Chapter 59: Making An Heir In Cuba

Fernando said, “As it happens, I know an experienced tobacco mixer. I can send him a letter.”

I said, “Please do.”

“Fernando, you can write the letter and give it to me. I can send it faster than you can. I need the name and place where I can find him.”

He said, “Just like that?”

I said, “Just like that.”

I sent, “Ox, send a pouch of Capitán Oro Negro, a nice clay pipe, a corncob, and a pack of pipe cleaners here. Be sure to include a pipe tool.”

They appeared on the bench, sitting in a large paper bag. I opened the bag, put the meerschaum and other items inside, and handed it to Fernando.

He looked inside. “Señor, it is too much.”

I said, “Pipes are a big part of my business. I want you to understand them. This new tobacco is called Capitán Oro Negro. We make this in Virginia. The small white pipe is a clay pipe. The third is, of course, a corncob; the last two are common here. With three pipes, you can rotate between them.” I held up the standard pipe tamper scraper.

I said, “Use this to scrape the bowl clean. This other part can be used to tamp down hot tobacco to make it easier to relight.”

He grinned, “Thank you, I should leave before you give me anything more.”

Fernando left. I prepared to depart, too, and had Ox seal the door.

Ox injected, “Fernando liked your accidental Cigarillo. You should title it ‘The Ordinary Man.’ It could be priced reasonably. Let your mixer invent better flavors.”

A box appeared on the table. I opened it. It has two cigar boxes of ready-made Mini Cigarillos. The box reads “The Ordinary Man” with “Mini Cigarillos” listed below. There are ten Mini Cigarillo wallets and two boxes of the Mini Cigarillo holders.

I said, “Ox? What is this for?”

He said, “An experiment. You need to visit Rebecca and Emilia anyway. Gift these to Rebecca and see if they sell.”

I said, ‘Hmm, not a bad idea, after lunch, maybe?”

I went inside the house, and Ana was walking towards me.

She said, “Almuerzo - or lunch to you, it is ready.”

I said, “Thank you, dear. Let me go wash my hands.”

I came back out, and we were eating at the small table again. I preferred that. I had a Cubano sandwich. The recipe this time was even more different than the ones I had growing up in Florida. They served cool, unsweetened tea with it.

I thought about the Perry sisters as I chewed. The pork and Cuban mini bread in the Cubano at the hacienda are both chewy and tasty.

Soon after the whorehouse debacle, I had Rebecca and Emelia move into my house. Why not? Emelia was carrying my baby after all. They removed the upstairs junk from the store and converted it into a secondary stock room. The front of the downstairs stockroom had now been converted into a small office.

The two sisters now shared running the store. I gave them enough free product they were much more successful than before.

I said, “Ox, add ten of those portable bamboo cigarette rollers to the bag.”

He said, “That is a good idea. Rebecca carries some cigarettes, tobacco, and papers. The rollers should attract more cigarette tobacco buyers from the other stores. I will have the Heillizdt whip up some cigarette holders, too.”

I said, “I should have thought of that. Make them in two lengths, regular and long, for cooler smoking. We can get Franklin to manufacture them. Does Henson Cigars carry anything like that?”

Ox paused a half second, “No, they don’t.” Holders have been a largely missed market. Other stores do not carry them. It is a male thing because holders are not considered manly. We think women will like them.”

I said, “Fuck the dumb ass men in the Provinces. I recall seeing them in the stores in London. We will get sample cigars to Franklin and let them market them with their loose tobacco products. Do other stores have them?”

“No, and cigarette or cigar holders are carried anywhere we can see.”

I said, “Great, we have a plan then, right?”

“Right.”

Fernando dropped the letter off. His ‘friend’ was actually Alberto Bescós, his brother. I had Ox put it directly in his brother’s mailbox. Fernando had written it as a firm job offer.

I took my bag of goodies for the Perry sisters and ported them to their upstairs stockroom. I came down the ladder with my bag and went out to the store proper. They were waiting on customers, so I set the bag down in the back.