Interview with a Cuban Fortune Teller
By Lien Estrada
HAVANA TIMES – Reynaldo Padilla Rodriguez lives alone; he is 64 years old. He has worked as a teacher, cultural promoter, radio writer, in theater, as a scriptwriter for musical shows, but what he has never stopped practicing since he began is fortune telling with cards. He shares with us that sadly, on many occasions, he has experienced marginalization for being gay. To me, Rey is an example of extraordinary resilience. Today, we talk with him.
Reynaldo, tell us about yourself.
I was born on May 25, 1957. I ran away from home when I was 14 because my older brother, who was a lieutenant in the liberation army, used to beat me a lot. He wanted me to be a heterosexual man at all costs. He humiliated me a lot, and I decided to leave the house and ended up in Havana. I lived like any person who suffers from homelessness. Until I had an interview with Vilma Espín, and they helped me study in Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud. In the 1980s, I received a certificate from the Pedagogical School. I worked as a teacher for five years.
Then I returned to Holguín, but I didn’t continue teaching. Instead, I started working at a gas station. I worked the pumps until about 1994. During those years, I suffered from homophobia, which, if it’s bad now, imagine how it was back then.
How did you come to card reading?
In the 1990s, I went through a very intense depression crisis and ended up in the ITH psychiatric hospital here in Holguín. A brother of one of the patients met me, and it turned out he was an Oriaté (the one who guides the santeros), and he told me that I had a spiritual door closed. He suggested that I start reading cards. And that’s what I did.
I come from a family that practices cordón spiritism. I always saw strange things, as they say, and if I dreamt of a hanging person, for example, someone would die. So, after that conversation with the Oriaté, when I left the hospital, the first thing I did was buy a deck of cards. Back then, they were easy to find; now, it’s almost impossible.
I went to a corner where some of my friends were hanging out, and I asked them if they wanted me to read their cards; one said yes. She liked reading, and gave me three pesos. Believe me, that was a lot of money back then. Then the others joined in, and I started reading for them, and I haven’t stopped since. I haven’t had any more depression. I have my guides who lead me all the time.
But who taught you to read those cards?
No one. I’ve dreamt of a Gypsy. For me, it’s the spirit that tells me what I need to say to that person at that moment. It gives me clarity.
How many people come to consult you, Rey?
Some days, none. Other days, many. There are Sundays when I’ve read the cards for more than ten people. From professionals to those who don’t like school. You know how Cubans are; they believe in everything and then have those days when they don’t believe in anything. But in general, we like encounters with the mysterious.
I have the Gypsy Foundation recognized by the Yoruba Association of Holguín.
What makes you happiest?
That people find their light, as I have found mine.
Do you believe in destiny?
Yes, I believe in destiny. For example, I have always been discriminated against. I don’t receive assistance or a pension. I can’t forget that everything I have is thanks to the people I’ve spiritually served. My house, what I wear to go out, the food, the cigarettes, the coffee I drink… everything is given to me by those people. That’s why I believe in people a lot. And I was born to spread love, that’s why I have a good character at all times and am always ready to serve others.
What hurts you the most?
I imagine what’s hurting everyone in this country. The decisions that are often made by the provincial government, for example. If they want to collect the entire tobacco harvest in the region to take it to Havana, they do it as if there weren’t a smoker in the entire area. And so on. Of course, that’s painful, and a lot.
What is most important to you?
People are the most important thing to me. And it’s what I enjoy the most. For me, all people are of equal importance. The one who reached the highest point is the same as the one who hasn’t found their way.
Do you believe in the future?
The world is enclosed in hope. And yes, yes, I believe. The future is as real as the present, the now. For me, the future begins at 12:00 a.m. And we will be better. That’s what I always tell myself: we’ll be better.
What do you recommend to build a better life?
For me, it’s very important to cultivate faith in what you cannot see. What you feel is very important. Ask God at all times for wise and intelligent ideas. And always remember that when you give, you should not give what you have left over. What you give is what you receive in the end.
What do you pray for the most?
I ask for a great blessing over this country so it can grow, and I also pray for other nations, of course.
Reynaldo, what do you think makes you such a resilient person?
A being that always lifts me up when I’m down, and I know that it’s very attentive to me.