My Grandfather's Story

Gerardo Calderon

Modern Literature Composition B

Mr. Pierson

13 March 2012

                                                                    “Jose Gamez”

                                                           

My grandfather “ Jose Gamez” was born in February 19, 1930 on Cuba. He passed away in February 27,1993 here in California. I’ve never got to meet him since I was born the year after his death but I feel that I known him by listening stories about him from my mother and grandmother. I would hear that he was a very kind person with people, he would always smile, hardly angry at anyone and a great dad according to my mom. He was very tall at that time , maybe about 6 feet tall since my family are short between 5’4-5’10feet. The story I liked what he told my mom when she was little about is how beautiful the ocean is on Cuba and the music people play in the streets. He would also tell her that he would always play kickball near the beach with his brothers when the waves would come because the loved the sound when the water comes down.

Unfortunately in 1959, my grandfather was 29 years old that time and he mentions that it was the worst year of is life. The reason was because Fidel Castro had overthrown Fulgenio Batista from power becoming Cubas new leader. At first he didn’t mind about Fidel taking over until one night he heard gun shots firing around the house when two soldiers enter the house taking his dad away by first putting him unconscious with their rifle. Later that day he finds out they took his dad to a jail without knowing what he’d done. Since his father was in jail he decide to take his brothers with him to migrate to America with his friends but his brothers decided to stay in Cuba to wait for their dad get out of jail but for him to go with his friends to America without them. My grandfather had no choice but to leave them and go in a banana boat to America, he hugged them and other family members to say goodbye. He noticed while at sea lots of handmade boats with  people were going the same route as they were. The sad part about it was when a storm came a day before he got to America it drift some boats to a different direction and those who were asleep never woke again from either dehydration or from drowning asleep.

           

When he got to America, he landed on the state of Florida were a friend of his     father was waiting for him, he got into his truck and they head to California were a  year later he would met my grandmother. I believe he said to my mom when she asked about my great grandfather that he gets told from his fathers friend that his brothers find out that there dad had been killed by the soldiers a while after my grandpa left Cuba. Many others were killed on the conflict of the bay of pigs were Cuban rebels tried to kill Castro where they failed because Castro known the plan early .The captured rebels would be captured and killed by castors soldiers. I just hope one day when Cuba is a democracy country and become peaceful, I can take my mom to visit Cuba were my grandpa was born

Gerardo, Calderon.” Jose Games “Cuban Migration”.

Wikipedia , From my family.

 Gerardo Calderon.19, Feb , 2012. 

Web. 19, Feb , 2012.