August 17, 1971, to be exact, I landed in Miami Beach to live with my mother. She had convinced me to leave my Aunts and come live with her. She vividly described all the wonderful things South Beach, Florida, had to offer. I pictured it and said I would go live with her. I remember how hot it was that day I arrived. I asked for my beautiful head of long hair to be cut short. It was the first time in a very long time. It was no-frills hair. They made a ponytail and chopped it right off. Was I sorry about my decision? Yes, but I had to learn to live with my choices. This was part of growing older. I was far from wiser.
Picture a fourteen-year-old living in Miami Beach circa the 1970s among senior citizens. On my block of Ocean Drive and 10th, the population of young kids was two: My sister and I. We probably annoyed the heck out of everyone running around the beach playing treasure-hunting pirates. I was a very innocent Fourteen-year-old who still liked to play. My sister was 6 years younger. It was my job to keep her entertained.
I remember going to the 6th Street Pier to fish. We would catch little grunt fish. On one particularly disastrous day, we saw a bunch. We put them in a bag. For some insane reason, we stored the bag in the closet. We were too busy. A day later, the smell was horrible. My mother could not figure out why we put the fish in the closet. We did not know why, either.
My sister and I had free reign to wreak havoc on the beach and town. My mother worked very long hours. Olga was supposed to be our chaperon. She was always off having a beer or two. We would take off on our own and head to the Lincoln Road Mall. We rode the free trolley back and forth. Sometimes, we spent the afternoon watching movies in the Cameo Theater. We had to dodge the perverts that seemed to gravitate towards the two young girls alone in the cinema.
We also had some good memories with my mother. On 5th Street and Ocean Drive, she would take us to eat and enjoy the live music. It was a lively Cuban Restaurant with a live band on the weekends and a dance floor. I gambled with quarters playing “Cubilete” with some locals at the restaurant counter.
Cubilete is an old and very traditional game in Cuba. It is second in popularity only to Cuban dominoes. Everyone plays it, from young schoolchildren to old grandmothers. Similar Cubilete games are played in other Latin American countries, but the rules vary widely. Many cultures play a version akin to the card game Poker. The Cuban game, is unique. Each player rolls one cubilete. The player with the highest cubilete (A-K-Q-J-G-N in order of value) goes first. Players take turns shaking the Cubilete cup and rolling out the dice. Each turn consists of as many as three rolls of the dice. After each roll, the player can take dice out of the cup and put them aside for his hand.
Players can stop rolling after the first roll if they are satisfied with their hand. Patas (points) are scored, and a running total is kept for each player. Once a player’s turn ends, the turn passes to the player on the left. The game’s object is to roll five dice of the same kind. A hand with less than five of a kind has absolutely no value. The winner has the highest value, five. To win a round, you need to get the highest hand. The winner of each round (and only the winner) wins points based on the value of their hand. A game is played to a total score of 10 patas (points). Whoever gets 10 points first wins the game, even if all of the players have not had a turn. The ultimate goal of the game is to score “Carabinas.” If you roll any Carabina during the game, you immediately win the round. You also get to keep moving for another round. There are three types of Carabina listed in order of value.
Carabina de Aces — is worth ten points and is difficult to obtain. To get Carabina de Aces, you need to get a complete set of five aces within the three-roll limit. If you get Carabina de Aces, you are awarded 10 points. The game is over. You have eliminated everyone else in the game. You are the winner of the game, even if no one else had a chance to roll. If you get Carabina de Aces, you are always the first roller in the next game.
Carabina de Ks (Kings) Naturales — you must have five Kings within your three allotted rolls. If you get this type of Carabina, you get five points. You win, the round ends, and you keep rolling on to the next round.
Carabina de Ks (Kings) No Naturales. You can only obtain this by pairing the Aces with the Kings. (The Ace can be paired with any other dice because it is wild.) If you obtain this type of Carabina, you get two points. You win, the round ends, and you go on to the next round.
If nobody gets a Carabina after everyone has had their turn, one point is awarded to the person with the highest hand:· Five Queens, Five Jevas (Jacks), Five Gallegos (Diamonds), Five Blacks (Clubs)
I have to say, it was as beautiful as my mother described Miami Beach. Living right on Ocean Drive, directly across from the beach, was like living in a picture post-card. Balmy winds swayed gorgeous coconut trees. The smell of the ocean breezes is permanently etched into my memories.
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