We decided to go sightseeing. David had never been to Havana and I wanted to see what had changed in the city. We really looked Russian with our white skin, our blond hair and tall height. People who saw us smiled and greeted in a friendly manner. As we walked in the city, I discovered that there had not been many changes. The place where I had been in school was now a police station (we passed the building very quickly) and the open square where I had seen Javier dance for the first time seemed to be a market today. I wanted also to see what had happened to the hotel we had stayed at and found that there was nothing there. Probably destroyed by Castro's men. We were silent and it really pained me not to be able to talk. I wanted to tell Daniel about my experience of Havana. However, after one hour or two of sightseeing, we found ourselves at a place that felt really familiar. I pulled Daniel's shirt to make him stop and he looked at me quizzically. I recognized the street, the buildings and…I started to walk, my feet were following an invisible person toward something, with a confused Daniel walking behind me. Finally, my feet stopped and I looked up. I gasped. Javier's house! How in the world? Nobody was seen around and everything was awfully silent. Daniel leant close toward my ear.
"Why are we here?" he whispered.
"I knew someone who lived here. I don't know if he still does," I whispered back.
"He?"
At that moment, an old man came out of the door toward the gate. He didn't give us a glance as he sat down in a chair next to the gate I had not noticed. He took out a cigarette and smoked. He looked familiar somehow until I realized that it was Abuelito, Javier and Carlos' grandpa. I have no idea if he had recognized me or if he did not care. I whispered to Daniel to ask him if the Suarez family lived here.
Daniel came forward and asked him. Abuelito looked surprised to be talked in Spanish by what he surely called a "gringo". He said something however and Daniel reported back to me.
"He said that they do. He wants to know why we ask."
I was about to answer when the door opened and someone walked out, someone who looked also familiar, someone….
"Abuelito! Vamos a…"
The man stopped mid-sentence and looked at me. I looked at him and my knees felt weak. Had it not been for Daniel behind me, I would have fallen at his feet.
