Once Upon a Time in Havana

I started walking faster. I was wearing a white shirt which some of its bottoms were open and my
long brown hair reached my shoulders. After that much walking, I could see that tall buildings. It
looked like the entire town was just many tall buildings. I went closer. So close that I realized I was in
the town now. I entered a restaurant. –"hi. Good afternoon sir. Don t you need a mambo singer?"
and I started singing my favorite song. "Listen buddy, here is a restaurant, where people eat.
Listening to songs while eating is a stupid thing, especially such an awful voice as yours. Come on
buddy. Go somewhere else to find your fame a fortune and stardom, mambo king!" I went to many
other restaurants. No one accepted me. I entered a café. As usual, there were many blonde
American tourists wearing cowboy hats and smoking cigars, speaking English and laughing loudly. –
"hi, good afternoon sir. Don t you need a mambo singer?" he took a look at my top to bottom and
said:" no, have you entered Havana recently?" "I arrived just today." "Don t you have a house?"
"Huh?" "It s getting dark. You can t sleep out. Here has been a residence apartment. There are two
rooms upstairs. One of them is full. If you cook well, I will let you stay at the room plus 5dollars a
week." I looked at the sky. He was right. It was getting darker. I had no more choice. I accepted to
start working from tomorrow. I went to the room upstairs. I sat on the bed. It had a very bad sound.
I sat on a chair. It had a bad sound too. Even the floor had a bad sound when I sat on it. I put my
hand on the table. My hand was full of dirt. I started blowing out on the table. The dirt went into my
lungs. "Oh god, is this life?"
As usual, I was walking in the streets alone. I talked, laughed and sometimes sang. Every day at my
free, I used to walk by myself in the streets around the café. I used to think of my future and my
goals. I was imagining myself when as I had a lot of money and I was a mambo king. I imagined
myself holding concerts and buying myself villas and cars with its money. I had learned the streets
around the café well. I thought of visiting other parts of Santa Andressa. I believed strongly in my
sense of direction, and I was sure that I won t get lost. The other part of Santa Andressa was not like
the streets I always used to walk in. American tourists could be seen everywhere. They never
brought women and children with themselves. I didn't t know why. That side of Santa Andressa was
place for the rich Americans to enjoy their life for a week without family. Maybe some of them were
rich doctors, engineers, farmers and businessmen. I was watching them carefully when I felt
someone at my back. I turned. There was a man with loose striped pants and green who had
a white fedora hat and a golden cross necklace was hanging from his neck. I said hello. "Hi, I am Tito.
Who are you? Why are you so confused? It looks like it is the first time you’re here." "I am not willing
to tell my name. Nice to meet you Tito. What do you have to do with me?" "Nothing especial. I saw
you lonely and confused. I thought maybe you need a friend."
At first I was really in doubt with him. But after weeks, he became my best friend. One day we sat on
his pretty red car to go to the beach. He had promised to take me to a quiet beach, because I didn't t
like to watch American tourists doing silly things. Driving a car in Havana was really interesting. That
was the first time I was visiting downtown. I could see very tall buildings from very close. Also pretty
cars and wide clean streets with happy people smiling. Havana s glamour could make everybody
excited. Hotels, casinos, carnivals and different festivals. I was getting dizzy. I did n t know what side
should I watch. Finally, we reached the quiet beach Tito had promised. After seeing so much
glamour, going to a quiet beach was a little depressing. We got out of the car. There was a man
wearing white suit and blue shirt with especial style of low collar and tight necklace around his neck
whose hairstyle look like the one for most fashionable actors. He was sitting on the sands and
playing with them with his hands. Tito said in English:" hello sir. I brought him." My face turnedyellow. "What?" I said in English. The man took a look at me. "So you know English." He turned to
Tito "who is this guy Tito?" "Sir, he has the same specifications as you said. In Santa Andressa. " "ah
Tito, tomorrow Fulfinante will arrive Havana by airplane, only to see my partner. That is very
shameful for me to tell him that Avanti Aquila has ran away." "Sorry Mr. Buchanan" said Tito, and
kissed Buchanan s hand. His hands were full of rings. He turned to me and said:" what do you do
boy?" "I cook at a café." "Are you good at acting?" "Huh?" "You must act a role." "What role?"
