Sad Faced Louis

Rosa Martinez

HAVANA TIMES, Mar 16 — Louis is a man of over 60 who lives on my block. Although he has always looked too sad for words, we got along just fine.

Firstly, because my brother worked beside him for many years and he would come to the house and secondly, because he is the father of a girl I admire for her intelligence and kindness.

He is one of those people that you just have to look at and you want to run for your life because you think he’s going to scream or, at worst will swallow you whole in a just one bite.

I always wondered why he wore that scowl on his face that put people off, why he said so little and why hardly anyone went to see him.

My brother once said that Louis had suffered a lot and had been more cheerful in the past but all the bad experiences had prevented him from showing the joy of living and having Magdalena, his daughter and only company.

I know we are supposed to try to understand our fellow humans with all their faults and virtues; after all nobody is perfect

Despite this popular notion, which is always with me, I’m intrigued by the expression on Louis’s face; maybe one day I will understand, maybe not.