There's a Queer Vibe Here

2 years ago, in 1983 Henry and Lucia met in Havana, where he was publishing an expat rag, The Gringo Times, and she was working as a high-class hooker. In no time the couple fell in love and with the help of some Cuban friends they fled the island on a sailboat via Mexico, crossing the US Border at Arizona.

Henry tells the story in his book, The Gringo Times, available on Amazon for only a dollar.  

In the 1980s Cuba became the favorite stomping-ground of the godfather of magic realism, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Gaby was a big-time pal of Fidel’s and both men loved Latin American literature. 

The 80s were good times on the island, food-wise at least, until the Soviets left some years later, ending the weekly shipments of rations. 

During the same period, Cuba became an island of ambiguities— Fidel filled the country with hospitals, schools, and markets, but the hospitals had no medicine, the schools hand no books and the selves in the markets were bare. 

Cuba is poor, but you can’t lay all the blame on Fidel because 30 years of US Embargoes play an unblushing role in the countries stifled economic growth, nickel and diming the Cuban people while Fidel continues to make millions of dollars. 

Most dictators, socialist or fascist are flush because money and power go together like Tarzan and Jane.

Henry and Lucia are sitting on the front porch of the tribe's bungalow, drinking mojitos and laughing at the Chihuahuas and Pedro the woodpecker, who are jumping in and out the water spritzed from the sprinkler on the front lawn, trying to dodge the water. Regardless, the sprinkler is winning the game of tag because the 3 of them are dripping wet.  

Summer Wynd is away till evening, teaching ballet at the Martha Graham Dance Academy in Key West. 

Henry was up most the night working on a story on modern-day Cuba. Lucia brings a fresh pitcher of mojitos to the front porch and he asks her, 

darling, you partied with Fidel during your time in Havana, do you think he is motivated by money? She answers,

no, la revolución and Cuba are foremost in his mind. His padre was a wealthy plantación owner and some years after the politica revolución in the 60s Fidel became filthy rich. He collected millions and used most of the money to build fortresses near Havana to hunker down in because the CIA had tried to kill him 400 times over the years.

The phone rings, Henry walks through the front porch door to his office in the house, it’s Dave Spleen, editor of HEADBANGER Magazine who says, 

Henry baby, I’ve missed you, last week's story, Mother Nature’s Spa was a big, big hit, New Yorkers loved it. Keep em coming dog, what ya got cookin? He replies,

Dave, I’m working on a story about Castro and the usual, the day to day stuff of the tribe, Lucia, Summer Wynd, the Chis, Che and Mia, and Pedro the woodpecker. You just don't know what’s going to come out until you see it on paper. Then Dave who’s hyped on speed says, 

gotta go, gotta deadline to meet!

Henry didn’t make enough money writing for HEADBANGER Magazine to support the tribe, luckily his Uncle Seymour Lucowski, who had owned a coat hanger factory in Pennsylvania, left him in his will. Being free to write all the time was a windfall.

By evening Summer Wynd has returned from her first day of teaching at the Martha Graham Dance Academy in Key West. Henry and Lucia are sitting at the kitchen table enjoying coffee with Anisette and biscottis. Lucia asks Summer Wynd as she sits down, 

how’d it go today lover? She frowns saying, 

Unfortunately, I’m gonna have to rewrite the playbook at the dance academy, the ballet moves, and positions. What my associate, Gay Johnson, has been teaching isn’t up to contemporary standards. This means starting at ground zero with classes at all levels. 

Summer Wynd had danced for 10 yrs with the New York City Ballet, Gay Johnson was a dancer with The Tampa Ballet, a 2nd rate outfit. Henry commenting, 

their lucky to have you, anyway, whaha-ya say we bring some sandwiches and plenty of booze and go to the drive-in theater on Stock Island tonight? We can bring the Chis and Pedro the woodpecker. 

They make hero sandwiches in the kitchen, cutting baguettes in half and filling the sliced bread with roast beef, ham, pastrami, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and mayonnaise. Then, icing down their Coleman cooler and filling it with Miller beer, a quart of Jack Daniels, cans of coke, and soda.

Before leaving they clean up, grooming one another, Summer Wynd layers coconut oil in and braids Henry’s long black and white hair Native Indian style, then she primps Lucia’s waist-length curly hair with jell. The girls wear straw cowboy hats, short shorts, and knitted bikini tops. Henry wears a white t-shirt and khaki shorts. 

