Post by tcn on Jul 8, 2007 12:12:04 GMT -5
Una Mañana Mas - One More Tomorrow
June 30, 1945 Havana, Cuba
There was a great celebration taking place in the Mercado de Tacon. It was the grand opening of the El Gallito lottery and ticket store situated beween Galiano and Dragones street in Havana, Cuba. I arrived in a hot pink convertible that my Aunt Maria had painted for me with great pride, hoping to catch a glimpse of the infamous Luis Garcia. He was the proprietor of El Gallito. A man with a reputation of playing hard and loose with women.
Passion-Pink banners read EL GALLITO, Billetes De Loteria y Boletos De Beneficencia. The store was surrounded by balloons of every conceivable color and the wide assortment of food, music and dance was intimidating but I was driven by a curiosity that burned. However unaccustomed I was to being the aggressor, my mind was already made up regarding Luis. I would marry him in a year.
Horacio Sanchez a talented musician and good friend was outside the store performing with his band when I drove up. We immediately made eye contact and after a few sets Horacio took a break to talk to me.
"You sure know how to make a subtle entrance, Isabel. Women like you scare the hell out of me."
"As long as I don't scare the hell out of him, Horacio, " I said smiling.
"Well here's your chance. He's walking towards us now, " Horacio said, handing me a cup of Espresso that he picked up from one of the many drink stands.
I took the cup and raised it to Luis in a toast.
"I see you've come incognito, " He said as he shook Horacio's hand.
His mouth curled upward in one irresistable bad-boy smile and I couldn't help but find him charming behind the obvious sarcasm.
"To say I've come incognito implies you know my real identity and I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure, " I said as I offered him a handshake.
"I know you better than you think, " He said as he took my hand and kissed it.
I was surprised by his statement and said nothing letting him continue the conversation.
" I know that your favorite color is pink. And I know you're smart, tender, determined, and an excellent writer."
"He's read your poetry, Isabel. I showed it to him, " Horacio said as he excused himself to rejoin the band.
***
That was the first time we met. We spent the day together talking about anything and everything from politics, to poetry before I asked him if he wanted to take a ride with me. We drove over to the Malecon and watched the ocean. It was there that he asked me if I wanted to make love. His voice was like a little boy's who was afraid the answer would be no, so I said yes. We married each other in our hearts that night and later formalized it with a huge wedding in El Vedado. Horacio was the best man and Aunt Maria was the maid of honor. The bridesmaids wore pink.
Luicito brought me a huge house in El Vedado as a wedding present and we lived there happily for many years. Horacio worked part time at El Gallito and traveled back and forth to the US with his band. Every Friday night we would hold a pachanga at our home for the local artists in our area. We discussed the writings of Jose Marti, and the poems of Jose Maria Heredia but by the year 1958 things started to change. There was talk of a revolution and Horacio became obsessed with the movement. He quit his job at El Gallito, disassembled his band, and supported Fidel Castro with such vehemence that he lashed out against anyone who spoke ill of the rebel commander. Before Horacio left El Gallito Luicito confronted him about some missing money from the store. We had suspected that he was secretly taking money to help fund the rising militias. An ugly war of words insued and it was enough to break the bonds of our friendship forever. We didn't hear from Horacio again until a year later when Castro took control of Cuba. A group of military officials stormed our house in the middle of the night, taking inventory of all our possessions . Among them was Horacio. He had filed a formal complaint stating that we were holding anti-government meetings in our home. We were arrested and taken into custody. Luis was sent to Isla De Pinos and I was taken here, to Boniato Prison in Santiago de Cuba. I later learned that Horacio had taken possession of our home and was now living there, and that El Gallito was burned to the ground.
In 1967 Isla De Pinos prison was dismantled and the prisoners were distributed to different centers across Cuba.
During the course of my stay in Boniato prison I had but one visitor, Horacio. He'd come in on a daily basis declaring his love for me right before he raped me. I fought him, scratching at his face with the little strength I had but he always managed to overpower me.
"Where's Luicito you son of a bitch?" I asked him each and every time.
Usually he never answered, but this last time he looked at me with a cold stare and replied, "He's dead, " as he walked away.
Inadequate provisions of food and medical health left me weak and I worried about what had happened to Aunt Maria and the rest of my family and friends. When I complained I was punished and put into a gaveta (drawer) 4 feet wide by 6 feet in length. I spent months there until my voice was silenced. Until I felt myself break apart.
Today I will disappear, back to the day when I first met Luis at the grand opening of El Gallito. Back to the day when Horacio was my best friend, and Aunty Maria was painting the town pink. Back to when we all saw life together in the hope of One More Tomorrow.
