Friday, June 23, 2006

The Lost City, a Continuation - Chapter 6

Index of Chapters

Chapter 6


If Susan Fellove was conflicted about Fico’s desire to help Aurora, she didn’t show it. In fact it was Susan who came up with what Fico thought was a great idea to find her. True to Susan’s empathetic character she became engrossed in the story about how hard times had befallen Aurora. She didn’t flinch when Fico confessed what she had already suspected, which was that Aurora was more than a former girlfriend or Fico’s widowed sister-in-law.

Susan felt secure in her marriage. For 15 years she had never had any reason to suspect Fico of being anything but faithful. The nightclub business is a tough one to be married into but Fico had always welcomed her at the club and tried to involve her as much as possible. She understood that Fico was a good man and knew that what was really bothering him was his brusque reaction to Aurora’s sudden reappearance. He was feeling guilty for not behaving in a gentlemanly manner. Fico always strived to be a gentleman; he was a true romantic. Susan knew that chivalry was not dead as long as Fico was alive. But regardless of the guilt Fico felt, she didn’t think he was being fair with himself. His reaction was totally human.

Susan could see Fico’s mood lighten as he unburdened himself of the story he had to tell. A lesser woman might have questioned why Fico had never confessed his true relationship with Aurora but Susan had been a music major and psychology minor. She understood that it’s not necessarily healthy for couples to disclose all the details about previous amorous relationships. Broad strokes were enough and Fico had never hidden the fact that he had seen Aurora romantically right before he left Cuba.

That night Fico slept a deep dreamless sleep. Susan went to bed thinking about how she might locate Aurora. She hypothesized that there might be two institutions that might know where to find Aurora: the Federal Government or the Catholic Church. Both were working overtime to find homes for the thousands of refugees that were arriving daily. Fico and Susan decided that he’d try to tap into the immigration and naturalization service and she’d try the church. She had a head start. The former pastor at the Fellove’s parish, Father Valentín, was now the secretary for the Archbishop. She would visit the Archdiocese the next day and find out what she could. If Aurora had sought help from the Church when she arrived in Miami, Father Val should be able to locate her.

1 comment:

Liansu said...

Ofelia Fox, wife of the owner of the cabaret TROPICANA of Havana, was the first female radio personality of South Florida, broadcasting a daily radio commentary: "El Mensaje de Liansú" for which she did not charge a penny. WMIE, from where she transmitted, is now called "La Cubanísima" (WQBA) and a collection of Ofelia Fox's manuscripts has been published as CUBA, PATRIA EN LAGRIMAS Y EL MENSAJE DE LIANSU. A true diary of the first wave of political refugees from Cuba.

Mensaje transmitido el Miércoles, 27 de Febrero de 1963:
"Ayer llegó procedente de Nueva York el cadáver de un héroe de Playa Girón. Ironías de la vida. Jugadas del destino. Ese valiente soldado se llamava Ivo Fernández. Yo no lo conocía , pero para rendirle tributo me basta que fuera un soldado que fué a pelear por mí. Sí, por mí y por tí, Cubano que me escuchas. Sí. Tú y yo y aquel otro nos quedamos aquí mientras los soldados de Playa Girón fueron a pelear por la libertad en Cuba. Que es lo mismo que pelear por todos los Cubanos que estamos desterrados. ¡Y pensar que se debatió en el mar o en el aire o en tierra, que estuvo preso en las cárceles de Fidel Castro quien ignoró todas las reglas del trato a los prisioneros de guerra y los maltrató y humilló a su antojo! Pensar que sobrevivió la desnutrición, las enfermedades y los castigos físicos y morales de las prisiones comunistas. Que salió de aquellas cárceles dinamitadas con el firme propósito de volver a pelear por Cuba. ¡Y muere aquí, sin ver a su patria libre, como el la soñara!
Cuando oí la noticia ayer, aquí en este mismo espacio, sentí un dolor y una pena enorme de que este Cubano se nos hubiera ido tan pronto, sin ser testigo de la libertad que fué a defender un día. Que Dios acoja su espíritu en Su seno y lo cobije como Cubano triste, como héroe y como hombre de honor. Aquí, con sus restos, nos queda Ivo Fernández, soldado de la Brigada 2506, que seguirá latiendo en el corazón de todos y cada uno de sus compañeros y en el de cada Cubano que sufre el destierro. Descansa en paz, Ivo Fernández.
Ofelia S. Fox, "Liansú"