Yankee. You and a brave, handpicked contingent from Cuba will go to North America and show the gringos that we have the finest ball players in all the world. You are going to lead Cuba to glory as a Yankee, Raul. You are going to help Cuba win the World Series.
â As a Yankee?
â Thatâs temporary. In time, when Havana is admitted to the major leagues, we will be able to stay home and invite the world to us to see our brave young men battle the enemies. (He paused.) But for now, a small step, you will become a Yankee.
â I donât want to go to New York. To be a Yankee. I want to be here. Raul said Castro frowned for a moment and then said:
â I know, I know. Defectors. Traitors to the Revolution. We have too many of them, but I donât worry about you. Or the others. When we played in that disgusting lick-spittle Costa Rica, the gymnasts defected and that discus thrower, Pah. Not one of my baseball players would betray the Revolution, even though the worms of Costa Rica taunted them to be trayal. I am not concerned, my little one, not at all. You will be a Cubano in New York and you will show New York what Cubaâs greatness really is.
And that is the way it started rolling down the hill. I take Raulâs word for it because he was there and no one says it wasnât true, so I suppose it was. Besides, when Raul talked about it, it was straightforward like frying eggs, and everyone knows that lies are made like omelettes.
7
The Series finally ended on television. Reception was lousy because I didnât have cable. There was snow on the TV and there was snow in the air up north. Counting spring training and all, baseball just goes on too long, like a bore at a party who thinks heâs Chevy Chase or something. I think baseball should end itself before it gets too cold to play, but I guess Iâm just a purist.
I settled into life in Houston, a life of leisure as it turned out, because the construction business didnât need any bodies that winter. I sort of hung out during the day when Charlene Cleaver was working over at Rice. We went out a lot. I got her that dinner at Tonyâs more than once. We ate our way across Houston and there were a lot of salads in the mix because I was on my best behavior. Saturdays, we drove half across Texas sometimes to see a football game or do the same thing down into Louisiana, which is closer. Looking back on me with Charlene, Iâd have to say I was a perfect gentleman.
Thatâs not exactly true. Charlene and I are lovers, and we did the things you do when youâre lovers. She didnât much like my place and I didnât blame her because the Longhorn Arms is strictly utilitarian living. The bed is too soft, the television doesnât have a remote, and you eat off the credenza if youâre eating in your room. They let you have an automatic coffee maker and thereâs a hotplate and an icebox. I had beer in the icebox, a can of Colombian coffee, ajar of peanut butter, and a loaf of bread. I also bought a toaster to make the bread edible with the peanut butter, but I couldnât use the toaster and the coffee maker at the same time, which made breakfast a matter of timing.
Making love to Charlene in her place was like being on vacation. First of all, sheâs got a nice apartment. And then, any place with Charlene naked is like being on the best vacation you ever had in your life. Sheâd do this thing of strutting around stark raving naked but doing domestic things like poaching some eggs and it just about drove me crazy. Part of the game was that I was supposed to be ignoring the fact that she was naked and so I would just sit there in my Jockeys and say things like âPass the saltâ and sheâd lean over the table and let her lovely breasts rest there a moment while she reached for the salt and passed it. Then sheâd say, âPepper?â and that was the end of eating and weâd both be
â As a Yankee?
â Thatâs temporary. In time, when Havana is admitted to the major leagues, we will be able to stay home and invite the world to us to see our brave young men battle the enemies. (He paused.) But for now, a small step, you will become a Yankee.
â I donât want to go to New York. To be a Yankee. I want to be here. Raul said Castro frowned for a moment and then said:
â I know, I know. Defectors. Traitors to the Revolution. We have too many of them, but I donât worry about you. Or the others. When we played in that disgusting lick-spittle Costa Rica, the gymnasts defected and that discus thrower, Pah. Not one of my baseball players would betray the Revolution, even though the worms of Costa Rica taunted them to be trayal. I am not concerned, my little one, not at all. You will be a Cubano in New York and you will show New York what Cubaâs greatness really is.
And that is the way it started rolling down the hill. I take Raulâs word for it because he was there and no one says it wasnât true, so I suppose it was. Besides, when Raul talked about it, it was straightforward like frying eggs, and everyone knows that lies are made like omelettes.
7
The Series finally ended on television. Reception was lousy because I didnât have cable. There was snow on the TV and there was snow in the air up north. Counting spring training and all, baseball just goes on too long, like a bore at a party who thinks heâs Chevy Chase or something. I think baseball should end itself before it gets too cold to play, but I guess Iâm just a purist.
I settled into life in Houston, a life of leisure as it turned out, because the construction business didnât need any bodies that winter. I sort of hung out during the day when Charlene Cleaver was working over at Rice. We went out a lot. I got her that dinner at Tonyâs more than once. We ate our way across Houston and there were a lot of salads in the mix because I was on my best behavior. Saturdays, we drove half across Texas sometimes to see a football game or do the same thing down into Louisiana, which is closer. Looking back on me with Charlene, Iâd have to say I was a perfect gentleman.
Thatâs not exactly true. Charlene and I are lovers, and we did the things you do when youâre lovers. She didnât much like my place and I didnât blame her because the Longhorn Arms is strictly utilitarian living. The bed is too soft, the television doesnât have a remote, and you eat off the credenza if youâre eating in your room. They let you have an automatic coffee maker and thereâs a hotplate and an icebox. I had beer in the icebox, a can of Colombian coffee, ajar of peanut butter, and a loaf of bread. I also bought a toaster to make the bread edible with the peanut butter, but I couldnât use the toaster and the coffee maker at the same time, which made breakfast a matter of timing.
Making love to Charlene in her place was like being on vacation. First of all, sheâs got a nice apartment. And then, any place with Charlene naked is like being on the best vacation you ever had in your life. Sheâd do this thing of strutting around stark raving naked but doing domestic things like poaching some eggs and it just about drove me crazy. Part of the game was that I was supposed to be ignoring the fact that she was naked and so I would just sit there in my Jockeys and say things like âPass the saltâ and sheâd lean over the table and let her lovely breasts rest there a moment while she reached for the salt and passed it. Then sheâd say, âPepper?â and that was the end of eating and weâd both be
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