The inconceivable thing is that an elderly person seeks to marry not to have a sentimental companion, but to help him leave his country.
Havana, Cuba. – It may seem inconceivable, but there are elderly Cubans and Cubans who, as some young people do, seek to get nuptials with foreigners to leave Cuba.
I knew of one of those cases through an close person: that of a 70 -year – Mexico whose age is around eight decades.
Since then, they talk by video call three times a day, with their own phrases. A platonic love, something that would not be strange, because feelings are not age. Only in this case, the end pursued by her, is far from love: what they seek is to get her out of Cuba.
The foreigner already made the marriage commitment, and both initiated legal procedures with lawyers, notaries, consular offices in both countries, and are planning to set a probable date for the wedding.
He has sent some money (little, it does not reach 100 dollars) to obtain her passport.
As they told me, to achieve a rapid exit, they must first marry in Cuba, then in his country. Otherwise, carry out the process by invitation letter, legalize the commitment in the country, then return to Cuba to do it here, and thus maintain Cuban citizens and be able to acquire residence in the other country.
All these efforts and expenses must face them, but as they tell me, man does not seem to have enough capital, in addition to not having time to carry out the proceedings, because he still works.
A proposal made by the lover is that she travels to Mexico to work there and help her relatives in Cuba, because he is only responsible for keeping her.
It will be quite difficult for women to find work, not only because of their advanced age, but also for their very low schooling.
They tell me that she has indecisions. I wanted to meet another country, lead a better life, without so many deprivations and difficulties, but does not want to leave Cuba in a definitive way and abandon their children and grandchildren.
It is already somewhat disappointed by the complexities and tardes of the efforts, and does not know what course to take. She has told her friends that she is “testing, to see if the matter occurs” and, that if not, he will try to “get something out of the old man.”
That two older adults want to marry is not strange. Years ago I witnessed a wedding for the church in the San Rafael home, consummated by two nursing homes there, before the Spanish father Simón Aspiru. Unfortunately, one of the parties died of cancer shortly after.
The way of finding a partner is not new without knowing each other, whether it is young or old. In ancient times, kings and emperors gave their daughters in marriage to other sovereigns, in order to maintain a strategic state alliance. The parties looked for the first time on the wedding day. In more recent times, through radio, television and correspondence, commitments and future marriages were established. Now technological advances allow this through social networks.
The inconceivable thing is that an elderly person seeks to marry not to have a sentimental companion, but to help him leave his country.
The case I mean would allow Disney to make a new version of the classic Cinderellaalthough they would have to replace the handsome prince and the beautiful maiden with two elders with wrinkled faces, and the Crystal Zapatico with a cell phone.
What explains that there are situations such as this is the overwhelming life that Cubans lead to the shortcomings of all kinds, the constants and insufferable blackouts, the difficulties in moving through the almost non -existent public transport, the extensive and exhausting hours dedicated to seeking what is necessary, the exorbitant prices, the low wages, the shortage of medicines. All this generates a high level of stress, which makes existence unbearable and leads to a migratory stampede by any means. That stampede is no longer limited to young people.
