Ilanga lalingakhange liphakame xa ndaphuma ngaphandle kwendlu yangasese, ndaza ndambona ummelwane wam, u-Aussie, ethetha ngokukhawuleza njengoko wayegubha izitya ezijikelezayo ngasemva kweenqanawa zakhe.
"Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kuhamba! Le nxalenye yembali! "Ndazi ukuba unokuthetha kuphela ngento enye: Cuba.
"Ngaba uhamba ngomkhumbi ngomngcwabo kaFidel?" Ndabuza uAussie.
"Ewe. Imozulu ibonakala ikhulu! Imimoya yokukhanya evela empuma, kufuneka ibe luhambo olugqibeleleyo. "
"Ngaba ndiza?" Ndabuza, ndonwabile ukuba ne-adventure yangempela eCuba . Ndandiphila kwisikhululo se-West West iminyaka emibini, kodwa nangona uhambo olusandul 'ukhenketho lwama-American ukuya kwisiqithi, ndingazange ndihambe ngomgama wamamayela angama-90 ukuya eHaana. Isikhephe sam kunye namava endihamba ngayo asilungele lolo hambo yodwa .
Uhambo, ngokuqinisekileyo, lwalukho ngaphandle kokuxhalabisa. Ndandidandathekile malunga nokuba umoya uya kuba njani emva kokuba abantu baseCuba balahlekelwa yinkokeli yabo. URhulumente wayeke wayivimbela okwethutyana umculo kunye notywala, kwaye akungabazeki ukuba uqaphele. Uhambo oluvela kwi-Key West ukuya eHaana lithatha iiyure ezingama-14 ukuya kwe-20 ngesikebhe .
I-Aussie yajikeleza i-motley crew I-Westers eyimfuneko: UFrank, umlobi ongekho namava ngomkhumbi; UWayne, owayehlala e-marina kwaye akazange ahlaziye; kunye noScott, umculi ongumculi owayeduka eCuba iminyaka engaphezu kwe-20.
UScott wayehamba kunye nonina nentombi eyayilungiselele ukubhuka kwinkampani yezokhenketho eneenkcukacha ezithandekayo, kodwa izikebhe zathengiswa .
Aba bhinqa babemele bexhala njengobunxila, baxakeke abasebenzi ababethelele iipalo, iibhokisi, kunye nezinye izinto kwizinto ezingabonakaliyo, "cwangcisa b" isikebhe esasiyi-Scott.
Sasishiya ekushoneni kwelanga - ngokukhawuleza kunokuba kulindelwe - ngeemimoya ezingenangqiqo kwi-9 ukuya kwi-11 eziliekhilomitha ngeyure njengoko u-Aussie eqikelele. Kunoko, bebethuma ngaphezu kwama-25mph ngamaza azungeze iinyawo ezili-12.
"Yincwadana encinane apha! Ndidlule ijusi le-orange! "U-Aussie wamemeza kuFranky noWayne, ababebethe yonke imini. Baqhaqha into ethile kwi-galley baza banikela ingilazi phezulu kwizitebhisi eziya ku-Aussie kwi-helm, i-tye shirt yakhe eqhekezayo i-te shirt ephosa emoyeni. Ukhafulela ijusi kwakhona.
"Ngaba kukho i-vodka apha? Ndathi ijusi le-orange! "Wadlula igalazi ehla, kodwa abasebenzi begaraji babengadideki.
"Yintoni engalunganga ngayo?" Kubuza uWayne.
"Andazi! Mhlawumbi inamandla kakhulu? Yongeza ijusi le-orange, "uFrank wasikisela ukuba angaqondi isizathu sokuba umthetheli abuyele 'ijusi.'
Uthi uMarta, umlenze wakhe waseBoston ukhona. Ingxolo efana ne-alarm belt alarm yaqhubeka ihamba yonke imizuzu embalwa.
"O, ayikho into," u-Aussie wamqinisekisa, kwaye ndakuva ukuba ayenze into ethile ngeekamera ayengayithatha.
Njengoko sasiya kwiGulf Stream eyaziwayo, i-current warm warm of water rough, isimo sezulu saqhubeka sisona sikhulu. Izinto zaziwa phantsi kuba abasebenzi bebesela kunokuba bafumaneke. Ndazama ukunyuka ukuya kwikhabini eliphambili xa umabonwakude wehla emagxeni am. UFrank wayekho ekhondweni xa isikebhe sihamba, samphonsa eludongeni.
