I’m really busy working on the new collective site so today’s entry will not be about music, because that requires me to actually think.

I received this in my email the other day, it’s from a poor fellow named “Alberto George”, and he somehow managed to find a computer and email me (maybe he’s a Secret Owl Society fan?) from Cuba, despite the fact that he’s incredibly poor. The ‘eloquent’ sir wants me to help him with his druggy-inherited 4 million dollars! How could I refuse?

My name is Alberto George, and I am writing you from my home in Santa
Clara, about 165 miles east of Havana, the Capital City of Cuba. Santa
Clara is known for two landmarks; The famous Revolutionary,CheGuevera
is buried here; and it is home to one of Cuba’s largest universities,La
Universidad Central”Martha Abreu” de Las Villas.

This is a compelling story, and I beg you to be patient and read
through to the end…I was adopted in1962, at age 14 months by
Mr.Giovanni George, the Sugar, cocoa and tobacco millionaire; some say
he also made his fortune from the lucrative illicit drugs
trade.

My adoption brought so much controversy (probably because I am black
and a deaf), that Mr. George was forced by his family to put me into a
foster home at age 5 ,where I stayed until maturity; Like most Cuban
youths,I dreamt of freedom, which every one here knows is called
America; like most youths, in time, I joined an Anti-Castro group and
that merited automatic 24 hours round the clock surveillance by the
Secret Police, but this is also normal in Cuba!

Mr. George, my father nevertheless funded my education through the
above mentioned university, where I graduated in Automobile
Engineering. I am now a mechanic, making just enough to take care of my
wife Maria, and 3 boys, Junior, Jose, and Giovanni. Sadly, My father
died Few months ago; left only his wife and family (he died childless),
and I was not invited to his funeral by his family, but we mourned him
deeply; I had no memory of my real father; but I loved him for his
kindness to me; he frequently defied his family to visit me…When I got
married, he gave my wife a ring present which we later found out was a
diamond ring! His Last Will and testament was read and probated. No
mention was made of me and my family. Understandably,I carried on with
my life.

But before his death; he then invited me and my family, there he told
me that he made the deposit of (FOUR MILLION UNITED STATE
DOLLARS) in a private security deposit firm in Abidjan city of Ivory
coast,that he wanted to use this fund to invest in his cocoa
and tobacco business in Ivory Coast…He then handedall the deposit
documents of the consignment to me andask me to keep it confidential,
that even the Security Deposit Firm does not know that the Consignment
kept in their custody contains money; According to him, hedeposited it
as a family valuables in my name; He thenexplained to me that he has
instructed the Ivory CoastSecurity Deposit Firm to contact me as the
Rightbeneficiary to the consignment; therefore arrange and
ship the consignment to me.
He again warned me to maintain the highest level ofconfidentiality of
the consignment, especially to his family members as they will deny me
the possesion of the money if they find out that such money has been
deposited in my name as the beneficiary! I therefore kept the documents
confidentially as instructed by my late father waiting for the right
time to transfer the consignment to safety abroad and arrange to travel
out of Cuba with my family!

Some weeks ago, I received a letter from the private Security deposit
firm in Ivory Coast, and the contents of that letter put me into shock!
The manager of the Firm asked me to contact them immediately for the
arrangement of transfering my inheritance to me as they are now facing
political crisis/war which may start anytime from now and they never
know when it will come to an end! I kept the letter for a week
without mentioning it to my wife. Eventually I revealed everything to
her…apparently My late father,Mr. George had provided for us after all!

The letter from the Manager explained that the political crisis may
bring about the losing of the consignments in their custody; that they
have alerted all their clients to come forward and claim their
consignments….He also explained to me that according to the terms and
agreement reached with my late father, the consignment deposited as a
family valuables were to be delivered to me (The Beneficiary) as
instructed by my late father; The manager of this firm in his letter
therefore invited me to come forward to Ivory Coast, to claim my
Inheritance! Or arrange with the them to ship the consignment to me.

But this simple invitation to travel to Ivory Coast or arrange with
them to transfer the consignment to Cuba here is fraught with problems!
I have no International Passport! It is impossible to travel out
of Cuba,unless with special permission which will of course take months
of paperwork to procure…As an Anti-Castro sympathizer , I have
absolutely no hope of leaving Cuba legally…The only option is to leave
by illegal ferry to the American Coast of Miami, which is extremely
dangerous…Every one knows that success rate is about 20%, the unlucky
get captured and repatriated back, to prison! But the rich and the
connected have a better chance by using low flying aircraft ( which
will beat the Cuban Radar) to smuggle them selves out! And there is no
way I can transfer the consignment to Cuba here as Cuban government as
well as my family members may seize the money!

I therefore desperately need your help! I need you to contact the
Ivory Coast Company on my behalf and arrange with them to ship the
consignment to you as the “Consignee”; secure the fund from the
Company, Once the money is secured, I will make the usual
underground deal to be smuggled out of Cuba by aircraft, to freedom!

I really need your help urgently! And there is absolutely NO RISK to
you in this transaction; The consignment will arrive your end through
aircargo fully insured with its necessary documents; I and my
family are the ones at risk as we cannot travel out of Cuba easily to
meet with you…

If you are willing to help me recover this my inheritance, please so
indicate in your return reply mail and I will follow up with more
details of the Ivory coast Company contact address and also more
details of this transaction. You will then contact the Ivory Coast
Security Deposit Company as the “Consignee” and thereafter arrange with
them to ship the consignment to you to close the deal on my behalf
and put the (FOUR MILLION DOLLARS) safely into the Banking
system…

In consideration of your expenses during the course of this
transaction, I freely offer you 30% of the total fund…..

Looking forward to your urgent reply,

Sincerely,

Alberto George

HERE IS MY RESPONSE:

Good lord, that’s terrible! I’ll certainly help you out; it’s a good thing you decided to contact the Collective. We’re a very anti-Castro group, and we’ve plenty of money to spare for a good cause. How could I refuse to help my fellow man in need?

I must say, you’re an incredibly lucky man (no offense meant); my grandfather happens to live in Cocody! What’s the address of the firm; I’ll call him as soon as you’ve responded. If everything goes well we can meet you in Florida within two days!

Please respond as quickly as possible, Alberto; I’ll be waiting.

For some reason, he has yet to respond. Perhaps Castro has risen from the dead and eaten him up?