Under Rocinante's helmets I made the happiest quixot of my life.

It was the 80s of the last century, and my friend Peter and I, being at a scientific event at the University, we read on a flyer that in "El Bodegón de Bartolo", a nearby coffee bar, from 10 AM it could be consumed with beer At an open bar and we couldn't hold out, we went out there with Peter's girlfriend, Yanai.

When we get to the bar they inform us that no, that there is nothing at all until 5 pm, and then Yanai tells us: Look, a friend of mine lives nearby, let's go have coffee.

When we arrived at the house, we were greeted by a tall, a nice young woman, with black hair and eyes, long legs, wearing a brown skirt. I will never forget this first appearance of Ileana before my eyes.

We had coffee, we talked for a while, and we left, but two blocks away, in a park where there is a statue of Don Quixote mounted on his horse Rocinante and literally under Rocinante's hooves I stopped my friends and said: Look, If you want to, continue reading the works of Science Fiction that we were going to see, but first you have to introduce me back to the house where we just left, and then I continue ...

We retraced our steps, and in front of Ileana we invented a party that same Saturday at Peter's house, a party that was not such because only four couples were going to go, including Ileana and I, who weren't even a couple yet. Nothing, it was a "box" prepared for me to be chatting that afternoon with Ileana.

And who tells them that we got married three months after we met? I remember that her father, Rubén, when I went "to ask for her daughter's hand" he told me: I think Ileana doesn't know what she's doing. To which I replied: Well, I am very clear about what I do, I am already 30 years old, I am a grown man, and although Ileana is only 23 I am going to make her very happy.

We got married in 1984, and at this point, in the year 2021, we have already been married for 37 years, and we have been husbands, friends, and lovers, all three at the same time.

Why husbands, friends, and lovers? Well, because spouses share responsibility, but if they are not friends they will spend their lives arguing, and if they are not lovers they will seek pleasure outside of marriage. Friends are only together when they want to, many things are tolerated, and they understand and forgive each other. And the lovers? Well, imagine ...

I have been the happiest man on earth by sharing my life with Ileana, together we have gone through many sad things and many good things, just like life itself.

Thank you Ileana for being my wife, my friend, and my lover!

And thank you for supporting me and being my guide in all aspects.

I love you very much.

Octavio.