Viva Cuba Libre

Viva Cuba Libre!

Virgina Geddes

Copyright © 2013 by Virgina Geddes

Smashwords Edition

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Contents

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

ACT IV

ACT I Scene 1 CIA Office 1951

Bob Morton is being interviewed by a CIA recruitment officer, who reads from a file. Another officer sits by.

OFFICER

Robert Morton. British. 19 years old. Married to an American citizen. Rejected for military service due to collapsed right lung suffered logging trees in Oregon. Brought to our attention by our testing service. So, interested in joining the CIA?

BOB

I think it would suit me, and--

(grinning)

I've got nothing better to do at the moment.

OFFICER

(frowning)

Right. After some more tests and training, you'll go into the field for your baptism.

BOB

Where?

OFFICER

We'll see. O.K. That's it. Go out to the front desk and get your instructions. Good luck!

BOB

Thanks. You, too.

Bob walks jauntily out of the room.

OFFICER 2

Cocky sonofabitch!

OFFICER

I.Q., powers of persuasion off the charts, perfect Spanish, idealist.

OFFICER 2

What kind of idealism are we talking about?

OFFICER

(looking at the file)

European socialism, like in Britain. He's strongly anti-communistic, believes in democracy, individual freedom and capitalism as an economic system.

OFFICER 2

His wife?

OFFICER

At 17 he married an American nurse seven years older when she got pregnant and then she miscarried. Possibly bipolar and lives with her mother. He sends her money, and they get together depending on his work.

OFFICER (CONT'D)

Which is?

OFFICER (CONT'D)

Since he finished school... at 14... he's done a whole list from acting in London to hospital administration in Sierra del Pasco in Peru to furnace maintenance in Alaska and a failed business exporting bananas from Ecuador. Oh, and he also forged his passport to make himself one year older.

OFFICER 2

Not afraid to break the rules... an adventurer...

OFFICER

A young man in search of his destiny.

OFFICER 2

A great asset or a loose cannon...

OFFICER

He's a believer so we'll shape him up.

ACT I Scene 2 INT. NIGHT Willey's Bar, Havana 1957

Bob (25 years old) is sitting at a table with five young Cuban businessmen drinking whiskey. He's wearing a white shirt and suit pants, jacket and tie slung over the back of the chair. A young man stops by the table and addresses Bob.

JUANITO

Hey, Bob! Saw your Pepsi boss at the golf course again yesterday.

BOB

Hi, Juanito! Yeah, well, he's perfecting his game. Fine with me. He stays out of my hair. Did you get that new company contract?

JUANITO

Not yet.

BOB

I'll put in a word for you with my buddy Chalito. Have a seat.

JUANITO

Thanks, but no. It's 3:30. I'm going home. Don't you guys ever sleep?

JOSÉ

(laughing)

Only Bob does this every night.

BOB

Well, I always get to the plant by 6:30.

FRANCISO

Say, Carlos, did you know that some American reporter interviewed Fidel Castro in the mountains and published pictures? Proves he's still alive.

CARLOS

Yeah, I heard something about that.

ALEX

Alive... so what? Does anyone think he and his 30 guerrillas are going to overthrow Batista?

Everybody laughs.

JUANITO

Well, I hope not. Business is doing well.

FRANCISCO

You merda! Wouldn't you like to be able to vote and have Constitutional guarantees?

ALEX

Dream on.

Everyone laughs.

ACT I Scene 3 INT. DAY Pepsi Cola plant, Havana, May 1958

Bob walks briskly into the plant and stops in front of the reception desk where a beautiful, young Cuban girl is seated.

BOB

Holá, mi amor! How's everything? When are you going to throw over that useless boyfriend of yours for me?

HELENA

Hi, Boss. It's nice to know you care! By the way, you have a visitor from the CTC in your office.

BOB

Damn! I'm going to fix that bastard now.

Bob enters his office. A scruffy man with a fleshy face and crafty eyes is seated in a chair opposite Bob's desk. When he hears Bob enter, he thunks his boots up on Bob's desk and throws a gun onto the surface beside them.

MINGO TORRES

Eusebio Mujol sent me. Let's talk.

Bob goes to his desk, sits down, opens his desk drawer and pulls out a gun, which he calmly places beside the other. Torres laughs, but his face turns blotchy red.

MINGO TORRES (CONT'D)

You sonofabitch. You know why I'm here. You need some more workers in the factory. Here you are, sitting pretty, overworking your poor employees, making them sweat overtime instead of hiring new people. We're going to send some guys over to you, you arrogant bastard.

Bob keeps his expression neutral while opening another desk drawer and pressing the lever on the tape recorder hidden inside.

BOB (pleasantly)

I hear you've been having some trouble with Batista lately, Mingo.

MINGO TORRES

Where'd you hear that? So what? Don't think that because Batista is in power and friendly with the Americans and their big companies that he can get away with everything. That sonofabitch. We can get rid of him, too.

BOB

Oh, you think so?

MINGO TORRES

You doubt me? Listen, you bastard, we represent one and a half million workers, and no Batista can tell us what to do.

BOB

Even so, Batista has all the fire power.

MINGO TORRES

He thinks his men are loyal to him, but I personally know hundreds who want his balls...

FADE OUT

ACT I Scene 4 INT. DAY Havana Following day in Bob's Pepsi Cola office.

Mingo Torres enters the room and carries out the same routine, gun and boots on the desk. When Bob doesn't take out his gun, the labor leader looks at him expectantly.

MINGO TORRES

You got something to say to me?

BOB

I want you to hear something...

