Enrique Núñez Rodríguez loses a curious bet

June 11, 2019

Writer for radio, theater, and television. Also a master of journalism and humor. A communicator par excellence. Such was Enrique Núñez Rodríguez (1923-2002). His weekly text in the newspaper Juventud Rebelde was his way of reaching the youngest readers who did not know him through his other facets. He also wrote very engaging books, revealing not only his life but his times.

By chance, that is the truth, the one who writes has come across a very charming anecdote of his found on page 62 of the weekly magazine Bohemia from November 27, 1949. We provide the complete bibliographic information as an invaluable invitation to approach an emblematic publication of Cuban journalism of all times.

Given the date of the edition in question, Enrique was 26 years old and the text is titled "Original Bet," which we transcribe in its entirety and let the reader observe that by then Enrique was already receiving the treatment of humorist:

"Enrique Núñez Rodríguez, who with Vergara was responsible for the scripts of Cascabeles Candado, decided, not long ago, to spend a weekend in Miami.

"Upon arriving at the airport, the writer received a pleasant surprise when he ran into a fellow countryman, Ángel Pintado, who was going, on the same plane, to the same city in Florida. Said ENR:

"- I never thought that in Miami two sons of Quemados could get together. This is inconceivable!

"The friend responded to the writer's words:

"- I bet you twenty pieces of bills, in good faith, that in Miami we run into another one from our town.

"- The bet is on —the humorist answered quickly, confident that he already had ten fractions in his pocket.

"They had been in Miami for three days, and the other neighbor from Quemados de Güines had not appeared anywhere. Núñez Rodríguez, jubilant, from time to time put his hand on his travel companion's shoulder, and said to him:

"- The bills you buy me, I want them to have the terminal 25.

"The time to return was approaching. The two friends decided to take advantage of the little time they had left to do some shopping. They had barely entered the chosen establishment when Núñez Rodríguez heard, behind him, a familiar voice:

"- What's up, Enrique?

"He turned around quickly and recognized the one who had spoken to him:

"- What's going on, Farrés— he exclaimed.

"He and 'the composer who never goes out of style' embraced in a strong hug. Before they had broken the affectionate clinch, Pintado spoke up:

"- Enrique, you have to pay me the bills.

"- Why?

"- Don't you remember that [Osvaldo] Farrés is from Quemados de Güines?

"Indeed, ENR had just lost the original bet, because to his misfortune —his, the writer's—, the author of Quizás, quizás, quizás, and so many other beautiful melodies, had come into the world, one night, in Quemados de Güines".

Numerous national publications collected the journalistic texts of Enrique Núñez Rodríguez, characterized by a simple style, very Cuban, in which anecdote and history intermingle for the cultural enrichment of the reader.

The author's final years were of great literary productivity; he devoted them to writing several memoirs that he left us as proof that he was a human being not perfect but profoundly sensitive, imbued with love and responsibility toward his compatriots, possessing wise culture, knowledgeable of the psychology and character of the Cuban.