They leave the bungalow, Henry and Lucia carry the cooler in tandem, and the Chis, Summer Wynd, and Pedro the woodpecker follow. They place the cooler in the boot of Henry’s 1972 Malibu Station Wagon Deluxe where the pets will sit. Summer Wynd sits between Henry and Lucia in the front seat.

The Islander Drive-In is the only drive-in in the Keys, it’s on Stock Island which is north of Key West. When the Islander opened in 1953 it had the largest screen in the state of Florida and parking for 600 cars. The opening film was a western called the Cimarron Kid starring Audie Murphy and Yvette Dugay. 

Stock Island is unincorporated and is known as a no-man’s land. During prohibition locals would rent out houses to mafioso from the north who needed to lay low, characters with names like—Joe Bananas, Jackie Nose, Louis Ha Ha and Junior Lollipops.

On Stock Island Henry wheels the station wagon off Highway 1 onto College Road and drives until he reaches The Islander Drive-In which is on a level sand plateau facing the Gulf of Mexico. 

At the ticket booth, he buys tickets from a hefty older woman with a cigarette in her mouth who says in a high-pitched whining voice,

enjoy the film, no refunds!

Inside the drive-in Henry wheels the station wagon about following the lead of a couple of greasers wearing grey denim jumpsuits waving flashlights, finally making a steep turn into a parking spot. 

The station wagon is facing a large cement screen that is on the back edge of the drive-in with the ocean behind it, Henry tells Summer Wynd, 

open all the windows in the wagon so we can enjoy the fresh sea air!

Which she does, crawling around the inside of the wagon and rolling the windows down as Henry places a cheap mono drive-in speaker on the half-open driver side window. Then, Lucia pulls hero sandwiches out of the Coleman cooler and passes them around, giving the Chis and Pedro the woodpecker one to share.

Then a cartoon of a dancing cup of cola and a box of popcorn with insect-like arms comes on the screen, they’re singing,

popcorn, hot dogs, ice cream, soda, get your delicious treats and much more at the snake bar!

Henry curious what much more is?

After the ads for coming attractions the feature film comes on, it’s The Brother from Another Planet, a story about a black brother who is a runaway slave from another planet, but it isn’t clear which planet. 

The Chis Che and Mia, and Pedro the woodpecker are working on their hero sandwich as Summer Wynd passes cans of cold Miller beer to Henry and Lucia, then lights a joint.

The opening scene of  The Brother from Another Planet comes on the screen, a rickety red rocket ship that looks like it is made out of cardboard is falling to earth, then Lucia screams as she's looking up at the sky saying,

Jesucristo look, there's a falling star coming our way!

On-screen the red rocket ship crashes into Ellis Island and off-screen a flaming asteroid the size of a basketball plows into the large white cement movie screen. The velocity of the asteroid causes the cement to crumble and collapse in place. 

Henry gets out of the station wagon, surveying the scene, thinking the moviegoers might be panicking and driving erratically to escape the inexplicable happening. 

Surprisingly, there is a dreamy stillness in the air, people are sitting on their cars looking fixedly at the assemblage of the steaming cement resembling Stone Henge with churchgoing reference. 

Lucia gets out the station wagon and tugs on Henry’s arm saying, 

darling, there’s a queer vibe here, let’s go before the Martians land! 

Mother Earth's Spa

In 1980 Fidel Castro opened Mariel Harbor allowing any Cubans who wanted to leave to do so. 

Boats of every size and shape cram 100s of refuges aboard, in many cases precariously so, encumbering safety on the small craft. Thus began the freedom flotilla to Key West and Miami.

No one in South Florida could have predicted what was in store when the first few boats reached Miami from Mariel in April 1980. 

As the madcap scene unfolded the only thing authorities could do was try to contain it. So, they constructed a number of fenced-in ghettos under freeways in South Miami to buy time. 

The opening clips of Brian De Palma’s film Scarface visually lay out the what of, of the initial days of the Mariel Boat Lift, sketching the humanity of the milieu vividly.

As immigration officials began interrogating the Marielas it was clear Fidel had taken a colossal dump on the US, opening the doors of Havana’s prisons and mental facilities, even providing transportation for the misfits to Mariela Harbor by bus.

