The kingdom of the forbidden

FROM CUBA
The kingdom of the forbidden
Rafael Ferro Salas, Abdala Press

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba - April (www.cubanet.org) - I saw the disturbance in
the neighborhood from the street corner. A neighbor brought me up to
date about what happened. "They're searching the house of a guy who's a
dissident."

I approached and saw it was the house of Abigail Ortega Beltrán. Two
police patrol cars were parked in front of the building. Some neighbors
looked on with curiosity. I came to the group of people.

"They took away the books and some radios," an old lady who was carrying
a little boy said. I watched as the two policemen left the house. Behind
them Abigail went out. He saw me right away. He made a signal and
continued to one of the police cars.

Afterwards two officers of the State Security police came out. The same
ones as always: Mario and Beune.

A while later we were inside the house. Everything had been moved from
its place. Abigail is the head of an independent library; now there's
nothing left of that library. It's forbidden to have a private library
in Cuba, it's all in daring to say it is independent, because that word
is also banned. There are endless things banned in this country, it
reaches the absurd in an environment of so many prohibitions.

"They ordered me to appear tomorrow afternoon at the State Security
office. They told me it's to draw up a warning act against me," Abigail
tells me while he picks up some papers strewn on the floor, proof of
what happened only a few minutes earlier. His wife arrives with two cups
of coffee. I take a sip and say thank you.

Afterwards I see how Abigail hides the papers in his pocket, as if he
feared someone would return to take them away from him. After a house
search you're left with that fear that they'll keep removing things;
this reporter has been through that.

"I don't know why these people are upset over one having his books.
They're wholesome books. It's not a crime to have books," my friend says
to me. We have so many banned things that I have no answer for this
question. We went out on the patio and I look at a pair of sparrows
singing. Later they fly off over the rooftops. I think they smelled a
scent of the search, they went away scared but free.

"Don't think the worst, friend, but sometimes I would like to have wings
and fly away from this country of trash. They've forced me to that,
they've forced everyone to that."

I was about to tell him he was right, but then I smiled and told him:
"It's not worth it, my friend. If you become a bird you fly freely, but
you'd give the pleasure of taking away reading to those who searched you
a while ago."

My friend puts his hand on my shoulder, embraces me and says in
agreement: "Right, they can't take reading away from us, much less what
we've read."

http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y06/may06/10e3.htm