Middlebury, Vermont-  Graduate Spanish School-  End of summer
 1982
"Hitching a ride."

Hey you German guy, born in  Granada, Spain,
You appeared in my cluttered dorm room,crumpled up papers all over the floor,  tyepwriter still typing last minute papers, books all over those tiny single dorm beds, dirty laundry everywhere,  clean clothes on bed trying to decide what to wear  for  a date, bicycle with muddy tires,refrigerator defrosting to be closed and plugged in again, puddles on the floor and my attempt at a Mayan pryamid made of empty diet coke cans. All you wanted was a ride to Massachusetts. I said,"Yes,." Then, you looked around the room, uncluttered man that you are and said,"Me encargo de todo." ( I will take care of everything.)
Three days later you climbed into the backseat of my tiny red car and sat like a sardine in a can with  100 degree heat, air conditioner not working, dried dirt on bike tires turning into small mudslides, refrigerator and freezer that never got defrosted dripping water all over you for 4 and one-half hours.Obviously, I did not let you pack the car.

Middlebury College, Vt. Summer, 1983

End of summer. Cabaret night. You were graduating. You did a skit with a blond impersonating me. "Quieres ir al lago conmigo?"
I always went to the lake to study as I could block out the English and really study, much more that I could have if I had heard Spanish around me. I had a car and always invited anyone. You always declined. That night I figured out why. After the cabaret, sitting outside with you for a few moments on those Vermont Adirondack chairs in a black lace cocktail dress, I really did not fall asleep. I just pretended to.
And then I knew.

Handwritten letters from Germany to the United States and back again- 1983-1986.

End of summer- Middlebury, Vermont, 1986

You just appeared after lunch. We spent a few afternoons sunbathing and swimming at your Aunt and Uncle's house ( then former professors at Haverford and Middlebury in the summer) on Lake Dunmore. Your old-fashioned school-marm of an Aunt actually commented that we looked like, "Lovers on the Grass."

Dirt road on the way back to your Aunt and Uncle's house. Saying hello and goodbye.

Out of car. You did not want me to have to travel the dirt road. One kiss and that was the end of the end of summers.