X-Mas Letter from Cuba (1958)

On December 31, 1958, the night before the fall of the Batista regime, our entire family met to celebrate the New Year. Our mood wasn't very buoyant, for the radio broadcast contradictory stories on events in Cuba, and concerning Che we only knew that he had been wounded in the battle for the city of Santa Clara. In Buenos Aires there was a Committee for Solidarity with the Cuban People which even maintained radio contact with Fidel's headquarters. But this contact was unreliable and often was cut off. So we didn't know what was really happening in Cuba.

On that New Year's Eve when we had all gathered and expected no other guests, there was a knock on the door at about 11 p. m. We opened the door and found a letter there-to this day we don't know who delivered it. We read the following note:

"Dear Parents. I am in excellent health. I have spent two and five remain. I am continuing to work. The news is scarce and so it will be from now on. But let's hope that God was an Argentine. My warmest embraces to you all. Tete."

He always said that he had seven lives like a cat. So when he said that he had spent two he meant that he had been twice wounded, and that he had five lives left.

"We were astounded and overjoyed with the unexpected message. But this wasn't to be the only surprise during that memorable night. Not even ten minutes had passed when we were left with another envelope. In it was a postcard with a drawing of a red rose and the words: "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Tete feels grand!" On the next day, January 1, 1959, Masetti and Alberto Granados visited us with the news of Batista's flight from Cuba.