The woman looked at her gift, a beautiful soul wrapped in copper. Tears were streaming down his face. She knew the source of his angst. Memories of the profound humiliation hurled at him by her father, who had claimed justice for all. The woman’s eyes welled up with tears. “My love, we must move forward. As you and I planned, we will leave all of this behind soon enough.” Her husband quickly wiped away the tears. In his heavily accented voice, he proudly responded. “I know. I am fine. Sometimes the messages pop into my mind.” He stood up and changed his demeanor. “Let me go and do the necessary things to prepare.” The woman nodded.
The woman reflected on her life. Although unnecessary, she and her siblings had often suffered from hunger as their father spent time writing about the injustices all around them. She could not reconcile this man’s refusal to work, allowing the family to live in squalor. She closed her eyes, picturing him at the filthy table with crumbs brushed aside and stains of drink and ink imprinted on the wood. As he penned his thoughts on paper, he appeared unfazed by the dirty spoons and teacups cluttered around him. She vividly recalls him writing vigorously, ignoring everything, including his children. If anyone tried to disturb him, he verbally abused them. Eventually, each of them learned to tiptoe around him, scurrying away if they sensed his ire.
According to her mother, both parents had come from very comfortable environments. The woman’s maternal grandfather had lived as a Baron who rallied for the education of her mother. “What did she see in him?” The woman often wondered that very question about her parents’ union, concluding it was love and familiarity from childhood.
She became emotional again, thinking bitterly that her father’s elitist attitude toward work contributed to the deaths of some of her siblings. Lack of nourishment seemed to create a weak constitution in those brothers and sisters who died from an illness. The woman could not wrap her mind around this man’s hypocrisy. He had continuously denounced those who did not care for others, yet he severely neglected his offspring.
The woman brushed away her tears and became angry. She thought about her father’s partner. “Of course, you enabled my ridiculous father, providing him money from your inheritance.” The woman became more inflamed and laughed sarcastically. “You fool. You supported my father’s rants on paper. When you visited, you barely gave us a nod. What happened to goodwill for all?” She thought about that long-ago letter he sent to her, brashly penning racist invectives toward her husband. Her maddening laughter became louder, surmising the ludicrousy of it all.
With fury, the woman stated to herself, “My father, the intellectual, alleged beacon of justice, went around promoting his wild ideas, raging toward those whom he deemed enslaved. He claimed he was for the worker but never wanted to work. Lucky for him but not for us, he managed to take from the fruits of the labors of others.
Her father regularly had railed against religion, claiming it was the “sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions.” The woman wondered if he had been right. For a moment, she thought about those religious people who seemed happy. “How could they have such a strong adherence to blind faith? No, even my love says they are delusional.” As much as her husband received endless insults from her father and benefactor, he remained a staunch supporter of the ideology. He claimed that the time was very near for them to act for the greater good. The woman sighed and pulled herself together. She did not want to worry her husband or derail their imminent plans. No matter what is next, the expectation is the ultimate sacrifice in the name of the collective.
Author’s Note: Laura Marx, the daughter of Karl, was married to Paul Lafargue, an Afro-Cuban. She and her husband committed suicide. Mr.Lafargue remained a devoted communist, as stated in a letter to his nephew. Also, he wanted to avoid getting older. He succeeded.
What is noteworthy about mentioning Mr. Larfargue is that he was Cuban and endured regular insults from his father-in-law and partner-in-horror, Friedrich Engels. Both were racists. Also, Mr. Marx was initially from a non-religious Jewish family. He became a virulent antisemite. Although the family converted to Christianity, Mr. Marx went on to also abandon this. Some research indicates he dabbled in a preoccupation with darkness and evil.
What is most apparent is Karl Marx’s hypocrisy. “Labor for thee but not for me” seemed to be his unspoken motto, not providing for his family. Yes, communism claims equality for all but ends up being equality for none. Equal opportunity does necessarily render similar outcomes. In my constant reference to the uniqueness of each individual, we should never forget about the bud that might blossom into a late bloom.
Mr. Lafargue was born long before Fidel Castro, a lawyer, who created the rebellion that took the island of Cuba from bad to worse. I wrote about this because of the events happening as I type. Recently, President Biden questioned whether or not we have the technology to reinstate the internet, assisting the Cuban people in their zeal for freedom. Yes, President Biden, we do. WSJ’s editorial page on Monday, July 19, 2021, outlines this. Here is just one sentence from a very detailed explanation: “Another technology the U.S. could deploy is high-altitude balloons that float in international airspace.”
The Cubans have long suffered under the scourge of communism, a hell on earth. A congresswoman from NY who drives a Tesla supports this regime. Also, a Pulitzer-Prize, revisionist-history winner shares her favoritism for this government. This particular woman believes it is an example of equality because of socialism. I would strongly disagree with both of these women. White elites are Cuba’s ruling party. People of color are not recipients of the redistributed wealth. They are part of the ninety-seven percent of the islanders who languish in poverty, driving ancient vehicles. Perhaps, the congresswoman from New York might consider donating her automobile, living among the regime she celebrates. I don’t think so.
Will 2021 Cubans’ quest for freedom end like the Green Revolution of 2009? I hope not, but sadly, our government’s stonewalling suggests otherwise.
Viva Cuba Libre!!!
This is a stunning piece, Darlene. Beautiful writing, awesome capturing of the irony of ‘the rest of the story…’ Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you so much Deb! I am so appreciative of your lovely comments. Yes, I wanted to capture the irony of the a sleeping monster that has not been put to rest. You made my evening! Thank you again!