Willy rang an excellent buzzer and you may hollered doing a classic flat which have a keen overhanging balcony

Willy rang an excellent buzzer and you may hollered doing a classic flat which have a keen overhanging balcony

A couple of minutes afterwards an elderly black colored lady wear a red-colored garment over white locks emerged regarding the 2nd-floor windows. She featured baffled but then approved Willy. “ Hola. Hola. ” She enjoy us upstairs.

Her term was Gladis Castaneda, and you will she was a professional ancient pianist inside the Havana during the fresh 1950s. She is a little woman in her 80s otherwise 1990’s. She nodded as he stated La Reina. Sure, she told you, he’d lived-in it community, correct next door. Right here, on the tissue, are a person who know brand new legendary Superman-facts, in fact, that the guy in reality stayed.

Superman, Castaneda told you, is actually extreme, solid, recognized. “People understood him given that Queen,” she told you. “He was gay, nevertheless did not wreak havoc on him.” She asked me to remain. “He had been your own level. However, good. Muscular.” He had skin like hers: ebony, although not extremely. “He had been good people. No one had an issue with him.” I inquired when the everyone in the area realized exactly what the guy performed to possess a full time income. “Child, it had been many years ago. He kept years ago.”

Willy questioned when the she know what turned into regarding your, and you can she said she thinks the guy died into the Miami. Their unique opportunity are waning, and you will Willy nodded for me to indicate it was time i go.

Upon the trail, we fulfilled a vintage guy bending contrary to the wall structure. Their name are Elado. He sent an excellent cane and you may used a loose environmentally friendly sweater having a beneficial Masonic icon dangling out of a sequence as much as his neck. Willy told your we had been interested in details about the guy it called Los angeles Reina.

“ Si, si, ” the outdated guy said. “Los angeles Reina-everyone know your. Mulatto. About your peak,” the guy nodded during my guidelines. “Anyone acknowledged your. He lived right here having twenty years. Naturally, every person knew what the guy did having a full time income.” He told you Superman remaining on the U.S. into the 1959. “Nobody know their title. Everybody else just called him La Reina.”

We registered their roomy apartment, and you may Willy said that which we was carrying out

Across the street because of the church, roosters crowed. A girl sporting Rollerblades spoke on a pay cell phone. A vintage guy in the a leather tennis cover used a beneficial cigar to your a good backless wood sofa.

Their hair is actually white and you will insane

We stepped compliment of Los Sitios towards Barrio Chino until i arrived in the 507 Marquis Street. We stood in the street taking a look at the entrance so you’re able to a good martial-arts college: Escuela Cubana de Wushu. They got a reddish and reddish act which have a gold foo puppy and a yellow iron gate.

The door is discover. Inside side entrance try good courtyard with a tiny cafe and many fixed exercise equipment. The new theatre once stood where in fact the school’s outdoor courtyard has grown to become. We attempted to believe the spot where the phase could have been. The newest dressing space in which Superman open to the brand new reveal. The brand new balcony where drunken tourist spotted the latest overall performance.

A short while later i gone back to Barrio de los Sitios in order to fabric for others whom have known Superman. Regarding the apartment https://worldbrides.org/de/blog/katalogheirat-betrug/ building near to Gladis Castaneda’s, i came across Superman’s actual next-door neighbor: a former pizza pie chef titled Roberto Cabarero, 82 yrs . old, that have a seriously stained and you will expanded strength clothing, drooping brown jeans to your fly spacious, and black clothes that have gaps on the toes. Their body sagged for example a-sea turtle’s.

Cabarero’s apartment, in which he existed with his partner, are tiny and you can ramshackle, littered with rubbish. His partner sat in the small living room, rocking backwards and forwards during the a wood chair, talking loudly at no body in particular. An invisible blared tinny dated Spanish songs, and you will your dog was available in and you can out of the area in order to consume crumbs off the floors. A security time clock seemed for the duration of all of our conference. No body troubled to make it off.