Havana Best Friends. Jose Latour

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СКАЧАТЬ guessed it, had identified the accent. From Buenos Aires? Ah, ‘Mi Buenos Aires querido,’ he sang, the only line he knew from the most famous of all tangos, while his eyes stole a lascivious glance at her thighs. And her husband? Oh…how nice. What city? Toronto? So, she lived in Toronto now, right? And when did they arrive in Cuba? Where were they staying?

      As his wife answered all kinds of questions, Sean sipped his coffee slowly, eyes moving from the brother to the sister, appraising them coolly. Elena seemed okay; Pablo a trifle garrulous for his taste. He emptied the demitasse and put it on the tray, then reached for Marina’s and did the same. Elena rose and took the tray back to the kitchen. When she returned to her club chair they were all laughing about something. Her brother lit a cigarette and blew smoke to the ceiling.

      ‘This is a nice apartment,’ Marina commented, her gaze shifting around the living room. ‘Have you lived here long?’

      ‘All our lives,’ Pablo answered. ‘We were born here. Our parents…’

      ‘How is Sean feeling?’ Elena asked, interrupting her brother, who frowned.

      Marina interpreted. Sean admitted he was fine now.

      ‘Well, then you’ll have to excuse me. I mustn’t be late for work.’

      Pablo widened his eyes. ‘Elena, that’s very rude of you.’

      ‘Listen, Pablo…’ said Elena in a testy way, trying not to get into an argument with her brother in the presence of strangers.

      ‘But of course,’ Marina butted in, jumping to her feet. Sean, seemingly surprised, uncoiled himself from the Chesterfield. ‘You’ve been very kind. Would you allow us to reciprocate in some way? Take you to dinner maybe?’

      ‘No, thanks, this is nothing…’

      ‘We’d be delighted,’ Pablo said, leaping at the offer with a fresh grin.

      ‘Pablo! No, Marina. We just…’

      ‘But I insist. We would enjoy your company enormously. We don’t know anybody here. It would be great to take you guys out tonight. Learn from you about a nice place, somewhere off the beaten track. In fact, you’d be doing us another favour.’

      ‘I would gladly take you to wherever you want to go,’ Pablo said, also in Spanish, shaking his head and lifting his hands, palms up. The body language was meant to emphasize that he was the most friendly and helpful of habaneros. ‘There’s this nice private restaurant. It would have to be after five, you know. That’s when I leave the office.’

      Marina interpreted for Sean.

      ‘By all means,’ he said when his wife had finished speaking. ‘I won’t take no for an answer.’

      ‘Sean says he would consider it an honour to take both of you to dinner tonight. It has to be tonight because we are leaving tomorrow. We rented a car, so we can pick you up.’ And turning to Elena. ‘Please, Elena, you admitted two complete strangers into your home. That’s real hospitality. Don’t turn us down. Please?’

      Elena shook her head and forced a smile.

      ‘C’mon, sis,’ Pablo said in a false pleading tone.

      Elena considered it. ‘Okay, tonight. At eight.’

      ‘Eight’s perfect,’ Marina said.

      Once they had bid fond farewells, the joggers left the apartment building, reached the corner of 24th, turned left, and disappeared from view. Unaware that he had got away with a traffic violation, the tall overweight man shot a last admiring glance at the big trees before climbing back into his rental and speeding off.

      

      Late afternoon was turning into dusk, birds had settled in their nests in the ficus, and bats were beginning to swoop when Marina rang the buzzer. The door was immediately swung open by a perky Pablo in a garish shirt, a pair of jeans, and pigskin loafers with two-inch heels.

      ‘Come in, my friends, come in,’ he said in English as he stretched out his hand to the woman first, then to Sean. ‘And how is my…’ he frantically searched for the words, didn’t find them, and reverted to Spanish ‘…mareado amigo?’

      ‘Dizzy friend,’ Marina interpreted.

      ‘Much better, Pablo, ready for a wild night out, if you know what I mean,’ Sean said with a conspiratorial wink and a mischievous snicker.

      ‘Good! Good!’ Pablo exclaimed, but then cast a slightly worried glance at Marina. ‘I want to…offer you mojitos. You know what a mojito is?’

      Sean and Marina nodded.

      ‘Okay. You sit down on the sofa. I go prepare mojitos. My sister is getting dressed. Women, always late. One minute.’

      Marina noticed that the living room had been tidied up. The marks on the coffee table were barely visible, the ashtray was empty and clean, the floor had been mopped. The black-and-white TV set was turned on, its volume low. From the kitchen came the sounds of tinkling ice cubes, the opening and closing of cupboards, a metal spoon stirring the drinks.

      Anticipating that Elena’s wardrobe probably lacked evening gowns and ersatz gems, Marina had opted for a pink, short-sleeved blouse, an ivory-coloured mid-calf skirt, leather sandals, and a purse. Her make-up was very light, her blonde hair was gathered at the back of her head in a bun, her only piece of jewellery a gold wedding band; she looked stylish in a quiet way. Sean wore a maroon and white fine-striped dress shirt, its cuffs folded up to his elbows, khakis, and cordovan loafers. They glanced at each other and Sean pulled a face at Marina. She grinned and crossed her legs.

      Pablo returned to the living room carrying a tray with three tumblers filled to the brim with the cocktail. He placed the tray on the coffee table, handed the drinks to his guests, then with his glass clinked theirs before easing himself into a club chair.

       ‘Salud.’

      ‘Salud,’ concurred Marina and Sean. He didn’t mix one for Elena, Marina observed as she extracted a sprig of mint before sipping.

      ‘Great,’ a wide-eyed Sean said, lifting his eyebrows in admiration.

      ‘You like it?’ Pablo asked, obviously pleased.

      ‘Best I’ve ever had,’ Sean responded with a satisfied nod.

      ‘And you, Mrs…’

      ‘Marina, please. It’s superb.’

      ‘I’m glad you like it. Now, I tell you about this place I’m taking you to. Would you please interpret for Sean, Marina?’

      ‘But you don’t need it. Your English is very good.’

      ‘You think so? Not very good, I know. But it’ll improve with time. I’m studying hard.’

      From the TV set’s speaker came a fanfare of trumpets.

      ‘Oh, the news. Ugh!’ Pablo fumed. ‘Always the same. Send Elián back, everything in Cuba is perfect, the rest of the world is a mess. СКАЧАТЬ