"Avanti Aquila, my partner who ran way and spends time in Santa Andressa now." "Why was he your
partner?" "To build hotel Exarchopolos, a five star hotel casino." "Oh, I must go home." "That is n t a
suggestion. That is an order!" "What?" "Where do you live?" Tito answered instead of me:" in a dirty
and untidy small room above a café in Santa Andressa." "So you know where he lives. Ok Tito.
Tomorrow you go to his house and take him to hotel nacional. Just don t arrive before 5 pm. I must
escort Fulfinante at the airport. So remember: hotel nacional, room 213." I told myself:" oh, I
shouldn't t have let him know I know English. I shouldn't t have spoken English to him."
Tito knocked the door. "Come in" said a charming voice. I opened the door. We both got in. beside
Buchanan, there was a charming man with gray suit, red bow tie and attractive oiled brown hair."Oh
Mr. Fulfinante, let me introduce: Tito and Avanti Aquila. "Said Buchanan to Fulfinante."Which one is
Aquila?" "The long hair" "please sit down gentlemen." We sat down. Fulfinante turned to me and
said:" So you are Buchanan s partner. What is your job?" "Oh, mmmmeee….." "Mr. Fulfinante, I must
say something: he is not my partner." Said Buchanan. "You mean Aquila is not your partner?"
"Aquila is my partner, but he is not Aquila. Aquila has escaped. A place in Santa Andressa. I asked
Tito to find him, but he brought the wrong person. I asked him to play as Aquila. He is not a good
actor. You would realize this sooner or later." Fulfinante tried to change the mood without paying
much attention to that. He completely forget that he had arrived by airplane just to see Aquila. He
started socializing with me and he constantly praised my English speaking. Although he had a bit
Italian accent himself. He was Italian. He had immigrated to US with family at age of 6. He knew
America as his home. These were things that he said himself. At first, the talk was very general, but
after a while, he started asking me about myself. I never told my name to anyone. So Fulfinante
called me Avanti Aquila. I wasn't t very comfortable with that name, but I accepted it. Fulfinante
fraternized with me, so I started telling him all my wishes and dreams. Like I wanted to become a
mambo king and many other things. When my talks finished, he stared at me with his charming eyes
and said:" you can become a famous mambo king and reach all of your dreams. But you must do
something" "what? To cooperate with you?" "Exactly." "Sorry, what is your job?" "Business, an
unusual business based on honor, blood, brotherhood and protection." "Is there good money in it?"
"There isn't t anything like good money or bad money in business. It s just money." In fact my
question was something else, but his answer made me scared. I had no choice. I had to continue. I
put my hand on the table and said:" how can I enter this business?"
I entered the airport. I went straight to info desk and said:" excuse me. When will Miami-Havana
plane arrive?" "Are you waiting for anyone?" "So why do you expect me to ask this?" "It arrived
three minutes earlier sir." "What?" my face turned yellow. "How can I find him?" "Go search for him"
after so much searching, I finally found him. He was wearing a simple red shirt and sunglasses. I went
closer and said:" hi sir. " "hi. You?" "Let me guess. You are "Levi Fletcher. But it is wrong. You have
arrived with fake name. In fact you are Senator Macpherson." "Where do you know this?" I pulled
off a card out of my pocket and showed it to him:" I am a NAF agent. It stands for national agency of
….. Sorry. I can t say what F stands for. " "so what do you have to do with me? Huh?" "I must protectyou until the last day you are in Cuba, sir." "What? Listen. I arrived with fake name and just for
amusement. In fact I doubt if NAF really exists. And you don t look like an agent of a national
organization. So please let me go." "So you expect me to wear a long black coat and sunglasses as an
agent?" "Don t take my time. Let me go." "Wait, if I weren't t a real agent, so where did I know about
your identity? Huh?" "How can a youngster with long hair and dirty white shirt protect me? How do
you want to protect me?" "I am not a strong and ready to fight bodyguard. I just ensure your
security of money and health. In general, I don t let anyone know your identity, sir. " "really?" "Yes,
sir." "Do you promise?" "Yes.
I said:" what a quiet house. Aren t you a senator?" "I can t trust any servants. I my own house, my
wife always cooks and does the housework. I sometimes cook, too. My cooking is not bad. Hahahah.
When I go to trip alone, I cook for myself."
