Olga Rust and Michael Rust

00:02 Of Michael rust. I'm 55 years old. Today is July 2nd 2013. We're in Atlanta Georgia, and I'm here with my mother Olga rust.

00:17 Mom want to read

00:20 My name is Olga. Arrest and 90 years of age. Today is July to 2013.

00:32 In my partner is my son Michael.

00:36 Mamba your maiden name is Toyota, right? Correct. Where are you from? Originally? I was born in the little town of Santo Domingo Cuba in the province of Santa Clara and then our mother died when I was three therefore, we will move to the little town ordered Regal square and Florida which we call for took care of us until I was seven years of age and my father to calls to cienfuegos a beautiful city in the Santa Clara Providence Oak Yuba our life is strange completely. We were very happy if we missed the old ways, but we learn new ways. We got to we were able to go to a wonderful International School in cienfuegos.

01:37 How did you end up in the United States? I think it's began to I began to dream about it when I

01:44 In the

01:46 Raise grades my father who was very much for learning English. Learn English. She made us learn it rather than tell us to you should learn is because he failed that in Cuba you needed to know the knowledge of English in order to progress there for

02:07 I'm beginning to think about what it'd be nice to go and take some classes in the United States. I have no idea the time how big the United States was for a few classes are though. He kept telling us about an encouraging us about it. So I began to make plans and then when I get him in high school, I became a little more serious and it once in awhile talked it over with my father and Keith never never said no, he always said let's wait and see and so we waited and we saw and what are abundant when I was also thinking about the union year and then when I became a senior in high school, I went to the teachers and I told him and they wanted me to come and they encouraged me and so are they check with my father for that? It should encourage me or not.

03:07 And I did and my father said yes, I'm all for it. And I'll be at the school in the United States than you think.

03:21 When the time came to come it was 1946 when I came in 1946 but I started making plans in 1944. Actually, I graduated from high school in 1944. So I was two years behind when I came however, my father kept checking with the embassy and checking with various and checking with that we check with a college and they clear it that I could come and we checked with the embassy the American Embassy and immediately they say she may go and and they suggested that I go to either Peabody or Columbia University teachers are the English word for paper speed by this so I decided I would go to Peabody Peabody College.

04:22 That's how I ended up in Nashville. And the reason I was 2 years late is because there was very difficult times in the United States that you guys were coming back on the world and they had no room in the dormitories. They were overbooked and they said I had to take some of the girls arms and converted into man's adores. And so I finally got in touch with a good friend of ours. They were missionaries in Cuba, mr. And mrs. Board and a mansion to thank for what's happening and she said that's no problem. You can come and stay with us. So I did that. I went through the United came to the United States into a 1946 and we stayed and I stayed with it with him for 1/4 until they find a room in the dormitory for me. I never got to meet your father my grandfather.

05:22 Tell us a little bit about him. How old was your father when he passed he died in a 1960?

05:37 I do work not quite two years old when I win and he talked to his funeral. Did you call him Don Joaquin and he earned the title of the volcano in in the Cuban cultural in the Spanish culture is you are a person of respectability and a smart and can hold it top job. Like he did you become a done is your woman you become a dona.

06:10 So he got don't fucking everybody but I was calling walking don't working. We call him Papa it all the pictures. I've seen of him. He's always wearing a white suit.

06:21 That was he saying that he's doing his phone we used to call it and the black guy not the black-tie began with my mother died and he never changed it because you never remarried and it's okay. He was happy with a black guy. We want to know why are we trying to talk him into having a little time with the little daughter something and I know the car I said no black. What's a good enough for him? What did he do in Cuba? He started out as working for the railroad, which of the time we're owned by the British and he worked on the railroad assault a handyman and then he taught himself how to use a bar is called.

07:04 And now he became then as a translator use of the morse code and then he worked it to supervisor. And then the first thing we knew he was he knew he was a stationmaster and he took care of running all of the trains. And where'd you go next San Jose Circle next. He was your supervisor and costly everything. He lives in Santo Domingo. We were in cienfuegos for the school year and with him when the school was off.

07:37 Now when you were growing up, who was the El Presidente have q but that's before Castro ever before Leo Marini, I believe and I was too young then to keep up with what was going on in the country, but I can tell from the alfond Inn from Batista, but they still came into Power the first time in a 90 1940. I believe life in Cuba under Batista was kind of saying he has some good points. We could find some good points. For example.

