Love Revolution in Three Acts: Memories of Tinti and Alexis - Act III
Join us in celebrating the enduring power of love as we reflect on our journey with Tinti and Alexis through time.
By Casa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
Alanis Vázquez Rodríguez, Francisco Cabrera Vega and Windy Cosme Rosario
El cofre de madera (2024) by Josué Oquendo NatalCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
Reaching the bottom of this chest,
We emphasize the perpetuity of true love. Tinti remains our teacher to this day.
La ruta Kofresi - Taxi (1948/1951) by John Brandeberry and The Tom Lehman Photo CollectionCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
Kofresí Line Inc.
"On Friday, I went to Ponce on the Kofresí line. It turned out that..."
carta 4a: "La línea Kofresí" (1961-02-26) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
The journey from Adjuntas to San Juan and from San Juan to Adjuntas was a special trip because it signified the long-awaited family reunion and revisiting of home, bringing together those who were normally far apart.
carta 4c: "La línea Kofresí" (1961-02-26) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
Wanting to teach and serve are inherent qualities of Tinti even in romantic aspects. Her nature as a teacher is emphasized when she highlights her desire to help Alexis.
Sobre - Telegrama (1962-02-04) by Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto RicoCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
In the month of love and friendship, this event happened...
Telegrama: Aniversario (1962-02-24) by Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto RicoCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
carta 14b: "Las Lorsonettes" (1961-04-27) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
"The university student is waking up"
As a result of social injustices, students expressed their indignation towards the system. This postscript emphasizes Tinti's loyalty to her morals and values, refusing to be belittled.
"Long live the students,
Garden of our joy!
They are birds that are not afraid
Of animals or police
And they are not afraid of bullets
Or the barking of the pack
"caramba y zamba" the thing
Long live astronomy!"
(...)
"I like students
Because they are the yeast
Of the bread that will come out of the oven
With all its flavor
For the mouth of the poor
Who eats with bitterness "caramba y zamba" the thing
Long live Literature!"
carta 15a: "La disciplina" (1962-01-28) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
'The discipline'
It's in 1962 when Tinti officially debuts as a teacher by vocation. Following the knowledge acquired at the UPR, she maintains the importance of discipline.
Teacher...
Both in the classroom and in life. "Teacher" is what those who had the fortune of being her students called her. Inside and outside the classroom, Tinti's devotion was worthy of admiration.
School of Albert Einstein
Here is the place where she officially debuted her gift as an educator, without imagining that she would later become a teacher of the nation. So much so that Alexis, in his responses, calls her his "Lolita" and his "Julia," referring to two illustrious Puerto Rican women.
"Tinti, I have always expressed my gratitude to you. Today, I pay tribute to you in gratitude for being a teacher of teachers, a guide, and the architect of my life. To you, my beautiful, intelligent, loving, and illustrious Puerto Rican woman, goes all my love."
-Your Alexis
carta 3c: "¿Qué le escribo?" (1961-02-03) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
carta 3d: "¿Qué le escribo?" (1961-02-03) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
carta 3a: "¿Qué le escribo?" (1961-02-01) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
'What should I write them?'
Tinti's confusion and delicacy in wanting to choose the right vocabulary are notable. Despite the insecurities she faces, she continues to turn to Alexis for comfort.
Every heart loves in its own way, but Tinti worries about not being enough even when she expresses the feeling in its purest form.
carta 3b: "¿Qué le escribo?" (1961-02-01) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
Her love doesn't extinguish; on the contrary, it flourishes like a sunflower opening to the light of day. This "new love" that Tinti speaks of was a prediction of what would happen in the future.
carta 13a: "El querer de uno" (1961-10-01) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
"One's love"
Tinti's affection for her Alexis is seen in every greeting, every development, and every farewell she sends via mail.
"I still have the taste of your kisses." "Telling each other how we feel, we know where we stand."
Beyond romance, Tinti's emotional maturity is evident as she looks out for the well-being of their relationship, emphasizing the importance of understanding.
In his rediscovery phase of the past, Alexis comes across this fragment of a letter issued by him addressed to Tinti. It reads as follows:
"My love:
I am quite proud of what your dear letter says. Perhaps you have exaggerated a little, but all I know is that I love you, and that is all that matters to me."
carta 16a: "Aniversario - seis años" (1964-02-24) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
'Anniversary: six years'
"Alexis, it becomes increasingly difficult for me to part from you each day." His devotion was such that the distance between their two bodies weighed heavier and heavier with each passing day.
"Thursday is our anniversary"
"Son seis años de felicidad, de alegría". En un abrir y cerrar de ojos, la pareja de jovencitos universitarios se había lanzado a la adultez, para más adelante casarse y formar una familia admirable.
carta 16b: "Aniversario - seis años" (1964-02-24) by Tinti Deyá DíazCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
"(...) you occupy the greater part of my thoughts."
"You are also my chosen one, chosen by my heart."
Tinti says to Alexis in celebration of six years that transcend their infinite love and that continue to inspire generations through an indelible legacy.
"My darling, with this line I end this letter (...) When I'm about to finish with an 'I love you', I hear your voice from infinity:
'Alexis, what will you do to keep our revolution of love alive when I'm no longer with you?'"
"I will put on wings that will take me flying to meet you. I embark on my journey immediately, first seeing a village seeking its destiny and together with it, I follow the path. When afternoon comes, desperate, I cry out: my life, I have left all the doors and windows of our house open so that you can enter when the night advances. In the early morning, a flower turns and dances with the scent of your sacred skin that tells me: I am back."
"My sweet Tinti of my soul, to continue our Revolution of Love, I will do the impossible, including abolishing time. I will remain embraced with you in the present, dreaming of our future together, and happily enjoying the past."
-Alexis, 2024
Viejo San Juan - Alexis y Tinti (2018-01) by Cristina Rodríguez MatteiCasa Pueblo de Adjuntas, Inc.
Photo of Tinti and Alexis taken en el 2018.
P.S. Epistolary spaces
Click on the following link StoryMapJS Casa Pueblo to learn about the places that marked the conjugal love that led to the foundation of our organization and which are today the spaces from where Alexis responds.
This exhibition is based on a series of correspondences between Alexis Massol and Tinti Deyá that will be published by the Editorial of the University of Puerto Rico in the book: "Revolución del amor en tres tiempos".
This project is the result of a collaborative effort between: Alexis Massol González, Tinti Deyá Díaz, Arturo Massol Deyá, Josué Oquendo Natal, Museo El Barrio, Mellon Foundation, UPR Caribe Digital, Casa Pueblo, Digital Humanities Scholars in Residence, Windy Cosme Rosario, Francisco Cabrera Vega y Alanis Vázquez Rodríguez.
