Cuba Cards and Steaks

 

Just reviewing some early pictures.  This is about 1971 when we lived in Smyrna, Ga.   This is at the dining room table playing Canasta with a Cuban couple. 

You have not played Canasta Cards until you play with Cubans.  They screamed, laughed, shook their arms to show their exciment.  Every draw was a life or death act.

The Cuban couple owned a ranch in Cuba.  They rubbed the Cuban government wrong and they had to go.  They took a midnight boat to Miami. 

Their daughter’s husband was a fellow timekeeper for the Post Office in  Atlanta.  He had to work the night this picture was taken.

I remember the night this picture was taken I cooked steaks on a Hibachi, T-Bone or Porterhouse, next to the caport.  The man came out  and we talked as I flipped the meat.  I suppose that is a universal tradition, when having company in nice weather the man of the house cooks outside and the visiting male keeps the cook company and talk about man things.

He spoke Spanish or Latino and I spoke Southern Fried.  We had a hard time understanding each other so we smiled at each other a lot and nodded enthusiastically. 

Then when putting the steaks on a platter one slipped and fell on the ground.  I showed him I was angry at myself and I would eat the dropped steak.  He shook his head and signed that no, he would eat the fallen steak.  He insisted.  I insisted.

I forgot which of us won but we agreed it would be our secret, the women folk had no need to know about it.