08:22 We had our father made a good salary. He had a good job. He didn't have to give any to the government. I mean t pay taxes, but he didn't have he was not obliged to do honey. He's back in his body that he might do the government, but they was a constant Revolution. He was the one that introduced in Mafia to Cuba Batista, and he was the one that the Frank Sinatra be part of the country for the day when Frank Sinatra came and he came to live in Cuba and so it became a CID Havana became and my fear and that's when people protest it including my brothers. They went to Havana and they sign papers that they were a gauge Batista course that was not the thing to do at a time, but they did it, but they remain quiet

09:22 And they didn't bother them and that is for cost of Revolution the mafia you wrote you have written some stories about growing up in Cuba, and I don't want you to read them. But one of them that I remember is called freedom of speech and it's about a bombing that you remembered when you were younger. Can you tell us about that?

09:48 And we heard this tremenda commotion or not. I mean it was horrible and it woke me up and all of us got up and we'll appoint and said we could open the door or go to a window. We did and the house next door with the family living there. The Padilla's are very good people live in front of the house, except the bedroom the living room the dining room. Everything on the front was totally destroyed.

10:22 It would happen.

10:25 No one knows what happened. So who did it, but it was known that it was.

10:34 Do something against Batista and that was the return is that was I was only those days in Cuba that you have two brothers who are both also living and they're older than you write Uncle Oscar and Uncle Miguel you came over to the United States in 1940. What year did you become a citizen in 95? When did the Oscar and Miguel come over? I know it was under different circumstances.

11:08 Have the date exactly but they came in the sixties with it. He came with his wife and four children and his wife are suspecting and cheat the that is so funny. She was born about six weeks as soon as they arrive in Miami and our government has United States government took very good care of them supporter of Castro. And so was at the beginning and come here after Castro right and hit used to tell us when he started writing about having to come to the United States that her his children were coming home from the school with the different books that we have used for ourselves that they were talking about the combination and that's when he heard they were coming this amount when the children were all inclusive, but I'm going to be a communist.

12:08 Is when he decided he would come to Cuba. He said to the government to the Embassy he went and make the petition to come to the United States has a trade for you eat only its entire family could come.

12:26 And didn't and they did allow it. And what about us car when it when did he come over anyway, this is Clarksville, Tennessee.

12:41 And no car

12:44 Actually, he was a leader.

12:49 Totally illegal and know exactly know how he got here, but he probably came knowing on this situation came with a visitor's pass and they had this affair. So please begin to happen. Is that the he got to become a little scared by your father was trying to find him a job in ink starts with we were glad to have it. He was wonderful company and we were okay with it, but he was scared. It was small town. It was easy to find it. So he decided he would go to New York. Well, I will have to call one afternoon.

13:36 Immigration and then introduced himself and asked me if I knew the whereabouts of my brother of car. Where how do you do that? What do you say to a man that you know, you are an American citizen and you want to be truthful and you don't want to say that your your brother is hiding in New York. So honestly, they will have colored at my house because he had left that morning at 4 in the morning on the bus. So I told him that he had left the morning and that he was headed toward, New York.

14:23 In the back, but I didn't know I had to say that I always feel guilty. Did I did I do what did I do to my brother, but I could not say that I didn't know as soon as he is headed to New York and then I call or call them that night. Well, he called me back about a week later. He was not as it surprised me. He's a very religious person.

14:54 If week later, she left for Canada and he is staying kind of it until Castro or do they got on January 1st?

15:09 1961

15:16 59 I believe. Yeah, you were a year old. So it was 1959 and he called me from he was in New York and he said cast resending it a train for all the refugees that are here illegally to come back if I want to so I am leaving and I said you're not coming to see me. He said no, I'm not going to stay here any longer than I have to so he came Abby he went he went to Cuba. I keep work from Castro for a while in Havana in Castro's cabinet.

16:02 And then why did he eventually decide to leave Kaitlyn?

16:12 Xbox one that gave us all coming this way and that he had to swear to Castro that he would do it his way and that's when he knew that that's it was so so he person I keep bite one back to Santo Domingo, but they play cjr.

16:33 They found a reason to putting in jail and they kept it in jail and they were Center see my Crossing Maria will take his whole food everyday because the food in the jail was terrible and I don't know how long he was in jail before he left he knew that he could not stay in Cuba, but when he got out he do that they said they would eventually kill him so he got married.

