The Father Returns to Cuba and the Son Leaves
HAVANA TIMES – I have a very curious story for you about a father, his son, and emigration in this country.
I have a friend who studied acting when he was young at Havana’s School of the Arts. After graduating, he went to work with a children’s theater group, performing a character he had created himself—a clown.
The group was invited to Spain, and since this was during the 1990s crisis in Cuba, he decided to stay and live there. Fortunately, he was able to continue doing the same kind of work.
He left behind his mother and his son in Cuba, and from Spain he was able to help them through the difficult circumstances the country was facing during the misnamed “Special Period.” His mother worked in construction in order to earn a house, and she succeeded, but her health deteriorated badly and she became ill.
He returned every year and provided financial support to both his mother and his son. His mother intended to leave him the home as an inheritance, but for that to happen he would have had to reestablish his residency in Cuba. While he was handling the inheritance paperwork, his mother passed away.
As things started going badly for him in Spain—he could not find work and could no longer afford rent—he thought, “If I already have a very good home in Cuba, it’s better to return and live there. That way I can be close to my son.” He also thought, “If my neighbors are happy, I can be too. It’s my country.”
My friend returned full of optimism and ambitious plans. He converted his patio into a movie theater and began screening films. He did it for free for children. Blackouts are difficult for us—imagine how hard they are for a child who cannot understand why the electricity is taken away.
I think it’s a wonderful thing. The children have fun and enjoy themselves. He has an EcoFlow unit that allows him to do this. It’s a battery that stores electrical energy and has become very popular here—for those who can afford one or who have relatives abroad who can buy one for them. For the average Cuban, it is impossible.
Since he returned with little money, my friend has adapted to current trends and buys products to resell so he can make a living. He is always on the lookout for anything free. One day he came to my house and told me that he had saved us a place in line at the ration store to have our eyesight tested by an optometrist. They sell prescription glasses on the spot for 1,000 Cuban pesos (just under 2 USD). The free part is the eye exam and the opportunity to obtain prescription glasses. At this moment in my country, that is something very difficult to get any other way, and usually at much higher prices.
Another one of his projects is to set up a nightclub in his patio. He already has lighting equipment, screens, and excellent sound systems installed, but the EcoFlow cannot handle that much power. Even so, he maintains a good attitude. The only thing that really gets under his skin is the constant on-and-off cycle of the electricity: the power comes and goes, the voltage rises and falls, and there is no time to unplug any appliances.
The other day he told me that when he went to see his son and told him he had come back to live permanently in Cuba, the young man—who is a chef at a restaurant and very good at what he does—replied, “But Dad, I’m selling my house so I can leave the country.”
My friend was speechless. But he could not say anything, because years earlier he had done exactly the same thing.
And so the story repeats itself again and again. How much longer will Cuban families continue to be separated?
I leave you with that question, because thinking about these injustices overwhelms me.
With each passing day, I feel more strongly that we are approaching the end of this agony.