Babalu-Aye
#2 of Las Historias de Cuba
Setting: Santiago, Cuba
The night air was thick as the sun had gone down over the island of Cuba, bringing an end to the work day of the famers, who had toiled growing the sugarcane responsible for the creation of Cuban rum. The best rum in the world comes from the Carribbean and many of the workers in Santiago believed that the best of the best Carribbean rums were from their island. But the workers were into something even more intoxicating than good alcohol this night- the ceremony which would enlist the aid of Babalu-Aye, the orisha responsible for inflicting and removing illnesses into the physical plane. The musicians were ready, the offering of sugarcane and fruit was ready, and the statue of St. Lazarus, the one who Jesus rose from the dead was of course ready- the statue was the physical form that the spirit would take. The sugarcane and fruit for the spirit of Babalu-Aye to take as payment for removing the illnesses of the workers and their families.
"Ta empezando el velorio que le hacemo' a Babalu-Aye", the voice of Herman Alcazar, the lupine owner of the sugarcane plantation barked out, instructing all the workers in Spanish that the beloved orisha was to be summoned into this world to heal the injuries if they would pass foods through the fire which he lit ina fireplace behind the altar. The basement of the wolf's home, was large enough to serve as a church of Santeria, the syncretistic religion which combined the saints of Catholicism, such as Lazarus and Mary, with primitive West African deities- a religion devised by African slaves to hide from their Spanish masters by pretending to show reverence to the saints of Catholicism.
In addition to being the owner of the greatest plantation, Alcazar was also a qualified Santeria priest, which was quite the addition to the lobo's reputation. Whenever someone fell ill, Alcazar was the one they would turn to, before the doctor for a magical cure. In America, he would be called a faith healer except he used the orishas to cure the injuries and illnesses of his co-workers and employees.
And the lobo knew which orisha to call in each situation- Obatala, the white-clad king whose analogue was God the Father would be called to help fight drug addiction, smoking, and alcoholism. For those about to travel, Yemaya, orisha of the oceans worshipped as Saint Mary, would grant safe passage by boat and Chango, also known as Santa Barbara, the orisha of the sky and thunder for passage by airplane. Babalu-Aye was called as he would be tonight, for removal of injuries and generally for good luck in business. But first in order to open the gate for the orishas, Papa Legba, the kindly old man carrying the cane needed to be summoned.
"El Amor Divino, brillo en nosotros, nos guarda, y nos guarda y entraremos adelante en paz." Alcazar was calling on the spirit of Papa Legba to give them Divine Love, a force akin to the Holy Spirit in Catholiciism to bring the worshippers peace and set their minds at ease. Some sprinklings of powdered cayenne peppers, the donning of a robe made of burlap, and the lighting of seventeen candles and soon the ceremony was under way, after acknowledging Papa Legba and asking for him to open the gate. A drum out of nowhere was heard, indicating to the dozen or so workers that Papa Legba had established a link between worlds- the world of the orishas and the physical world now had a portal. The time had come for Alcazar the wolf to enter into a trance state in which the orishas would assume control of his body, a term known as "hosting" the orisha.
"Traigo buena fortuna al honrado y a la cura para los que la busquen," the wolf declared in a voice much deeper than the one he was known for. He also let out a howl, which canids the world over knew was inappropriate in a public place but no matter, he was now under the control of Babalu-Aye. The righteous in attendance, the ones who had worked hard and had placed their trust in the Santeria priest would receive healing.
" Mi pierna quebrada- lo cura", cried a vixen who also worked in the sugarcane fields. She had broken her leg from a fall while working and she needed to work to support her family. In the absence of money to pay the doctor, she turned to Santeria.
"Anote sus peticiones en los brazos de la estatua," Alcazar said, directing the workers over to a lrage stone statue of Saint Lazarus with arms open wide to accept their requests for healing.
"Quisiera que mi novia tuviera gusto de mà más", a lovestruck wolf said to the statue as he placed his request into the staue's arms. "Ella debe tener dinero asà que la enfermedad la no demandará la pobreza o. Y cerciórese de la doesn' t siente bien a una prostitute", his girlfriend as it turned out was rather poor and many in her condition would sell themselves to johns to pay for food or shelter. So this was not something to laugh at.
The night air was thick and something in Alcazar's mind- perhaps, maybe the inclinations of the orisha himself- told him that the time for accepting requests was over as Babalu-Aye would need at least a week to process those requests so with a wag of his tail, he announced in Spanish, the end of the request period. The workers had submitted seven or so requests and those who did would require donations for Babalu-Aye to meet their needs- these donations could take the form of moeny but also unpaid overtime at the plantation, favors for Alcazar himself or even community service around Santiago. Those who had no requests paid nothing but enjoyed the music and joined in the frantic worship of the orishas.
For them and all the members of the congregation, including Herman Alcazar, who gave a final offering of coconut wine to Babalu as thanks, it didn't matter what others said. He knew that there were beneficial and malevolent forces in the universe and the best that he as a Santeria priest could do is call upon the beneficial orishas, the saints of his faith to give people what they wanted, what they needed to survive. Sure, the doctors with their medicine might have had science backing them but they could not make science any more interesting or fascinating. And as long as this wolf had his employees whose families knew and respected the powers of Santeria for generations, Santiago Rum would never need anything else than what the orishas provided for them. For that was the power of Santeria.