By Julio Juan Leandro

Sat in a comfortable rocking chair fanning himself to mitigate June’s stifling heat, we met Benito Martínez Abogán, Cuba’s living oldest person and one of the oldest among the world’s long-lived ones.

We met Martínez Abogán at the Gerontology Centre in the province of Ciego de Ávila living there since two years ago together with many other aged Cubans.

He claims to feel at easy living in that institution whose director he calls affectionately “ my mother” and the assistance “ my girlfriend” and one of the nurses “ my step-mother”.

" Fidel is my father! and I wish him a long life and that can live more than 100 years just like me".

" If all my female and male friends come to my birthday party, there won’t be room enough for them all. I miss the ajiaco cooked at home, but the yogurt director Maribel sends to me makes me very strong ".

This June 19, Benito will turn 126! Born at daybreak in 1880 reads his identity card issued for Haitians with permanent residence in the Republic of Cuba.

Like many other unemployed countrymen and Caribbean islanders, Abogán went forth from his birth-land to adventure life overseas at 40 years of age.

He settled on the largest Caribbean island’s eastern region, worked the land in many places included Ángel Castro´s faro estate in Birán, Holguín, and later came t olive nearby Ciego de Ávila, where he combined constructions works and farming.

He lived at a small patch of land located 13 km east Avila´s capital city that he owes it under free usufruct condition since four decades ago and worked on it harvesting crop roots, vegetables and fruits and raised picks and birds.

He had never gone to the doctor’s until the year 2000, when kidney failures and rheumatism affected too much his proverbial resistance to illnesses.

Also outstanding are his memory and capability to identifying sounds, apart from the fact he’s never, never wears spectacles.

Shortly alter arriving in Cuba, he was nicknamed as Avión (plane) due to his recognized skill when cutting sugar cane. Usually he worked barefooted.

He affirms to have drunk much coffee, been a heavy cigar smoker and enjoyed ajiaco criollo and chicken soup, and regarding rum only took a few sips to savour its aroma at religious rites.

When he overhears the name of the commander-in-Chief he claims to make his night prayers for Fidel and Raúl so that they can live a long life and that there’s no war!"

According to a recent national survey, at least there are 21 Haitians living in six provinces that are over 100 years old and plus.

Seven live in Camagüey, six in Guantánamo, four in Ciego de Ávila, two in Havana city, one in Las Tunas and one more in Santiago de Cuba. Basilio López Sanon lives in Ciego de Ávila and on June 25 will turn 110.

A profound research is projected to collect more data about this ethnic community.

Minutes before saying good-bye, Martínez Abogán gave us an insightful glimpse and continued fanning himself.

No doubt this man has still dreams to see come true; speak with Commander-in-Chief Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz and travel to Haiti.

By Cubasi Translation Staff