Fidel surfaces as the clear winner of the dodgeball contest with Jimmy Carter, the CIA, and FBI, using the boat lift to rid Cuba of undesirables at America's expense, demonstrating that he could make revolution in ways yet to be invented.

At the time of the boat lift, Henry’s wife Lucia was working as a high-class hooker in Havana to make ends meet, but her calling was acting, having appeared as a supporting actress in the post-revolution films—Vampiros en La Habana, Un Hombre Exitoso, and Cecilia. 

Henry, Lucia and their lover, Summer Wynd, are sitting at a small table on the porch of their Key West bungalow enjoying strawberry crepes and coffee. The Chis beg for scrapes as Pedro the woodpecker eats sunflower seeds and fruit from a bowl on the lawn.

Henry's working on a story about the Mariel Boat Lift for HEADBANGER Magazine, published in the Big Apple. Lucia knew Fidel well because he was a regular client. Seeking out first-hand information he asks,

Darling, were you hanging out with Fidel during the Mariel Boat Lift? What can you tell me about his mood at the time? Cackling as she passes a joint to Summer Wynd she answers,

Jimmy Carter put a bug up Fidel’s culo, demanding he release all Cubano political prisoners. Fidel was angry with Carter and one night after a few drinks he tells me, 

the gringo Carter wants me to release all

political prisoners, so, I’m going to open their cages and put them on boats to Miami. 

3 days later, I went to Fidel’s house in Havana, he was borracho, full of himself, drinking and laughing with his brother Raul and a couple of his generales. It was obvious the Mariela Boat Lift was a coup. Fidel is an ass, but he is a brilliante ass! Lucia’s accounts of her time with Fidel are helpful, Henry then asks,

did you spend time with Fidel during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Humored she answers, 

estúpido, I was 16 in 1962.

After brunch Henry goes to his office to wrap the story on the boat lift. Lucia and Summer Wynd put on bikinis and t-shirts, collecting the Chis and Pedro the Woodpecker for an afternoon at Dog Beach. They put the Chis in a doggy box and Pedro will follow airborne.

Lucia drives the Vespa to Dog Beach as Summer Wynd sits behind her holding the doggy box. 

They park the scooter, let the dogs out, walking a short distance in the sand and renting canopy chairs and towels.

As the Chis, Che and Mia chase each other, running in circles, the girls set their chairs back, pull the canopies forward, take off their t-shirts and lay on their backs facing the sea in their delicate knitted bikinis.

Local beachgoers walking with their dogs on the shore stare as they pass, because the girls look breathtaking in their skimpy bikinis.   

Lucia lights a joint and passes it to Summer Wynd. A breeze blows off the ocean, cooling and revitalizing them as the sounds of waves breaking on the shore calms the pair. Summer Wynd, enjoying the suchness of the moment waxes poetically,

the beach, oceanic crust, sun, and seawater working together, spawning minerals which nurture, it’s mother earth's spa! Lucia eats it up, 

I love you, darling, you’re a poetisa!

Pedro the woodpecker shows, landing near Lucia’s feet with his back to the sea, bouncing in place as though he's dancing, happy to see everyone.

As the sun sets the girls are dry. They didn’t go swimming, fearful the seawater would mess up their hair and ruin their bikinis. Instead, spending time glued to the canopy chairs talking about stuff women talk about when there are no men around. Lucia says to Summer Wynd, 

come on baby, there’s a pet-friendly restaurant across the street, let’s go have a drink. 

Wearing t-shirts they cross the street, and the Chis and Pedro follow, going inside the Island Dog Bar and sitting at a booth with the Chis and Pedro, who perches on a napkin holder as the little dogs sit on the vinyl booth with their heads above the table. 

The bar exudes character, built in the 40s, there are old surfboards over the bar and red Christmas stockings hang everywhere. It was April and the Christmas decorations were still up, apparently, the owner loved Christmas

The girls order a pitcher of Budweiser, a dozen oysters, seared tuna, a roasted crab salad, and french fries. 

Then, Henry who has been working all afternoon shows, the girls surprised, asking,

how did you find us?

You told me you were going to Dog Beach! 

