Robin Adams (or Simpson?) – San Juan de la Maguana, D. R., Summer of 1976

A school mate invited me to spend that summer at her grandparents' house in that town, San Juan de la Maguana. They had a big country house with a beautiful backyard and it was located in a very nice neighborhood.

A few minutes up north there was a special neighborhood that people called The American Colony. Our government was building one of the biggest dams in the country, and for that mission they hired a company from the USA. The colony was nothing else but the group of American families that had moved from the US to get the job done. Robin's step-dad was one of the engineers. I can't really remember if her last name was Adams or Simpson. I saw both last names written in different mail envelopes that belonged to her mom.

Because of Robin I had one of the best months in my entire life. She was funny, caring, smart and she had a great relationship with her mom. We were both 13-to-14 years old. Since we met we spent practically every day together.

There was this once my schoolmate's cousin invited her out a couple of times and asked her to be his girlfriend. She didn't immediately accept, but she really liked him. One day he invited her to have lunch at his uncle's house, right there in San Juan. She was thrilled to think she was going to meet his family, but later that afternoon we met and she was really downhearted and mad.

The guy had told her there was going to be a special family lunch and he wanted her to be there with him. His uncle's house was also big and had a swimming pool. San Juan is a somewhat large country city, but the town itself is not, and back then everybody knew everybody else. So it was not a big deal that Robin's mom simply dropped her off in front of the house and left. There was no danger.

He came out all smiles and invited her in. She soon noticed that there was no movement of anybody else around the house, yet she never suspected anything bad. It didn't take her long to realize his intentions were not precisely the best. She had to come out of the house running and took a long walk back to her house. She didn't speak Spanish and was afraid to stop at any other house or place to call her mom, so she walked for almost an hour. She was taller and bigger than me, but I got so mad I could have perfectly made sushi with the guy's face. In God's mercies, we never saw him again.

A couple of months after I got back home, her family was ready to move back to the USA, Utah I think it was. They spent a few days in the capital city, at a hotel close to my house, and I could enjoy her friendship practically 'til the very day before she left.

But despite the greatest times we share, I was not bright enough to give her my address and/or phone number, much less to ask for hers. True she didn't ask for mine either, yet I don't mind at all. She was a great friend and I loved her. If you ask me, I think I still miss her.

Robin, I have prayed for you and I still do. You have no idea how much I'd love to hear from you again. I've asked the Lord to grant me this wish of my heart, to let me see you and hug you and share with you again one day.