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Thought this woman was much older than I was, it felt as though I was
hugging a little girl that was scared and confused. I felt so deeply for her I
only wanted to comfort her. I imagined she must had suffered much not
only from the experience but from everything that came with it. Her
daughter then started to cry as well and begged her mother to forgive her
for the ill treatment. She said there was nothing to forgive since she
understood how difficult the situation was. We sat in the garage and talked
for hours about what had happened back in May 1988.
Mrs. Matilde told me specific details about the experience that only
someone who’d been there could have known; details I kept close to my
chest with the intent of being able to discern who had actually been there
during those horrible moments. Her daughter looked at us like she couldn’t
comprehend the instant bond her mother and I had. She looked at her mom
as if she didn’t know her. She gave me her telephone number and address
and we agreed that I’d call her soon to meet again. They left my house late
that night. I felt a little melancholy in my soul. I didn’t want her to leave.
That night, as I lay on my bed alone I went through everything we talked
about. The coquíes, crickets, and other nocturnal animals accompanied me
with their nocturnal symphony. I was in a sort of ecstasies for having met
her. All she said I recorded in my mind and I reviewed it with great
satisfaction. What was most interesting to me was how they took her.
She explained that that night she couldn’t sleep because it was around three
in the morning and her youngest son of about 22 years hadn’t gotten home
yet. He was with his girlfriend and future in laws. She had tried calling
them but the phone was always busy. She was anxious and angry that her
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