Ulises Toirac has the ability to find humor even in the memories of Cuba's most difficult times, telling stories that make people laugh without forgetting the circumstances in which they occurred.
This time, the comedian recalled a story from his own wedding, held in 1994 during the Special Period, when throwing a party could become a luxury that few families could afford.
In a post shared this Sunday, titled "For less than this," the artist recalled how a celebration he had planned for just a handful of family and friends ended up becoming a surprise that he still remembers with humor more than three decades later.
Toirac began by describing the happiness he felt at that time alongside his girlfriend, Alina Gainza, with whom he had decided to get married.
"I felt like the happiest man in the world. My girlfriend was a blend of spiritual balm, intellectual challenge, and Marilyn-esque beauty. And we had decided to get married," he wrote.
The problem was the historical moment. It was 1994, one of the toughest years of the Special Period in Cuba, when the shortage of food, basic products, and economic resources made organizing a wedding particularly challenging.
"The year 1994 was a real economic struggle in Cuba. A wedding was the kind of thing that sensible people avoided because it was unaffordable," he recalled.
At that time, Toirac was working on the popular comedy show Sabadazo, which allowed him to earn enough income to support himself and help his family.
However, the artist confessed that he had never been in favor of spending money on grand celebrations to meet social expectations, especially when it involved inviting people with whom he barely had a relationship.
For this reason, the couple made a simple decision: to celebrate an intimate wedding, with parents, siblings, grandparents, and a maximum of five friends from both sides.
The plan seemed perfect. No grand ballrooms, no endless guest lists, and no overwhelming expenses. Just a family gathering to celebrate the marriage.
But, as the comedian recalled, there was one detail they had not taken into account: the enthusiasm of the parents and their ability to turn a small celebration into a much larger family event.
The party was taking place at her childhood home in the Havana neighborhood of Santos Suárez, where about 15 people had gathered.
Suddenly, someone announced an unexpected piece of news: “Aly's family has arrived!”
Toirac recounted that he looked at his wife in surprise, but she seemed just as bewildered as he was.
Among the few invited friends was Frank Betancourt, whom the comedian described as a brother in life, as well as a particularly funny person. Frank was also the best man at the wedding and had helped organize several details of the celebration.
The three of them went to the stairs of the house to welcome the newcomers.
What they found exceeded any expectations: a long line of people filled the entire staircase all the way down to the street, where a Girón XII bus was parked in front of the house.
And they were still unloading guests from the vehicle.
The scene, completely contrasting with the intimate wedding they had envisioned, provoked an immediate reaction from Frank Betancourt.
According to Toirac's recollection, his friend leaned in and, with a mocking expression, spoke in his ear, but loud enough for Alina to hear as well.
“For less than this, I’d get a divorce,” she told him.
The phrase that serves as the title of the publication was, therefore, a joke from his friend and godfather in front of the unexpected crowd, not a statement from Toirac about his own marriage.
The narrative also captures a part of the daily life of Cubans during the 1990s, when material hardships forced them to cut expenses and rely on their resourcefulness even to celebrate significant family events like a wedding.
Toirac has previously shared other memories from that time, such as a funny anecdote about Antolín el Pichón and Paulo FG during the recordings of Sabadazo, one of the most popular comedy shows on Cuban television during the Special Period.
The story of their wedding also includes a detail that adds even more humor to the best man's remarks: in December 2019, Toirac and Alina celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
On that occasion, the comedian dedicated some heartfelt words to his wife and recalled that they had gotten married just six months after starting their courtship, despite predictions from some people that the relationship would not last long.
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