June 30, 1945 Havana, Cuba
There was a great celebration taking place in the Mercado de Tacon. It was the grand opening of the El Gallito lottery and ticket store situated beween Galiano and Dragones street in Havana, Cuba. I arrived in a hot pink convertible that my Aunt Maria had painted for me with great pride, hoping to catch a glimpse of the infamous Luis Garcia. He was the proprietor of El Gallito. A man with a reputation of playing hard and loose with women.
Passion-Pink banners read EL GALLITO, Billetes De Loteria y Boletos De Beneficencia. The store was surrounded by balloons of every conceivable color and the wide assortment of food, music and dance was intimidating but I was driven by a curiosity that burned. However unaccustomed I was to being the aggressor, my mind was already made up regarding Luis. I would marry him in a year.
Horacio Sanchez a talented musician and good friend was outside the store performing with his band when I drove up. We immediately made eye contact and after a few sets Horacio took a break to talk to me.
"You sure know how to make a subtle entrance, Isabel. Women like you scare the hell out of me."
"As long as I don't scare the hell out of him, Horacio, " I said smiling.
"Well here's your chance. He's walking towards us now, " Horacio said, handing me a cup of Espresso that he picked up from one of the many drink stands.
I took the cup and raised it to Luis in a toast.
"I see you've come incognito, " He said as he shook Horacio's hand.
His mouth curled upward in one irresistable bad-boy smile and I couldn't help but find him charming behind the obvious sarcasm.
"To say I've come incognito implies you know my real identity and I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure, " I said as I offered him a handshake.
"I know you better than you think, " He said as he took my hand and kissed it.
I was surprised by his statement and said nothing letting him continue the conversation.
" I know that your favorite color is pink. And I know you're smart, tender, determined, and an excellent writer."
"He's read your poetry, Isabel. I showed it to him, " Horacio said as he excused himself to rejoin the band.
***
That was the first time we met. We spent the day together talking about anything and everything from politics, to poetry before I asked him if he wanted to take a ride with me. We drove over to the Malecon and watched the ocean. It was there that he asked me if I wanted to make love. His voice was like a little boy's who was afraid the answer would be no, so I said yes. We married each other in our hearts that night and later formalized it with a huge wedding in El Vedado. Horacio was the best man and Aunt Maria was the maid of honor. The bridesmaids wore pink.
Luicito brought me a huge house in El Vedado as a wedding present and we lived there happily for many years. Horacio worked part time at El Gallito and traveled back and forth to the US with his band. Every Friday night we would hold a pachanga at our home for the local artists in our area. We discussed the writings of Jose Marti, and the poems of Jose Maria Heredia but by the year 1958 things started to change. There was talk of a revolution and Horacio became obsessed with the movement. He quit his job at El Gallito, disassembled his band, and supported Fidel Castro with such vehemence that he lashed out against anyone who spoke ill of the rebel commander. Before Horacio left El Gallito Luicito confronted him about some missing money from the store. We had suspected that he was secretly taking money to help fund the rising militias. An ugly war of words insued and it was enough to break the bonds of our friendship forever. We didn't hear from Horacio again until a year later when Castro took control of Cuba. A group of military officials stormed our house in the middle of the night, taking inventory of all our possessions . Among them was Horacio. He had filed a formal complaint stating that we were holding anti-government meetings in our home. We were arrested and taken into custody. Luis was sent to Isla De Pinos and I was taken here, to Boniato Prison in Santiago de Cuba. I later learned that Horacio had taken possession of our home and was now living there, and that El Gallito was burned to the ground.
In 1967 Isla De Pinos prison was dismantled and the prisoners were distributed to different centers across Cuba.
During the course of my stay in Boniato prison I had but one visitor, Horacio. He'd come in on a daily basis declaring his love for me right before he raped me. I fought him, scratching at his face with the little strength I had but he always managed to overpower me.
"Where's Luicito you son of a bitch?" I asked him each and every time.
Usually he never answered, but this last time he looked at me with a cold stare and replied, "He's dead, " as he walked away.
Inadequate provisions of food and medical health left me weak and I worried about what had happened to Aunt Maria and the rest of my family and friends. When I complained I was punished and put into a gaveta (drawer) 4 feet wide by 6 feet in length. I spent months there until my voice was silenced. Until I felt myself break apart.
Today I will disappear, back to the day when I first met Luis at the grand opening of El Gallito. Back to the day when Horacio was my best friend, and Aunty Maria was painting the town pink. Back to when we all saw life together in the hope of One More Tomorrow.
I am going to review the stories here tonight. I will do yours:)
and 
all
time for me 
echoes, hope you all are doing well 
