Coming Up Cuban by Sonia Manzano

Author:Sonia Manzano [Manzano, Sonia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2022-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

A week later, I see two soldiers in the distance coming to arrest me, I’m sure, for having the magazine Nilo stole for me.

Running inside, I climb up on the bed and hide it between the wall and the thatched roof. Then I go out and wait with my mother, my heart in my mouth.

Mamá turns to me from grinding corn. “Soldiers,” she says. “I thought the Revolution was over,” and she goes back to pounding.

But I’m relieved they are not soldiers, but a girl, a little older than me, and a young man, wearing what look like military uniforms. But not quite. They dismount and approach us, smiling.

“My name is Carlos,” says the boy. “And this is Carmen,” he says, introducing the girl as he helps her dismount. “We are Los brigadistas, come to teach!”

Carmen reminds me of someone. Was it the girl in the magazine with the cream on her finger and curly black hair and eyebrows that each arch up in the middle? All at once, it comes to me!

“We represent the Campaña Nacional de Alfabetización en Cuba,” says Carmen. “We are staying over at Don Jacinto’s store in the village until we pick a house to have the reading lessons in.”

She’s one of the girls I met with Ana in Havana two years ago at the rally!

“May we go inside?” says Carlos.

“Of course, but just the girl,” says Mamá. “No man in the house without my husband.” He holds the horses as Carmen turns toward the house. I pull my mother back and tell her how we met Carmen at the rally.

Mamá looks confused. “You mean when the bird pooped on Fidel’s head!”

“Yes!”

Recognition sweeps over her face. We catch up to Carmen. “Wait!” I say moments before she enters the house. “Don’t you remember me?”

She looks at me blankly.

“At the rally! In Havana! We stayed with Ana!”

Carmen sucks in her breath. “Oh my goodness! Yes! Ana!” Her face becomes dark. “She was my friend. We went to school together.”

“What happened to Ana and her family?” asks Mamá.

“They abandoned the Revolution after her father went to jail and died of a heart attack. Ana wrote me a letter saying they were leaving Cuba,” she says flatly.

We are silent for a moment, each careful not to give an opinion about the Revolution. I remember you never know when you can be denounced.

“Do you remember the bird pooping on Fidel’s head?” I say.

“Oh yes,” she giggles. Thank goodness every Cuban finds that funny. It opens a way for us. We go into the house, laughing.

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