Bob is 82.  Half Mexican-Apache, half Mutt and Jeff.  Who knows?  But he has black hair and tans easily, that’s for sure. Loves Mexican food and (gasp) SPAM!!

He was born and raised in New Mexico or some other scratchy patch of desert way down near El Paso and thereabouts.  Didn’t have more than one pair of shoes till he joined the army. Poor like a peasant most of the time, full of life even today and a big giant romantic of the kiss-the-girls kind.  Great smile, great personality, healthy as a horse and, in my view, a great guy.

He’s been living on his own now for the last 25 or so years.  Wife left him.  Ran off with another guy who looked just like him. Guy had the same name, too.  Fatter wallet was the only discernible difference in my view.  She didn’t even have to change her ID.

But, he was OK with that curve-ball.  Took it in stride.  Got a house in the south desert with lizards and cactus.  Took up with a cat.  Wiled away his time after retirement flying sorties.  He is a virtual flyer.  He has flight simulator programs and takes a Lear Jet to Paris now and then, a Sopwith Camel to fight WW1 battles and generally speaking, is living to a ripe old age having fun and eating tacos.

But, sometimes, of course, he watches TV.  He loves British TV series.

After watching the series Last Tango in Halifax, Bob was reminded of an old girlfriend he had been in love with in his twenties.  She, a seething Mexican beauty with whom he was totally smitten.  They got along well until the army or the military/industrial corporation with whom he was employed transferred him to California.  So, off he went.  They were young. They were pretty.  There would be others.

And there were.

But, at 82, he was reminded of E and looked in the El Paso phonebook to see if she was still there.  She was!  Same name.  Same woman.  Never married.

Bob went to see her.  It had been 60 years!  But nothing had changed for them. Bam! Second time lucky.  Love in all the old places.  They are getting married in June.

Mexican-Apaches….she couldn’t live with him and now she can’t live without him.

And you thought romance was dead.