Ilanga lalingasakhuphuki lapho ngiphuma egumbini lokugezela ngamanina futhi ngilalele umakhelwane wami, u-Aussie, ekhuluma ngokuzwakalayo njengoba evala iziqukathi ngasemva kwesikebhe sakhe.
"Yebo ngizohamba! Lokhu kuyingxenye yomlando! "Ngangazi ukuthi wayengakhuluma kuphela ngento eyodwa: Cuba.
"Ingabe uhamba ngomkhumbi namhlanje kumngcwabo kaFidel?" Ngabuza u-Aussie.
"Yebo. Isimo sezulu sibonakala sihle! Imimoya ekhanyayo esuka empumalanga, kufanele ibe uhambo oluphelele. "
"Ngingakwazi ukuza?" Ngabuza, ngijabule ukuba ne-adventure yangempela eCuba . Ngangihlala esikebheni e-Key West iminyaka emibili, kodwa naphezu kokunethezeka kwamuva kwezokuvakasha zaseMelika esiqhingini, ngangingakaze ngihambe ngamakhilomitha angu-90 ngiye eHaana. Isikebhe sami kanye nesipiliyoni sami sokuhamba ngomkhumbi asilungele lolo hambo yedwa .
Uhambo, okwamanje, lwalukho ngaphandle kokukhathazeka. Ngangikhathazekile ngokuthi ngabe umoya uzoba njani ngemva kokuba abantu baseCuba balahlekelwe umholi wabo. Uhulumeni wayevimbele okwesikhashana umculo nomnotshwala, futhi akungabazeki ukuthi uqaphile kakhulu. Uhambo oluvela e-Key West oluya eHaana lithatha amahora angu-14 kuya kwangu-20 ngesikebhe .
U-Aussie waqoqa abasebenzi be-motley Key Westers: uFranky, umdobi owayengenaso isipiliyoni ngamanolwazi; UWayne, owayehlala e-marina futhi wayengakaze acindezeleke; noScott, umculi owayengumculi eCuba iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20.
UScott wayehamba nomama nendodakazi ehlela ukubhuka inkampani yokuvakasha eqinisekisiwe ene-catamaran ekhangayo, kodwa izikebhe zathengiswa .
Laba besifazane babebukeka besaba njengodakwa, behlukumeze izimbiza zokudoba, amabhokisi, nezinye izinto ezingenazo izintambo, "plan b" isikebhe iScott esilungiselele.
Sashiya ekushoneni kwelanga - isikhathi esilandelayo kunalindelekile - ngemimoya eyayingeyona into enamamitha angu-9 kuya kwangu-11 ngehora njengoba u-Aussie abikezele. Esikhundleni salokho, babebethela ama-25mph ngamagagasi azungeze izinyawo ezingu-12.
"Kuyinto encane nje lapha! Ngidlulise ijusi le-orange! "U-Aussie wamemeza kuFranky noWayne, owayephuza yonke intambama. Bashisa into ethile emgodini futhi banikeze ingilazi phezulu ezitebhisini eziya e-Aussie e-helm, ihembe lakhe elivuthiwe elidayiwe i-tie i-tee shirt. Ukhafulela ijusi emuva.
"Kukhona i-vodka lapha? Ngathi ijusi le-orange! "Wadlula ingilazi yehle, kepha abasebenza ngogesi babheka ukudideka.
"Yini engalungile ngakho?" Kubuza uWayne.
"Angazi! Mhlawumbe kunamandla kakhulu? Engeza ijusi le-orange ngaphezulu, "uFrank uphakamisa ukungaqondi ukuthi kungani induna yabuyisela 'ijusi' elihle kakhulu.
UMarta, okhulumela iBoston, uthi: "Kuyini lokho?" Umsindo ofana ne-alamu ye-seatbelt yemoto wawulokhu ihamba njalo ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa.
"Awu, akusikho," u-Aussie wamqinisekisa, futhi ngamuzwa eveza okuthile ngekhamera ayengayithatha.
Njengoba sasivakashela iGulf Stream eyaziwa kakhulu, njengamanje amandla afudumele wamanzi amanzi, isimo sezulu saqhubeka sibi kakhulu. Izinto zawela ngoba abasebenzi bephuza esikhundleni sokuzigcina. Ngazama ukukhuphukela egumbini elibheke phambili lapho ithelevishini ifika ehlombe emahlombe ami. UFranky wayesesiteji lapho isikebhe sishaya, samphonsa odongeni.
