A passerby, an old man by the way, was walking in a hurry by Infanta Street. When he was close to Salvador Allende Avenue, the wind blew and took off the hat from his head. The hat flew into the middle of the street while a long line of cars was approaching fast.

The first reaction of the old man was to go to the street and save his hat — a brand new Panama hat —; but an old lady, a very strong Cuban woman, took his hand when the man was about to take the street. Watch out, you can be killed! And so she saved him, while a young man reached out to the hat with absolute precaution, wisely, but not free of danger and so the hat escaped unscathed.

And then the woman finally breathed, but she did not let the old man go until he had his hat on his head again. The old man thanked both and they felt pleased to have done something good. While the old man walked away, the young man answered: “You do not have to thank me, my friend. Of not doing so, the cars might have ruined your hat.” The happy face of the passerby ratified that hope or necessary certainty: love is not over.

We can only imagine that he would have wanted to know and write down the names of those two people. People he had never seen before; but astonishment and hurry did not let him.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff