He was dazzled by Martí, the Apostle that he did not let die in the year of his centenary; and Santiago de Cuba, a diverse, rebel and passionate city, where he arrived one day wearing shorts and to which he returned many times, to remain in it, for the eternity.
His physical passage through Las Tunas was ephemeral. He was here just 14 times throughout his revolutionary walk. However, experiences have marked people as the spell that radiated in his presence.
On this date, on the 93rd anniversary of his birth, 26Digital wants to remember him very lively, as he is in the soul of the people. For that, we went out to the streets, talked with the inhabitants of Las Tunas, woke up old passions and sweetened memories. We bring you an apex of so much burning, so many stories.
I
It was January 4th, 1959 and the Caravan of Freedom, with its chief at the head, passed through these lands towards Camaguey. They were preceded by a kind of advanced guerrilla, who arrived in Victoria de Las Tunas when night fell on day 3. A large group of bearded men, tanned by the Sierra Maestra range, were distributed along the roads that would transit the hosts of the Leader.
They were stationed in the sewers, bridges and in any place that could serve the enemy that still scattered throughout Cuba, to attempt against the victorious passage of the rebels. The cars and their imposing armament were parked in front of La Habanera store, a popular hardware store that also sold food and occupied part of the Francisco Varona street, now the boulevard of the city.
There, the owners sold them canned food and even prepared a couple of new thermoses with coffee to give "the boss", a man, clearly Commander, who had stayed at the Town Hall to speak with local authorities and did not go to meet anybody. Not even when the family decided to give food and he said no, that the Rebel Army always paid the inputs to merchants and peasants.
After them, at the uncertain time that the dawn says goodbye and the new day is born, the Caravan cars began to travel along the main street of this region. Then Fidel passed. He was still a great-unknown man for many people. And for others, the legendary bearded man whose victory marked the end of the Batista dictatorship, augury of the cessation of the murders in the corners, the famine in the fields ...; and, of course, the prophecy of better times for all.
The elderly say that the delegation left Holguín with the intention of making a direct trip to Camaguey; hence there was no stop at these properties. Fidel paraded around here, in front of his men, at an unexpected hour, few could see him. Therefore, Luis Manuel Quesada Kindelán, a young man by that time who left his house, around 9:00 am, to see the procession in the front row, he only found in the streets the commotion of the people and some cars, those of the rear guard, who were still heading after their Commander in Chief. He says they were dirty, happy, greeting among cheers and celebrating life.
The news spread in the afternoon that Fidel Castro had entrusted Commander Delio Gómez Ochoa with the duty to speak to the inhabitants of this city. People crowded around Vicente García park because the platform was mounted there, in front of what is today La Holguinera hamburger.
Those who still live to tell it confirm that it was difficult in those years, with the population that this town had, to fill the park. And Fidel did it. Because everyone knew that the mythical fighter would not be there; but nobody wanted to miss the first message of freedom that came from him. Some people indicate that this was his first great call to the children from El Balcón de Oriente.
Delio Ochoa was an excellent speaker. He began by saying that he was coming to speak by Fidel's express mandate and that- nothing more than that - spurred people's souls. A phrase was, in a special way, in the memory of those present. This is assured by the not so young Luis Manuel. His aged voice repeats it through the telephone so that he is not left out of these lines: "The Anthem is now a flag that sings and the Flag is a hymn that floats."
II
She studied the first year of the degree at the University of Havana. She had an important class and almost arrived late. At the moment, she noticed that something was different on the crowded hill. Then, she was carried away by the passage of others, she found herself face to face with Fidel. The Commander greeted her and she failed to answer anything. She was speechless. He smiled at her, even asked where she was from and she was there, stiff, like stuck in the middle of the people.
With the Leader of the Revolution was another man. He looked shorter and also asked everything. He was going to give a lecture at the Aula Magna and was first touring the place, listening to its story, told by the most faithful of his students. Sometime later he knew that his name was Hugo Chávez and he also seemed destined to change the America's history course.
It was he, the visitor, who listened to her responses when she told Fidel, who was already far away attending to more daring boys: "I am from Las Tunas, my name is Karla". But he was gone. And she was there, alone, in the middle of the hill. What rage! She would has wanted to tell him so many things!
III
Yudiel Ávila also met Fidel Castro for the first time at the Aula Magna of the University of Havana. It was November 17th, 2005 and the first 60 years of the Leader's arrival at the pontifical house of high studies were commemorated. He was just a young boy from Las Tunas. He was newly released as a student leader and, suddenly, he was very close to the "eternal rebel." He listened to him, between stupor and pride, during the six hours and fifteen minutes of that thrilling speech.
That day he looked very fixed while the Commander asked whether or not the Cuban Revolution could be reversible. And the determined yes that he heard from his President left him thinking many nights and, he says, is part of the energy that keeps him active until today. A year later, in the twilight of Fidel's public life, he could meet Fidel again.
The University 2006 International Congress on Higher Education was in session in Havana and the mythical president especially invited the members of the National Council of the University Student Federation (well known as FEU by its Spanish acronym) to accompany the closing activities.
They were located far away, in one of the tall stalls. When he came to those who were waiting so long, his first question was, where are the FEU boys? And 165 throats rose in the plenary to answer, between flags. Then the bearded man smiled, looked at everyone and said: "No, the FEU boys must always be very close to me." Yudiel has never forgotten that. "He said that youth was the future of the Revolution. He was proud of us. Now we have to prove that we are the present. Thus, we are faithful to him."
IV
Every Cuban has his own Fidel in the soul. Stories of his daily life, the mischievousness on his eyes, that gift of seeing beyond the corner of the world were made up for decades. And in the imaginary of the people, saying "if Fidel finds out about that" was a way of demanding a solution to any problem with as many arguments as possible. It became our excuse. He did what was our responsibility and his. That is why it is vital to return to his essences, because now everyone, together, is Fidel. And it's difficult.
After that boy who ran in Birán, ate in the Haitian barracks and learned to enjoy the wind in the face, among pine trees, is the colossal man who gave himself up for so many people. Returning to its roots, studying its ideology and even exchanging its reasons in these times, it also makes us heirs of his lineage, responsible for his legacy, proud of his lucidity. Especially, if it's August 13th,again, his birthday.
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