He orders a blue cheese hamburger and another pitcher of beer. The food comes and they share, Lucia feeds the Chis and Pedro fries. Henry reminding Summer Wynd, 

darling, it’s Monday, you were supposed to start work today.

Summer Wynd was hired to teach dance at the Martha Graham Dance Academy on Friday. She had danced with the New York City Ballet for the last 10 years and she had taken some time off to allow her body to heal from the strains of professional ballet. 

She says,

I forgot, well, I’ll call Miss Aecup when we get home.

After eating the girls ride the Vespa to the bungalow, Pedro flies and Henry takes the Chis in his station wagon, stopping at the Lost Weekend Liquor Store which is in a decrepit old 2 story wood house that looks like it could collapse at any minute. He walks inside, quickly buying a case of Budweiser and leaves, happy to be safely back in the station wagon. 

At home the tribe, the Chis and Pedro the woodpecker are in the living room, the pets munch on popcorn as Henry, Lucia, and Summer Wynd drink beer, watching the 60's film, Midnight Cowboy.

As the film opens Joe Buck, played by Jon Vought, quits his job as a dishwasher. Joe believes he possesses an uncommon sexual prowess that can be marketed for big money in New York City. 

After telling his boss at the diner to shove the job, Joe gets on a Greyhound bus, looking like a funky dime-store cowboy, carrying a tiny suitcase with a fresh shirt and an extra pair of pants inside.

As he rides the bus he flashes back on the queer life he has lived, having been raised by his Mother and Grandmother who were prostitutes.

When he gets to New York City he checks into a seedy hotel. There's a flashing neon sign across the street from his room which reads,

                                   MONEY

He heads out in his cowboy gear, wearing a fringed buckskin jacket, a second-rate black cowboy hat, and boots, feeling studly.

Joe Buck is small town naive and he doesn’t know it yet, but the Big Apple is going to eat him alive. 

It's 2 PM and he's walking the streets of Manhattan, where he thinks the money is. He meets a sexy mid-aged Jewish woman who is walking her poodle. They go to her penthouse and have sex. After finishing he asks her for money and she's insulted because she is a hooker, so the schlepper pays her.

Later in a bar, he meets Ratso Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman, who is greasy from head to toe and appears to be decaying. 

Ratso hustles Joe Buck out of his last few dollars, but, Joe catches up with him later and threatens to kick Ratso’s ass if he doesn’t come up with the money.  

In short time they make-up, Ratso becomes Joe’s manager and they go on to make a few bucks hustling. 

One evening they're drinking coffee and eating saltines in a diner as Viva, an Andy Warhol superstar and her boyfriend walk in. The bi couple thinks Joe is hot, Viva takes his picture with a Polaroid camera, inviting him to an LSD party at the couple's apartment later. 

At the party, Rasto stuffs his overcoat pockets with food from the buffet table as Viva humiliates him saying, 

the food's free, you don't have to steal it, and why don't you go take a bath?

The apartment is full of socialites and wealthy hippies who are tripping on acid and dancing.

Joe smokes pot for the first time giggling, feeling as though he is being swallowed up by the light show and psychedelic music.

Then he hooks up with a seductive socialite who agrees to pay him a 100 dollars for sex and give Ratso, who is suffering from pneumonia, cab fare back to the derelict apartment building he and Joe are crashing in. 

Later, Joe shows at the rundown building, worried Ratso will die if he doesn't get to a warmer climate. The following day Joe buys Greyhound bus tickets to Florida.

As the bus travels south, Ratso is getting sicker. The bus stops at the Florida border and Joe buys some cut-price summer clothes, flowered shirts, khaki pants and gym shoes, which they change into. Later, Joe speaks of future plans to Ratso,

Shee-it, you know, I got this thing all figured out, Ratso. I mean Rico. When we get to Miami, what I'll do, I'll go to work. I gotta do that, cause see, I ain't no kind of a hustler. I ain't even any goddam good as a bum. I'm a nothing, that's what I am. So reckon I'd better go to work and get me a goddam job. Okay?

A few miles down the road Joe thinks Ratso is sleeping and jostles him, then realizing Ratso is dead.

The Chis and Pedro the Woodpecker are sound asleep, Henry, Lucia, and Summer Wynd are crying, so Lucia passes a box of Kleenex around and says, 

Henry, whaat-ya say we have a LSD party next weekend?