The food Macpherson gave me
was not similar to what human eats. He himself ate it with pleasure and said:" mmmmm." Like he
was eating the hamburger in the world. "Mr. Macpherson. I must say something." "What?" "Don t
you take a shower?" "Aha. Yes. After the dinning." And continued eating that awful thick liquid. After
the eating was finished, I said:" Mr. Macpherson, you need a shower."
Macpherson was standing in front of a mirror and he was asking me to get ready. "I won t come."
"Why? Shouldn t you protect me?" "Nothing might happen to you in an amusement park, sir. But if
the house is empty, there may happen bad things." "Ok. Here I go. Bye bye!" that was the first time I
was in such a big house alone. I went straight to the bathroom. Pulled off the camcorder I was
hidden. I took the filmstrip in my hand and said:" oh. Macpherson, you are a dead man now!" and I
went out to put the film in the intended place.
It was 12 pm. I and Macpherson were playing chess. The door was knocked. I opened the door. The
man entered the house without any permission. He was wearing a long black leather coat with fur
collar and white silk shirt with dark silk tie. His hair was very well barbered. Macpherson asked:"
wwwwhhhhoooo is this?" "Oh, he is one of my coworkers in NAF who…." The man started talking.
He said in a charming voice:" I am Salvatore montano known as sally the big eyes, Mr. Fulfinante s
advisor. Thanks for putting the filmstrip in the intended place, dear buddy." "Sally?" shouted
Macpherson. "Yes, it is me. You remember me well. Many years ago, you taped my induction
ceremony into Fulfinante family. That video was soon destroyed, but we have got the vendetta. Now
it is time for revenge. Now I have your scandal tape, Macpherson." "Let me, why do you come here
and tell me this? It might be something hidden " "good question. Ok, now everybody has the tape.
Come on destroy this film. Tomorrow you can find it somewhere else." "Oh cruel! You are a criminal!
I will fight with you and your likes until I die, even if I be the most scandalous man in the world.
"better know that people like you who take trip to Cuba are saving money in the pockets of Cosa
Nostra!" sally turned to me and said:" come with me." "What?" "This is an order!" "yes sir!" we were
sitting on sally s car while seeing Macpherson s yellow face is starring at the floor and biting his
finger. "What is cosa nostra?" "I asked sally."You must not use this word. It means our thing, and you
aren t one of us." He answered.
"I sat at a table. On the table, there was a knife and a gun. In front of me, there were Fulfinante and
captains sitting in formal wear. Behind them there were soldiers standing wearing black long leather
coats. Fulfinante signaled to the advisor of the family, "vinchenzo guglilmetti" known as Vinnie.Vinnie preaked my finger until there was blood. He poured the blood on burning picture of st. peter.
Fulfinante said:" look at it." "It is completely burned." I said. "Yes. It is. You will be destroyed like this
if you break the omerta." "Yes." "Yes what?" "Yes, boss." "From now on, I am your boss and these
men are your family. But after your blood family. Remember, the both families should be important
to you. Both your blood family and Fulfinante family which is itself a part of large family of Cosa
Nostra." "Yes, boss." "Now you can greet the family." All of the men kissed me on my both cheeks in
order. I had never felt so good. That ceremony was what I was waiting for in all of my lifetime. The
ceremony was held at Vinnie s waterfront house. That night it was raining. In that rainy night, I left
Vinnie s house with a knife and a gun, and I hold them until now." Vinnie told me this, with his lovely
attractive accent. I looked at the window. It was raining. "Will this happen to me tonight?" I asked.
"Hahahah. No. here is not America. And you are n t Italian." He showed me his knife and gun. That
was my first time to see this stuff from so close. I knew I was in trouble. I blew out the candle in the
middle of the table and kissed my cross. "Help me, Madonna."
Yandel touched his short beard and said:" mmmmm. Let me see." And opened a scarb closet. In fact
sally had sent me to kill him. I took the paper out of my pocket and read it:" Yandel Luis morena y
baltazar" I knew the man was named Yandel, but I wasn t sure about his last name. He turned back
to me and said:" found it!" I put the paper on my pocket immediately. "Yyyyes, yannie." "Look. This
is his photo. "Michael satue" the most powerful man of the outfit. " "what is the outfit?" "The
Chicago outfit." "Chicago outfit?" "Is it very unfamiliar to you? Ok, let me say. In plain language it
means Chicago underground." "Do you mean he lives underground?" "Oh no. underground means….