Bob presses the replay button of the tape recorder. As the union leader listens, his eyes squint into pale slits, and his face turns redder and redder.

MINGO TORRES

I suppose it's no good my taking away that tape?

BOB

(smiling and bluffing)

You can have it for a souvenir if you like, but you know damn well I've got another one.

Torres jerks his boots from the table and stands up.

MINGO TORRES

(shouting and turning to leave)

I'm not going to be intimidated by you, you bastard!

BOB

(calmly)

Get off my back. Just get off my back.

ACT I Scene 5 EXT. NIGHT April 10, 1958 Castro's camp in the Sierra Maestra

In an open tent lighted by gas lanterns three bearded men are seated around a wooden table drinking mugs of coffee: Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, and Ché Guevara. Fidel bangs his fist on the table.

FIDEL CASTRO

Cowards! What kind of workers are these? Fucking Batistianos.

RAUL CASTRO

Brother, workers came out for the strike in the interior cities, but, you know, in Havana they are all in Batista's pocket or controlled by the PSP.

FIDEL

For Christ's sake, the Partido Socialista Popular is the Communist Party! Workers unite! Damn them!

RAUL

Well, maybe Faustino Pérez should have cut in the PSP.

FIDEL

Stalinist sons of bitches! They've done shit to help us!

CHÉ GUEVARA

You are right, Fidel! But now it is clear that we have to change our tactics. The workers are not going to rise up.

FIDEL

Wonderful! So who will? The peasants?

CHÉ GUEVARA

Eventually... the bourgeoisie!

Fidel roars with laughter. Raul smiles.

FIDEL

The middle class who lick the boots of the dictator Batista? Are you crazy?

Ché Guevara laughs, too, and folds his hands in front of himself on the table.

CHÉ

We'll MAKE the middle class rise up.

RAUL

How the hell do we do that?

CHÉ

The student Directorate and our 26th of July underground will launch a terrorist campaign against Batista.

FIDEL

(sarcastic)

Fantastic! And then?

CHÉ

Batista's a dumb fuck! He'll set his henchmen on the students, torture and kill them.

RAUL

(enthusiastically)

Turning parents, relatives and friends against Batista.

CHÉ

And don't forget the soldiers who are also parents and brothers of these people. Voilá! End of Batista!

FIDEL

(grinning)

Ché! You Argentine Machiavelli!

Ché tips his cap.

RAUL

(speaking softly)

Superb! Superb! We should get PSP help, too.

FIDEL

(impatiently)

Those old farts? They're no fighters!

RAUL

(placatingly)

Of course, Fidel. You're right. And let them crawl to us!

FIDEL

Damn right!

Fidel walks off. Raul and Ché lean towards each other..

RAUL

(softly to Ché)

Look! After we get rid of Batista and take control, then what do we do? The 26th of July is a patchwork of different ideas, different groups and different leaders. They are united only to overthrow Batista. We can't count on them for the long run. But the PSP has an organization they've built over forty years. They have a structure and a plan for power. We don't. What do you think?

CHÉ

Raul, I think the same way you do.

RAUL

I'll get in touch with the Carlos Alberto Rodriguez in a few days.

CHÉ

Good! Fidel will come around, and together we'll make a real revolution.

Raul and Ché smile at each other in complete understanding.

Act 1 Scene 6 DAY U.S. Embassy August, 1958

POLITICAL ATTACHE

So, work all day and play all night. Been tested lately for cirrhosis?

BOB

Hey, I'm just doing my job!

POLITICAL ATTACHE

I know, I know. Sorry. What're you hearing?

BOB

People are really fed up with Batista. All of these terrorist attacks by the 26th of July underground and the students' Revolutionary Directorate, and the torture and murder of underground suspects, are getting to everybody... everyone's brother or son or cousin.

POLITICAL ATTACHE:

What kind of chance does Castro have?

BOB

Castro's guerrillas number only about 180. Look, if the generals really want to take him out, they can. But they have a problem. The soldiers are beginning to refuse to fight Castro. Now, a question for you. Why didn't the U.S. withdraw the military mission when it stopped sending arms to Batista in March? That was a muddy message. And Batista got planes and tanks from Britain, so what gives?

POLITICAL ATTACHÉ

We're waiting to see. What are your business buddies up to?

BOB

One by one, they're joining the 26th of July. I'd like to join, too.

POLITICAL ATTACHE

You just keep out of it. It's not your battle.

BOB

It's just that I am pretty close to these guys now, and it feels like my battle, too. My workers are being picked up and harassed, too.

POLITICAL ATTACHE

Just keep cool. Stay out of it. And I mean that.

FADE OUT

ACT 1 Scene 7 EXT. DAY August, 1958 Fidel Castro's Camp in the Sierra Maestra

In Fidel's tent, Fidel, Raul and Ché are seated around a wooden table with PSP (Socialist Popular Party) director Carlos Rafael Rodriguez. He's an older man with graying hair, but his eyes are alert and calculating.

CARLOS RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ

I'm here to see if we can work together with the unions. You know the PSP wants to overthrow Batista, too.

FIDEL

(peeved)

We wish you'd wanted to work with us on April 9th!!!

CARLOS RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ

We're sorry that we didn't coordinate with the strike. We want to do that in the future. Our men also want to work with your 26th of July underground.

Appeased, Fidel wags his head and grunts. Raul is attentive, and Ché is sprawled on his chair, watching. The conversation is between Carlos Rafael and Fidel.

CARLOS RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ (CONT'D)

Fidel, we also want to be clear about our intentions. This is your revolution and you are its leader. We just want to help. Now, to promote coordination, I am prepared to stay here in your camp.