Miami: Day Two

Wow! This is by far the largest house that my family has ever lived in. They have finally accomplished every Cuban refugee’s American dream. I think that my favorite part of the house in the terrace out in the back. It comes equipped with a circa 1985 television set, equally old stereo and an always present bottle of whiskey. What else can you ask for when you already got all three of the Cuban people’s opiate? (That was a joke….a good one.) I see myself spending more long hours here doing nothing but rocking my problems away. There’s a plum tree (Mata de ciruelas) in the back just like the one I use to love in el guajai when I lived in Cuba. There’s also an Avocado tree and a grape vein growing on the plum tree. This must be an incredible move for my mother who refers to her previous apartment as “El Palomar.” (the pigeon coop) Today I saw my cousin Edward (A.K.A. “chu-chu”) for the first time in over 25 years. We are a year apart and so were very close as children. Many of my earliest childhood memories are with him. He is my age and identifies himself as a Master cigar roller. He is proud of his ability to roll every single kind of cigar style in the world regardless of gauge. I wonder what I would have become skilled at had I stayed behind. Perhaps, a curator at a museum, a translator for foreigners or simply making tourist trinkets out of palm leaves. Who knows? Who cares? The latter is scary enough. I would probably be in jail for arguing my right to read foreign books or complaining out loud about some injustice or another near a member f el “commite de defense.” (Neighborhood Committee of Defense)…Unfortunately for my neighbors no such committees exist because my household is a well frequented loud one.

Terrace

Snoozing

Mom & Chu Chu