Uh…. A secret group." "Wow! May I see his photo?" "Oh, sure." He was a middle aged man with
granny glasses. It was just face and his clothes were not visible. "It looks like a police mug shot." I
said. "It looks like that, but in fact this is a group photo which just its one piece is survived. Only god
knows which other people were in the photo." "So you fight with the Chicago underground?" "When
alcohol was banned in America, the outfit was founded to give people alcohol. But when their
business grew, they started doing other things. Young man, it s not our business to fight with them.
The problem is that we must cut their hands of Cuba." "what do you mean of them? The outfit?" "
not only the outfit, but all of American underground and our corrupt government with people like
fulgencio Batista in it, who have strong connections with them ." he put the photo in the scarb closet
and said:" we must destroy satue, everything will be alright then." And touched his beard again.
Azul got out of the car and told me:" get out." I got out. Hotel nacional was so large and tall that I
was about to get a headache. I remembered of when I first met Fulfinante there. Then I wanted to
become a mambo king but now all I wanted was to get rid of those people. I followed Azul. His
behavior was not similar to someone who is going to kill another soon. He knocked a door. "Come
in" I opened the door. I could see Michael satue. He wasn t wearing glasses like in the photo. But it
was himself. Behind him there were many well dressed men with guns wearing long leather coats.
He himself was wearing a striped white suit with white fedora. "Hi" Azul said hi. Me too. Azul started
talking:" finally I am seeing you again, Michael. Do you believe I am sent here to kill you?" satue
laughed. "Wow! What a brave rebel!" and laughed again. "Come on Azul. Come hug me." They
hugged together. "Who is he Azul?" "Don t fear. He is not dangerous. He is a simple kid." "And we do
not bother him" I smiled and stared at the floor. He continued:" but if he cooperates with us."
"What?" he gave me a piece of paper? It was sally s Cuba residence address. "What should I do
there?" "Kill him. Whoever he is."
I was breathing deep. I had ran at least one mile without stop. I could see a small village. I started
visiting there. After many days, I was a part of there. My job was singing awful songs written by
myself for those stupid villagers. At least they did n t ask me to do awful things. My income was
good. One day, Elena a village girl came to me and said:" do you really love the music?" "No, it s just
for money. And nothing else." "So why are you angry? I wanted to tell you that famous singer Valeria
is going to hold a concert in Havana three days later. My father, who is a driver, is paid to carry the
concert staff. I think he can….." "He can what? To get me a free ticket? Do you think I am in need of
these things?" "No, I am thinking of something else."
I was standing behind the door and listening to them:" in fact the problem is all about the guy who
destroyed your concert with his awful voice and act." I felt that his voice is very familiar to me.
Suddenly Elena arrived and said:" wow you were really great!" "Wait a minute." I said and entered
the room. To my surprise, there was Buchanan smoking a cigar. The curious Elena entered the room
too. "You, I have a guest for you." Said Buchanan. "Come in" sally entered the room. Buchanan told
Valeria:" go out if not I will destroy your work." "Yes sir." And she went out. "And you lady" "I won t
go out sir." Said Elena. Sally said:" ok. Leave her. You, I and Buchanan are searching for you in every
place. I sent you to kill him and you are singing duet with Valeria!" Elena s eyes were pulling out of
her face. I said:" before I tried to kill him, he ordered me and another guy to kill someone." "Who?"
"Michael satue." "What happened?" "My partner was turned out to be satue s man. And he asked
me to kill you sir .he gave me your Cuba residence address." "Where is he now?" "Hotel nacional."
"Take me to him. Right now. Buchanan will come with us too." We the three left the room and Elena
whose face was turned yellow.
We arrived at hotel nacional. I showed a room and said:" here he is" Buchanan knocked the door. A
man with long leather coat and a gun opened the door. Satue was lying on the bed. He got up and
said:" so you are here." Sally said:" I know that you sent him to kill me but now we must join."
"What? To join? The outfit and the Fulfinantes have got the vendetta for many years. This is
impossible!" "Listen Michael. We have a mutual enemy." "Who?" "The rebels. If the rebels win,
there will be no casino and no cosa nostra in Cuba. Listen, I have sent this man to kill a rebel leader
and he ordered him to kill you .so he is our mutual enemy. If we join, we can win the rebels." After
talking for minutes, finally Michael said:" hey sally" "what?" "Let s greet." And they kissed each other
s cheeks." Just come with us. I know where he is. "said sally.