UWayne wanqamle isandla sakhe kuThixo uyazi ukuba yintoni na iphuma kuyo yonke indawo. Elinye indlu yangasese yayingasebenzi kwaye isihlalo somnye sasihamba. Ngalesi nqanaba, phantse bonke aba sixhenxe bethu bebewela ngaphesheya kweso sikhephe, kuquka noScott owaye waya eCuba ngamaxesha angama-200 (okanye ke wathi).
UWayne, owayegqoke izicathulo zam endizithandayo ezazilahleka kwi-marina iintsuku ezimbalwa ngaphambili, wayegxotha kwi-cigar kwaye ezama ukuthuthuzela intombi kaMarilyy, intombi kaTarta, ngokumxelela ukuba akhangele iinkwenkwezi.
"Khawufikelele kwiinkwenkwezi, uzibambe, uzifake ephaketheni lakho," wathetha. "Akuyinto enhle?" Wabuza ukuxubha ihlombe lakhe.
"Nceda ungathinti. Andive ndiziva kakuhle, "uMy Mindy wazama ukumtshiza.
"Hayi umphathi, injini iyatshisa," uFrank ubiza. Bawukhupha, kwaye isandi samagagasi kunye nomoya wancenga kakhulu.
Ndaphakamisa phantsi kwe-raincoat ndazama ukulala. Ndivuswe ngxakeka ngokukhawuleza njengoko amaza aqhwaqhaqhaqhazela emzimbeni wam, endigxotha ngokupheleleyo njengoKaputeni Aussie wamemeza esithi "esi siqhwithi sasingenakulinganiswa!"
"Ndiya kukhanda ibhulukhwe yam!" UMarta wakhala. "Unayo ibhakethi?"
"Hamba phantsi uze usebenzise intloko," u-Aussie wagxininisa.
"Andinako! Iphukile, kwaye kukho iibhokisi kunye neebhokhwe zokuloba endleleni. "Ukuzama ukugaya kwindlu yangasese kwakunjengokusebenzisa indlu yokuhlambela kwisitimela sase-Amtrak esasichitha. Sonke sasihlanganiswa ngamanzi omzimba.
"Hayi umphathi," uFrank waqala kwakhona njengoko isandi sokukhwaza saphinda sabuya kwakhona. "Umpompo wamanzi uphukile. Kukho amanzi kuwo wonke umgangatho phantsi apha. "Ngoku ke wonke umntu wayedlala.
Umzabalazo wawuqhubeka ngobusuku, kwaye kwakunjengeeminyaka edlulileyo ngaphambi kokuba ilanga liphule phezulu, kwaye iHaana ibonakale phezulu. Isimo sezulu saqala ukuzola xa sifikile, saphukile kwaye sihlaselwe, sisizwe esibuhlungu ekulileni.
Ngaselunxwemeni lwe-Marina Hemingway, ii-agents zaseCuban zamajelo zilindile, zihlala zingena kwiihlalo eziphantsi kwe-gazebo emthunjini njengoko sasiya kwisixeko esicacileyo. I-Havana yayingenakunqwenela ukuzola emva kwesiphepho sethu sobudlova obuseNtshonalanga.
Ndandiqhaqhazela ndaza ndayiphakamisela indlela eya kwisitya somkhumbi, iingubo zam ezinqabileyo kwaye zinzima ukusuka emanzini amnyuwa, kodwa iisokisi kunye nezicathulo zam zisasa. Isikhumba sam satshiswa ekuvukeni kwangaphandle kunye nokunyanzeliswa kumabonwakude owela kum, kunye nevumba le "adventure" (ukuhlanza) emilenzeni yam emilenzeni yayilungiswa emoyeni. Njengoko ndilwa ne-nausea, inqanawa enkulu, ehamba kakuhle ehamba phambili phambi kwethu yayingena eHaana igcwele abagibeli abaphumle kakuhle.
Emva kokuba sihlala, iqela lethu liye laya e-Plaza de la Revolucion, apho amawaka ahlanganiselwe ukuhlawula imbeko njengoko i-monotone izwi elivela kwi-loudspeakers lancoma ukufezekiswa kukaFidel. Abaninzi babethetha phakathi kwabo, behleli ematyekeni kwinqanaba njengokulindela i-movie yangaphandle ukuqala. Kukho ixesha elide lilindele ukuthulisa iiteksi zeChevrolet zakudala zaseCuba, kwaye iHaana yayisithulile kwaye iphelile.
"Ndicinga ukuba ndinenkqantosi yenkcubeko," kusho uMicy waseBoston njengoko sasihamba ngeHazana. "Kodwa kungekhona ngenxa yeCuba. IiCubans zibonakala ziqhelekile. Ndiyatshatyalaliswa ngokwenkcubeko ngenxa yama-Wester Key Keys kunye nayo yonke umdlalo wabo. "