UWayne wanquma isandla sakhe kuNkulunkulu uyazi nokuthi yini ephuma kuyo yonke indawo. Indlu eyodwa yangasese yayingasebenzi futhi isihlalo somunye sasihamba. Ngalesi sikhathi, cishe bonke abayisikhombisa bethu bebehamba ngaphesheya kwesikebhe, kuhlanganise noScott owaye waya eCuba izikhathi ezingu-200 (noma kunjalo).
UWayne, owayegqoke izimbadada ezizithandayo ezazilahlekile emanzini ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngaphambili, wayegubha e-cigar futhi ezama ukududuza indodakazi kaMary, uMary, ngokumtshela ukuthi ubheke izinkanyezi.
"Vele ufike ezinkanyezini, uzibambe, uzifake ephaketheni lakho," usho kanje. "Akukubi yini?" Wabuza ukugcoba ehlombe lakhe.
"Ngicela ungithinti. Angizizwa kahle, "u-Mindy wazama ukumtshela.
"Hayi induna, injini ishisa," kusho uFranky. Bayivala, futhi umsindo wamagagasi nomoya wancenga kakhulu.
Ngaphonsa ngaphansi kwe-raincoat futhi ngazama ukulala. Ngangivuka nge-jolt ngokuzumayo njengoba amaqhubu amakhulu aqhuma emzimbeni wami, engisongela ngokuphelele njengoCaptain Aussie ememeza ethi "lesi sivunguvungu sasingeke sibikezele!"
"Ngizoyidonsa ibhulukwe lami!" UMarta wakhala. "Unayo ibhakede?"
"Yehla phansi bese usebenzisa ikhanda," kusho u-Aussie.
"Angikwazi! Iphukile, futhi kukhona amabhokisi kanye nezimbiza zokudoba endleleni. "Ukuzama ukugaya endlini yangasese kwakunjengokusebenzisa indlu yokugezela esitimeleni sase-Amtrak esasanda kudlula. Sonke sasigcwele izikhukhula zomzimba.
"Hamba kaputeni," uFrank waphinde waqala ukukhala. "Ipompo lamanzi liphukile. Kukhona amanzi kuwo wonke phansi phansi lapha. "Manje wonke umuntu wayedlala.
Umzabalazo waqhubeka phakathi nobusuku, futhi kwabonakala sengathi sekudlula amashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga, futhi iDaana yabonakala phezulu. Isimo sezulu saqala ukuzola lapho sifika, siphukile futhi sihlushwa, sizwe esibuhlungu ekulileni.
Ngasemaphethelweni aseMarta Hemingway, ama-customs agents aseCuban alindile , ehamba ngezihlalo ezingaphansi kwe-gazebo emthunjini njengoba sasiya edolobheni elithulile. I-Havana kwakuyizozotha okungenakwenzeka ngemva kwesiphepho sethu sobudlova obuseNtshonalanga.
Ngagubha futhi ngidabula indlela yami eya emnsinini wesikebhe, izingubo zami ezincibilikayo futhi ezinzima eziphuma emanzini anosawoti ziqubuzela, kodwa amasokisi ami nezicathulo zazingasaboni. Isikhumba sami sashiswe ilanga ekuvukeni ngaphandle futhi ngisinyazwa ithelevishini ewela phezu kwami, futhi iphunga le-"adventure" (ukuhlanza) emilenzeni yami yasendleleni yayixubha emoyeni. Ngesikhathi ngilwa nesisulu somkhuhlane, umkhumbi omkhulu wokuhamba ngesikebhe wawungaphambi kwethu waya eHaana ogcwele abagibeli abaphumule kahle.
Ngemva kokuhlala, iqembu lethu lavakashela iPaza de la Revolucion, lapho izinkulungwane zabuthana khona ukuze zihloniphe njengamazwi e-monotone avela kuma-loudspeakers adumisa ukufezwa kukaFidel. Abaningi babekhuluma phakathi kwabo, behlezi egcekeni elikwele njengokungathi balinde i-movie yangaphandle ukuze iqale. Kube yisikhathi eside silinde ukuthumba amatekisi aseCuba ase-Old Chevrolet, futhi iHaana yayisithulile futhi ithulile.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi nginamahloni amasiko," kusho uMymy waseBoston njengoba sihambahamba ngeHazana. "Kodwa hhayi ngenxa yeCuba. AmaCuba abonakala ejwayelekile kakhulu. Nginomkhuba wokushaqeka ngamasiko ngenxa ye-Key crazy Westers nayo yonke idrama yabo. "