Luli's Sad Farewell

Luli is an eight-year old Spanish-speaking girl from Marianao, Cuba. It's the Summer of 1961, and Luli, her mother and brother are leaving Marianao, a suburb of Havana, for the United States to be reunited with Luli's father whom they haven't seen in more than two years.

Life was not the same for Luli and her family after 1959. Saying goodbye to family members could not have been more difficult since returning to Cuba was not an option for them. As she kissed her grandfather's tear-streaked cheek, an orchestra of crickets seemed to bid Luli farewell on that dark quiet morning in Marianao.

Luli and her mother soon learn that taking personal belongings on their flight out of Cuba was not guaranteed. A tearful goodbye seems to be all they take from their beautiful island home.

Luli and her family are thankful to be able to fly to the United States, their new home, after experiencing difficulties in Cuba. Being reunited with her father was a dream come true.