Chapter 3

He was just a little older than the pictures he had sent me, and perhaps just a few pounds heavier. But still a good looking, distinguished man in his late forties. For a quick moment I just stared at his image, amazed at the marvel of modern technology bringing this man into my home.

He smiled. “Hola. Espero que tu estes bien,” he said, Spanish for “Hello, I hope you are well.”

“Si, si,” I answered, excited that this was actually happening. “This is so amazing! I am actually looking at you in real time!”

He smiled again, more broadly this time. “Yes, it is amazing. I have done it before, several times, and it never ceases to amaze me. When it works, anyway. The internet in my country is rather fragile and there are days when it collapses. We hope the government will do something about that, but so far it hasn’t happened.”