17:03 And they took the young lady that he had been dating and he stay there for the Quan They had two little children, but they speak on Graham possible for him. He couldn't find a job. Yes almost impossible. He's trying to raise two children and no money. So they let they could not come to the United States.

17:28 So explain accepted him and he went to Spain then years later with your father's and my efforts we were able to bring into the United States and he became a citizen back in the 60s, I guess.

17:50 Not my oldest brother's not a citizen yet. He came with that. He said he's going to go to I might just be for one day but he's going back to Cuba and he's going to go as a Cuban Citizen and he wants to show Castro or the people that I left that he fought for them all the way. So he has a green car. Let me change the subject just a little bit. I've always wondered how you and my father who is from a farm in Kentucky met. So why don't you tell us about that?

18:35 We have some.

18:38 We have some classes together at Peabody Peabody and he said he was in class with me, but I really really didn't notice, you know that time because I'm as a class that has 70 people in it. Cuz if they were over broke with a yeah are people so he

19:05 It is Wednesday. My roommate one of my temporary roommate was from East Tennessee and her boyfriend by Brown and who was a good friend of your father and see what's going on today with it. And she said how about you go on a date with us? And I don't have a date. She said by my boyfriend's roommate is real nice. How about bridges going to a movie we going to do this? I'm going to do that. So so I said what what does he look like for dinner at the cafeteria to you because he works on the cafeteria. So I went on that date with him.

19:49 Go to have no plans to stay in the United States. I've had no plans to get involved so we became good friends, and we dated it once in awhile, but not. We were together for about two years. And then finally we became serious and I decided I decided that I was in love and don't have to make a choice. Did you take him over to Cubit to meet your father before you got married and went to Cuba is that when my father's father my other grandfather also to Farmers from Kentucky went to Cuba to meet your dad. He didn't speak English. Speak English.

20:49 They were communicated. So how was I help and then find out that they were both Masons. So my father took him to one of them is he so they may so he get one with which is not authorized among the Masons to bring any strangers, but see he was hurting us a translator and I thought they did just fine. Actually. My father's father was a he was a Salesman as I remember. He did. It wasn't a farmer who they may have lived on a farm at 7 for

21:22 Brothers to this mall stores clever girl, girl baking powder. What was his biggest sales? He makes so much more than a girl baking powder. Where were he in Pearl my grandmother living when y'all first met where they outside Central City or have they moved to Madisonville Kentucky. They were they were sick. They were in the area of town. I don't remember the name of the Elliott down and then they move to Madisonville. Yeah.

21:57 That one story that I've always heard, but it's not been a while. I don't remember the details was about when your father passed there some story involving my sister who is 5 years older than I and her waking up in the middle of the night or you hearing something to remember that though. I was the one I was a sound asleep and your sister. That's how she comes into the store used to have asthma and I heard somebody who isn't all coffee.

22:35 And I got up and went to the kitchen and got the medicine that I took for her and I gave her every time he had it and I went to her room and she was peaceful asleep. And and I looked at the clock and it was about 10 minutes after 2, something like that and the next morning about 10:00 in the morning Miguel call me and said that her father had died at 2:10 this morning and I have never forgotten that I could be wrong, but that he had not seen me for a while and that he was thinking about me see the economy get away with him, but I was from there and so that's what made me think. That's maybe what happened.

23:22 And you've been retired for a few years now. What was the last job that you had?

23:32 The last job that I have for the last 23 years was of the Tennessee School for the Blind at the beginning and end in Spanish, you know in the mornings are teacher in Spanish and yet all afternoon. I thought typing to 5th grade and 6th grade and 7th graders on song because the blind child that's the medium of communication to be able to type on till the computers game. That was a means of communication the typewriter. Did they have Braille typewriter know they they died from Brea. But is that was a sad part about it is a type of good typist, but they didn't know for the time and they couldn't read that could not proofread it on tithing but they became very accurate. I fish because I try very hard not for the computers came then they had voice in the computer that would tell him for their typing.

24:30 Any change did you teach them Spanish?

24:34 Did did you teach Spanish to the Spanish?

