“I prefer working on the street; the money is easier to earn, and I work seven days a week, without a schedule. I don't stop for holidays; I have clients I can't keep up with.”.
SANTIAGO– Nothing makes him prouder than his two daughters, Loeli and Lisbeth, two professionals whose studies he financed through his own hard work. He gets emotional talking about his lawyer and his doctor, and not a day goes by without that topic coming up in conversation, because they are the fruit of the sacrifices of a good father who fought against all odds to raise his two children.
José Alberto Lantigua Estrella, better known as Alberto or affectionately “Beito”, as we say in Cibaeño, could well be called the man of trade, since he is rarely seen sitting down resting, because around him he always identifies some task that he can perform or something that needs repairing.
This plain and talkative man is originally from Canabacoa, a municipal district of Santiago, although since the age of thirteen he moved to the main municipality, where he still resides and has created a large client base, for whom he regularly works on multiple tasks, because when it comes to honest work, there are no limits for him.
From painting, gardening, plumbing, electricity, deep cleaning of houses, don't worry, if your domestic help fails you and he is nearby, he will get you out of trouble like a good chef, because in the school of life, the one he has had to attend, Alberto has graduated in the exercise of survival, that which offers no alternatives, other than to learn it and move forward.
In Villa Olga, Cerro Alto, Los Jardines, Buena Vista, and other neighborhoods of Santiago, if you ask for Alberto, many people will know him for his responsible work, his honesty, and his diligence. But don't worry, regardless of location, this soldier knows no borders. He has clients in Navarrete, Tamboril, Licey al Medio, Santo Domingo, and Dajabón—wherever there's legal work, he goes. "I go wherever they call me," he says.
He began his arduous, multifaceted career at the age of 25, but prior to that, he had worked for three companies as a machine operator, truck fitter, and tailor. The affable Beito explains that he decided to forge his own path because working for a company is more complicated.
“I prefer working on the street; the money is easier to earn, and I work seven days a week, without a schedule. I don't stop for holidays; I have clients I can't keep up with.”.
Over his many years as an informal worker, Alberto has cultivated a clientele of adult women who demand his services. He even says he has a group of ladies, as he calls them, who live abroad and contact him a week before coming to the country to schedule work in their homes. He's the "solution man" for my sister Magda and the family.
“I also work in a dental lab servicing the air conditioning, ductwork, and parking lot organization. I do a little bit of everything, and I paint when needed.” His house cleaning rates range from 1,500 to 2,000 pesos, depending on the complexity and size of the house. For electrical work, gardening, plumbing, and painting, the prices vary.
Of her daughters, aged 25 and 27, she says they are professionals thanks to her financial support. “I fought hard to help them get ahead from the moment they were born; I took care of them. The lawyer is already married and lives in the United States with her husband, while the doctor lives with her mother.”.
“So many people seek me out because I’m calm, respectful, and responsible in my work. I don’t charge high prices, and people value me for that. I respect older people, and I help anyone crossing the street if I see someone who can’t.”.
A kind, easygoing man, always ready to find a solution to household problems, never grumbling or complaining, down-to-earth and full of stories—that's Alberto, a beloved member of our family, someone who accepted life as it came without grumbling about fate. By the way, if he mysteriously disappears in the middle of a job, don't ask questions; he's off playing the lottery.
