Chapter One
Todo Bien
The day he dropped dead, Arnaldo Hernández had never been more alive. He
had begun his morning early, clearing a flowerbed for his girlfriend, Arelis
Ruiz, and burning the weeds and the dead leaves in a mini bonfire in front of
their house in rural Havana. Then he headed out. It was April 22, 1994, an
ordinary day, another day to get by. Arnaldo had been working two jobs. On most
days he clipped hair for five pesos a head at the local barbershop or
occasionally on his front porch. On nights and weekends, he manned the front
door of the Circulo Social, a community center and disco, tossing out the bad
drunks and letting in his friends for free. He also played first base for San
Miguel, a provincial league team on the other side of the capital. With
relentless good cheer, he shu ... read full excerpt from The Duke of Havana ebook
