Vivo: Special: Nueva Casa...Nueva Aventura

This Ain't Cuba

Vivo and Gabi were eating mangos at a fruit stand.

Not long after, they were approached by Gabi's mother, Rosa.

She said, "Hey, you two did wonderful today!"

Gabi said, "We certainly try. Right, Vivo?"

Vivo responded, "You got it, kid. Although, most of the time, I don't even actually try."

Rosa then said, "Well, Gabi, when you two are done eating, we got some errands we need to get done. And maybe we could bring Vivo with us. Some of the shops are fine with pets."

Gabi said, "Hey, yeah! What do you say, Vivo? Want to see more of Key West?"

Vivo thought for a moment.

It had been over two weeks, and so far, Vivo had only seen the neighborhood where they lived and the Plaza.

He didn't know any other part of Key West.

And back in Cuba, he knew all of Havana.

After all, it was his home.

But that's just it; It was his home.

He now had a new home with a new family.

That being said, he should probably get to know it as well as he could.

So, he responded, "Ok, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see more."

Rosa said, "Alright, then you two finish up and get everything in the car."

They did as she said.

They finished their mangos and packed their techno street organ into their car.

Once everything was packed up, including themselves, Rosa started the car and started driving.

***

When Rosa made it to a part of town, she found a good parking space.

"Alrighty, everybody out."

Gabi and Vivo unbuckled and got out together.

Although, once they got out of the car, Vivo first noticed the other vehicles around them.

They didn't exactly look like the vehicles of Cuba.

They looked more like...the cars of the future.

The cars of Cuba were mostly vintage cars, full of classic models from the 1900's.

The cars Vivo was looking at now didn't look anything like the cars in Havana.

There were sedans, SUVs, navigators, jeeps, and more.

Vivo was a little confused.

"Why not just stick with making one type of car?"

Vivo's confusion ended when Gabi gently picked him up and got him around her shoulders.

"Come on, Vivo. There's so much here to see!"

When the family got to the edge of the parking lot, Vivo got a good look at the area.

The streets were lined with a ton of shops, bars, restaurants, and a ton of business places of all kinds.

And the sidewalks were flowing with people.

It sort of reminded Vivo of some parts of Havana where he and Andrés would sometimes either do some shopping or just do a scenic walk.

Although, this was a lot more crowded and modern-looking.

Gabi said to him, "Vivo...Welcome to Duval Street. The town's Main Street."

***

The family strolled down the sidewalk of Duval Street, where they passed by a lot of shops.

Although, Vivo noticed a couple of differences between this area and the shopping areas of Havana.

There seemed to be a lot of big corporate businesses mixed with the shops and restaurants.

Back in Havana, there were usually just one or two big businesses and a lot more simple shops and restaurants.

Not only that, but he didn't see any special outdoor stands that sold merchandise and fruit.

Those stands practically filled the streets of Havana.

As a matter of fact, in some street markets of Cuba, the shops were stands.

Hardly any indoor shops.

And it wasn't just the shops Vivo noticed.

He also took a look at some of the people walking along the sidewalk.

They didn't at all look like the people of Havana.

First thing he noticed was the clothing.

People in Cuba would typically wear casual, loose-fitting clothes made with cotton and/or linen.

That was mostly to get by with the warm temperatures of Cuba.

And sometimes, women would be seen in brightly-colored, ruffled dresses with fancy headwraps.

The people here wore a combination of clothing styles.

Some in dresses, some in t-shirts, some even long-sleeve shirts and/or jeans, despite the hot weather.

And Vivo cringed at the people who wore really small pieces of clothing, like half-camisoles and high-waisted shorts.

What, is there a fabric shortage around here?

But that wasn't what bothered Vivo the most.

It was the way they behaved.

His neighbors from Havana were very sweet and generous.

Maybe an argument every so often, but they always ended with smiles.

Vivo heard a couple of people arguing nearby...followed by the sound of fighting.

He also saw someone being physically thrown out of a bar.

The bars in Havana were typically very welcoming.

The people here just weren't as nice as the people he knew in Havana.

Seeing all of this, Vivo didn't exactly need help seeing that Florida life wasn't Cuba life.

And frankly...he wasn't too sure what to think of all this.

He then turned his attention to Rosa when she said, "Gabi, how about we stop by Miss Minty's first?"

Gabi responded, "Really?"

"Why not? It's been quite a while since we last said 'Hello'."

Gabi then turned to Vivo, "Vivo, you're gonna love Miss Minty's!"

Rosa also said, "And she's gonna love you."

Vivo said, "Uh, ok. She sounds like a nice lady."

With that, they continued down the sidewalk towards a new destination.