Placetas, Cuba in the late 1940s/early 1950s. Kid in the front row with the dark circles under his eyes is my father's much-loved primo-hermano, Maximino González Gutiérrez. A few years later he'd leave for Havana, join the FEU, and, eventually, join the Revolution. 1/? #FBFriday

He served in the Escambray alongside the Che and was part of the forces that captured Placetas in late 1958. In time, he returned to the University of Havana, became a leader in the FEU under José Rebellón, and later an "envoy" to Africa. 2/?

My dad left Cuba in 1967 and they never spoke again. As a kid I loved history and politics and whenever my dada's patience with my pontificating ran low, he'd look at me and say, "ay, Maximino." 3/?

In 2015, I made a point of seeking Maximino out. I headed to his house outside of Havana and we spent a (very) hot summer day drinking rum and trying to see who could talk more. He won. But I left the house with family photos and stories and...a buzz. 4/?

I also left with a sense of loss. The Revolution demanded too much from too many. It's not just Patria o Muerte; it's Patria o Familia. So much time lost. The year after we met, Maximino died in a car accident. Ay, Maximino. 5/Fin