OK, so this is the plot for my novel I'm going to start writing.
It's 1962, and Fidel Castro and Che Guavara are invading Cuba from Mexico's gulf coast. (Was that 1962? I can't remember...) There's a thirteen year old girl (call her X) living in Oaxaca, Mexico. She receives a postcard that's part of a chain message, designed to get young people writing to each other around the world. She starts writing her own postcards, and one of them arrives in the hands of a young woman (girl Y, say, about 19 years old) recently moved to Havana from Mexico with Castro's revolutionaries, a member of the cultural corps. She's passionately dedicated to the communist cause, and works hard to establish cultural exchange programs around the world on behalf of the new Cuban government.
Girl Y replies to girl X, who also replies. Their letters become more frequent. Over the years they tell each other about their boyfriends, their husbands, their work, their homes. They are best friends and they've never met. Finally in 1982, Girl X goes to Cuba. They meet, deeply moved by the power of their friendship. The meet in Cuba three more times. Then in 1995, Gild Y's son who is now a famous salsa musician moves for a year with his band to Mexico, thus enabling Girl Y to get permission from the government to travel abroad to be with her son. X and Y live together for a year, and Girl Y gets to explore Mexico, the country of her childhood and of her dreams.
In 2008, Girl X, on a whim, googles the name of Girl Y, to whom she now writes emails every day, instead of letters. Turns out that girl Y is a famous writer, public figure and general philanthropist, known for her patronage of charitable works, her colour poems and her unwavering support for the Castro regime. Girl Y had never breathed a word of her fame to Girl X.
Presumably with the end of the Castro government, the friendship is somehow broken (I may have to wait till Castro dies to write this book...).
And where did I get this idea? It's a true story, recounted to me just a few minutes a go by a charming Mexican lady who is currently hosting me here in Oaxaca. W.O.W. Didn't I tell you inspiration can come from the most amazing places!
Talking of Mexico and inspiration....I've had quite a few 6th gear moments here in the South of North America.It's a pretty incredible place; lots of good thinking opportunities. ¡Hasta luego!
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It sounds interesting. If we were to use artistic licence I would portend that it would be more interesting if they happened to become lovers...perhaps with one believing the other to be a man or something and then dealing with the complex emotional relationship blah blah bollocks etc.
ReplyDeleteOr just have guns. Lots of guns.