Gossiping old ladies in Cuba By Rainbow

Many people here have talked about the Cuban addiction to novellas and gossip. These are two things Fidel has not figured out how to control so the Cubans take full advantage.

When I was down in February, I happened to hold my "Canada Night" meal for my Cuban friends on February 14th. The Night of Lovers!!!. I noticed how all the Cuban women got flowers from their significant other but Diana has spent so much time with her sick father, she had no one to treat her. I decided to fix that so I stopped by an old man on her street who had flowers to buy her one. Little did I know that every woman on the street was watching!!! I asked the old man how much the flowers were in English and he held up two fingers, so I gave him two dollars. He looked at me kinda funny and HANDED ME THE WHOLE BUNCH! I'm standing there with about 20 flowers like lilys in my hands. Just then Diana come out her front door so I walked over to her and gave them to her. She looked stunned but pleased as punch. This whole thing was witnessed by 20 pair of eyes. The tongues started to waggle.

Last week I went back to her house to suprise her that I had made it to Havana after all. As soon as I turned the corner, the old man leaned back into the doorway and announced that Diana's novio had returned. He did not know that I now understood some Spanish thanks to Fanny's classes. Suddenly every window had a woman in it, all trying to catch a glimps of "Diana's lover". Diana was not home so I waited outside of her door. There was a constant parade of grinning women passing me on their way "to the store". The whole neibourhood checked me out. At first I was not sure what was going on but I caught on quick enough. When Diana came around the corner she almost passed out. There I was speaking horrible Spanish to the biggest gossip in a ten block area. Diana could have KILLED me!!! I played innocent and pretended I did not know what was happening. There was a very animated discussion between her and her sister and I was bundled into a car and we went to old Havana.

Word on the street is that I am everything from a Canadian Policeman, Canadian Lawyer (Oh PLEASE!!) and a Business Tycoon. They say we are getting married next month, Diana's pregnant (not by me)and I live in a house of logs on a mountain. This last one is a result of the Cuban TV showing Mystery Alaska a week ago and they think we all live like that. Sheeesh!!!! Give me a break!!!

Just imagine the tongue wagging when they find out about Mrs. Rainbow. They are never going to believe that Diana and I have never.... didn't.....haven't....well you get the idea. To tell you the truth, I think Diana kinda like the attention. She has spent so many years taking care of that sick old man, she is enjoying the change to "Princess Diana".