I and Elena entered the room and said hello. The man said:" hi. You are here ! ok, now I tell you
everything. But you must promise to never tell it out anywhere." I put my hand on the table and
promised. Elena did too. "ok, let s start of hotel nacional. Who do you thing has founded it? huh?
"president Fulgencio Batista" said Elena. I nodded. "in fact he has a partner." Said the man."Meyer
Lansky, financer of Genovese family. One of New York families. Today, their boss Lucky Luciano is
spending time in Naples, Italy and he is managing the family business from there." "where is this
information from?"I asked. "well, in 1946, Lansky gathered all of the
American mob bosses and even Luciano from Italy in hotel nacional to discuss the mob business.
Then I gave Luciano a small home at suburb and he was so loose lipped that he told me everything."
"so you have really visited Lucky Luciano so far?" asked Elena excited "yes I did." Answered the man.
"was he handsome?" Elena asked gain. I cut her talk and said:" thank you sir. I found the information
I was searching for. I promise to never tell them out anywhere. Goodbye. Elena, let s go." Elena saidgoodbye. "goodbye youngsters. I hope this information have helped you." I and Elena quitted the
room.
There was a beautiful morning in that green grables where there was sound of chickens and roosters
and cows. " let s talk about Meyer Lansky." Said Elena. " let s start of his name. Meyer is Jewish, and
Lansky is Russian. As it appears, he immigrated to America at a young age , so he knows about
neither Jewish and nor Russian culture. " "you re right Elena." I said. " but everyone can guess these.
In fact I need a good reference…… found it!" " what?" " senator Macpherson! Of course he is very
angry of me, but he might help much." "you are kidding!" " I am lucky if he is still in Havana." " I will
come with you." "no Elena, not you." And I got up.
I reached Macpherson s house with hurry. I knocked the door: " please open the door Mr.
Macpherson, I am sorry for what I did. Please open the door. I really want to help you. please hurry
up. Finally, he opened the door " what do you want youngster?" "believe me, I want to help you. I
am sorry of what I have done sir. " "well why are you here?" " I must know some stuff. I really need
your help." " what? To help you? Why? Because you turned me into an scandalous man?" " believe
me, then I did n t know the truth. Now I know it. I have gathered all the tapes. I swear to god that I
did it. " "really?" "yes." "so you have realized that you did wrong." " yes I did. And that is why I want
you to give me some information." " you want me to give you information? About what?" "for
example, why does sally have vendetta with you?" "well, that goes back to many years ago. When I
realized there is a group of outlaw Italian men in America whom most of them have never went to
prison because of their connections with corrupt police. The details are so boring. You may get tired.
Anyway, I discovered headquarter of one of their families named " Fulfinante" and taped the
induction ceremony of a new member named Salvatore Montano known as sally the big eyes. The
family soon realized this and their boss, Fulfinante met me and told me that I will die if I publish the
video. I suggested sally to testify in the hearing committee I held at U.S senate, and to confess his
sins like a good child. But in the hearing committee, not only he did n t testimony against his crime,
he did n t even talk about what he did in Cuba, and he just said some stuff about Las Vegas casinos
and illegal gambling. I knew well that he was a murderer and smuggler. I could n t control my
angriness, and I was going to play the video in the senate subcommittee. I even ordered to bring the
projector. But when I wanted to pull it off my bag, surprisingly I saw that is not there. Anyway, that
committee, which was one of the largest senate subcommittees in American history, was ended with
sally being recognized as guiltless. That is really stupid!" "sir, do you know anything about 1946
Havana conference?" " no, I don t……. wait…..let me think…. Huh…. Death of Bugsy Siegel in 1947!
That is their business! yes, it was them!" " them? Who? Don t they have a name?" " I have read a
19th century book which was memoirs of an American diplomat to Sicily in the 1870s. in which he
talks about mafia. Which is very similar to what we can see today in American large cities like New
York and Chicago . I call those men " American mafia" . because I think that they are the Sicilian
mafia continued." " do they call the organization cosa nostra?" " yes they do." " it is stupid! A
criminal society starts in Sicily and defiles Cuba." He drank his tea and said:" history will judge later."