24:42 Required in this is secondary school. And so I thought the Spanish and they were good at it because the Blanchard also has a wonderful memory they work at so they remember everything so they were very good. They were better than when I have taught Spanish to regular school children the favourite job. You've ever had it was a blessing to have that job. You still keep in touch with any of the kids. Tammy doesn't forget a birthday of mine. She's emails at least once a month and I may have her back and she makes a little money is playing the piano and doing things like that, but she's a wonderful friend and others have also got an email.

25:41 And I say let's talk about our family in California. You told us about Miguel and Oscar. But do we have a lot of they have a lot of children? How many children did Miguel end begins writer has six they have one that was born.

26:02 And then your car has four children now, he came from the Spain with the three children and have one they have one after they arrived in the United States or the children. Of course the ones that I'm not bored. Born here.

26:25 Now they're going back to eat with an ulcer right of Miguel's wife. Did she speak English?

26:35 Joan of Arc

26:36 She thought that if she learn English to children would have stopped talking English in the home. And so she insisted that they speak to her. They had to speak Spanish. Therefore. She didn't learn English. She understands a lot more than she was allowed to Austin. Oh, but she did not learn English. She doesn't know it and she doesn't need to I guess right.

27:07 They allow her to do with the kids come in and they talk in English and he made it if we should come see that she has to Spanish.

27:14 Right. Now are there any other memories of Cuba do you want to tell us about I would like to tell you about?

27:23 The half-life of Cuba all of this fruit. So you could just get out of the out of the tree without the problem. We had our workout has another backyard. We had the Coconuts in the coconut and then where we get here you slice of coconut water and the water your spores and we drank the coconut water for hair. They usually throw away the coconut water and use it as the best thing as a cop and I could not understand why they did that. Also the Cuban people are very clannish. We had causes the Lord and we had caused this all the time. That's all that we were coming to spend the night. I mean, sometimes there be six of us in the same house and we sleep two or three together and we

28:23 Trips together we went through a lot of thrift store tomorrow Amari saifi is a little. Little is a big one now is a is a large resort preferred Regal in the province of Santa Clara and its avatars in the United States. Now as a good Resort in in in in Cuba are the times that I was there. It was very small and only the very wealthy could go so it's supposed to let the water in the morrow. It has some Curative powers and people did enjoy going tomorrow. So we will have picnics in tomorrow on the part of the matter that you could go in with her having to be a member and we could go by horse and that was one of the best things that we did the causes and I we got our horses and we are still had the best and only way we will stop and eat guavas from the

29:23 What trees and weight girls were not allowed to climb the tree?

29:30 But the men divorce good so they were planted trees and to try to find a ripened banana mean so I was very strict with her. She was a good time, but she was and she would tell you don't eat green bananas. If you do you're going to get the stomach ache. So we didn't there are the trips across and she'll decide that you climb up a tree. We didn't know she was in my brother's is home of the boys had eating green bananas. I didn't go to always

30:17 And so the nephron top of the treaty says I'm here. I found it ripe. Banana Iraq war on sorry. And so was she came by to see if you wanna that I am a banana and Ava I will tell her that you ate the green ones. That was it. You know, what happened to the house you grew up in.

30:51 Pretty family. So I'm leaving presently in the house in Santo Domingo.

31:02 The last person left front of car left and he was alive person to live with his family. He went to the government and so they divided it was a pretty big house. So they put partitions on it and three families live in it. Do you still have some relatives in Cuba that you keep up with this only one cousin on my mother's side of the family and her family. The rest of it has either died or come to the United States what contact you have with your cousin weightless for letters we do they don't have access to computer but the end, you know, one of the curses daughters was he had the United States against on my brother and I talked to her low-quality California and she was so impressed with how much people have to eat or hear what a variety of food we can get. She was very impressed with a lot of things in this.

32:02 What is what is a tell you about conditions over there?

32:14 And they are accepting what's happening, but they they they are not they don't have any boundaries and they had just learn to live with it. Do you have any desire to ever go back? I would love to see the country but it would not be the same country. I know I lived in the Cuba before Castro. I think there's another key were there and they will probably be to say it for me. I probably have a heart attack, but it was it was a beautiful beautiful country and I hope you do get to see it. Maybe see you didn't get to see three years of age. I think at least my daughter's your grandchildren will get this yet. I hope so and I hope they listen to this and it before they go and enjoy it.

33:04 And thank you for bringing me. Thank you.