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Souvenirs from Cozumel

Contributed by: Jennifer Shrake-Ramirez on 2/13/2007

My mother and I went on a scuba dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico to earn my dive certification and relax. After a morning spent diving, we had lunch at Ernesto's, a popular restaurant, not far from our hotel. Our waiter greeted usin Spanish (I didn't speak Spanish; my mother knew enough to get me into trouble) and when I looked to her for translation, she said, "He wants to dance with you." He stammered and said in English that he'd dance with me after he brought our drinks. He came back and tried to teach me Salsa dancing. Tough job! He then asked me to have dinner with him. I told him no - I wasin Cozumelto dive, relax and hang out with my mom. He kept coming back to our table, trying to convince me to have dinner with him. I politely declined again. He started talking to my mom. I thought he was hitting on her! He explained that he'd lived on the island for many years, told her his life story so she would trust him enough to "let" me have dinner with him. Finally, she said, "Please have dinner with this man." We made arrangements for him to pick me up at the hotel for dinner. When my mother and I went back to the hotel after lunch, she had a confession: The waiter had asked for our DRINK ORDER in Spanish, not to dance with me. I couldn't believe that I was having dinner with a man who really didn't want to dance in the first place! He picked me up for dinner and he was amazing. He was funny, charming, and so very attractive. He told me that he was the manager of the restaurant and that one of his waiters hadn't shown up for work and he was covering the tables. We never would have met if it weren't for the no-show worker! We had dinner, we danced, laughed and had to return early to the hotel for an early morning dive the next day. The next day, we had lunch, and dinner together. We put my mom into a taxi after dinner to go back to the hotel and we danced and walked the beach and explored the island that night. Our flight home left the next day. He had an appointment in Cancun (four hours round trip) in the morning. We exchanged e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. I couldn't believe that this fabulous man was in Cozumel and I was returning home. He told me not to say goodbye. I told him I'd saved up all my money for this trip and I wasn't coming back. I moped in the airport. I couldn't eat my lunch. It was time to go. I was leaving Cozumel, I was leaving him. We walked through the doors of the restaurant in the airport and he came flying around the corner. "I told you not to say goodbye!" I fell into his arms. Our parting was delayed an hour more. He had made his appointment and returned to Cozumel in record time. We talked on the phone every day for a week (and could've flown back and forth twice with the amount I was spending on phone bills!). One day, we were talking and got cut off. I called my aunt who is a travel agent to book a flight to Cozumel. There was one seat left on the plane that left in the morning - exactly one week later from my last trip home. I called him and told him that we could finish our conversation at dinner tomorrow. He didn't believe that I was returning! Only after I gave him my flight information did he believe me. The whole time on the airplane, I was nervous. I thought, "If he's a jerk, I can dive. If he's a nice guy, I can dive. Either way, it's a win for me." At the airport, in customs, I could see him through the window waiting for me. Once I got through customs, he ran to me, wrapped his arms around me. I knew then that he was a nice guy AND I'd get to dive. We had a wonderful time, exploring the island, meeting his family and friends, dancing, eating, talking. Alas, I had to leave. Four days, gone. Just like that. We talked every day again...until I returned a month later. Ten days this time. Isla Mujeres, the turtle farm, our bungalow on the beach. Cozumel, dinner, the other side of the island. We had dinner one night at a restaurant overlooking the ocean. He was approached by a man who asked if "this is your wife". His reply, "Not yet." I returned home once again. Was it the island, the heat the ocean that I was in love with or was it really him? I asked him to come into my world. See where I live. See my reality. He did. For one week. He would work in the yard while I was in school. He listened while I studied. He met my family and friends. My daughter. She adored him. He left. We were apart for two months before we decided to be together permanently in Denver. He helped put me through nursing school. Helped me study. Soothed my soul and eased into my daughter's life. That was almost seven years ago. My Spanish has improved tremendously. Our kids are independent. When he looks into my eyes and smiles, I can feel the ocean breeze, smell the salt air, and know that I have always loved the man.


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Jennifer Shrake-Ramirez has posted 1 story and 0 comments since joining on 2/13/2007. Jennifer Shrake-Ramirez 's average story rating is 0.
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