” They are very resilient people. The outer cays that surround Abaco have a very close knit, strong sense of community. There are numerous families that have been coming to spend summers or winters in these quaint villages for generations and their desire to rebuild there is very strong. In many cases they are far ahead of the mainland.

One thing not mentioned before was how localized the destruction was. Just 12 miles south of Marsh Harbour, one would not guess there had been a storm. The southern part of Abaco had been untouched by Dorian, although the population of the Southern communities has grown with people looking for housing. Many of the resorts and businesses in the south, as well as on the cays, were opening for business and welcoming tourists. Not surprisingly, they were hiring people to cope with the influx of guests.

All that then came to a screeching halt. Between Dorian and the virus, Bahamians were now struggling to survive. People living paycheck to paycheck were once again in need of assistance. Linda saw a Facebook post from Hands and Feet, where she had volunteered and they were asking for donations. The group is composed entirely of locals and has been there since day one. They live and work there and have yet to leave the island since Dorian. Lydia Hill, a local lady, who has given her time and efforts to help people, is nothing short of a miracle. Her ability to stay positive and fill the needs of so many is an inspiration.

Linda says people have asked why she would want to rebuild her home in a place that may never recover from disasters. If she and Dan were maybe 10 years younger, this would be but a blip on the screen. They have rebuilt and recovered several times. Island life, by definition, requires a different sort of character. It's expensive, it's challenging, nothing is simple and although life there had become more technologically up-to-date, none of these things were reliable. They used to joke that life in the islands was like a pair of dice. Every morning you rolled the dice to see if you would have water, telephone, internet or power. They rarely had it all at the same time.

She says her heart and soul lies on the beaches of Abaco. The people there are beautiful, generous and loving. Their strength and courage is evidenced by their responses to these last several months. There is nothing she loves more than sitting around listening to the stories of days gone by, talking foolishness. Their laughter is like music. She doesn't know what the new normal will look like. The economy is precariously poised, dependent on the tourist's dollar, and the new industry of reconstruction and recovery is halted. There are people she will never see again because they couldn't or would no longer live there; they were washed out to sea or buried in debris.

She knows there will be a new Marsh Harbour. It will never look like the Marsh Harbour she and Dan knew and it may take decades to rebuild. She is not sure where she and Dan stand in this recovery, but they do plan to restore their home to some level of comfort. It may take longer than they would like and definitely cost more than they would like to pay. Even today, they are awaiting the arrival of more tropical storms and winds making their way once again to the island.

She concludes by saying as you sit comfortably in your dry homes, with television, books, food and family, remember her Abaco family. Even here, where quarantine is not fun, is boring and not convenient, Stay Home, Wash Your Hands and Pray for their Abaco Family.

Thank you Linda, for sharing this story with all of us. It makes us realize how fortunate most of are, even in these unpredictable times. None of us know what the new normal will be.