Serge A. Storms thought to have committed suicide when Serge was a child, but during the novel "Cadillac Beach" it's discovered that he is still alive. The elder Storms had a heart attack not long after his grandson's 44th birthday, and died after a short stay in hospital. Storms' father Pablo was a Cuban American jai alai player who was more popular for his unpredictability than his skill at the sport; he died when he hurled a "pelota" that rebounded and struck him forcefully in the head. This occurred when Serge was very young, and left his mother a widowed single mother. She
Pelota Mano Court, Trebonne during village festivals is now played competitively at international competitions. The supreme version of the game is today "cesta-punta" and is played with a long, scooped wicker basket, a "chistera", on a fronton called a "jai-alai". Besides the chistera, the game can be played with an assortment of equipment, for example, the bare hand, a wooden bat or a wooden-framed strung racket called a "xare". There are also different types of balls, for example, one is covered in leather and weighs , another is covered in parchment and weighs , while yet another is rubber and weighs . Originally played