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That's my mother, on the left middle varanda. |
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(1958 - 1964) |
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I loved S. Miguel, but Lisbon was a "new world", a big city, ... lots of people, ... lots of things to do, etc. For the first few months we lived in two rooms that my father had rented in Rua Domingues Sequeira. Then, we moved to Avenida Infante Santo, where I lived until leaving for the USA. |
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That's my mother, on the left middle varanda. |
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On the wall ...some of my favorite singers and movie stars. |
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How about that "goatie"? Didn't last long! |
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These cousins lived in Boston. (1960?) |
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(The Cartwrights) |
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Somehow, as I think of it, what comes to mind first, is friends, and the good times we had together. Here is a picture with some of my best friends. From left to right: my brother Jorge, Mario Jorge, Rute (my girlfriend), me, Zé Augusto, Edite, Helder (my best friend) and Dulce. |
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That was some stranger's car that we decided to use as a "nice background! |
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Helder Lemos and Mário Jorge Camilo. |
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Summer of 1964
In Lisbon they stayed in our house. They arrived with their two youngest daughters, Stella and Mary Alice, ...and . (This picture was taken at a Fado house in Alfâma.) |
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who had just arrived from Luanda, Angola. Little did I know that 10 months later I would also be married !!! |
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That's my other good friend, Victor, next to Mary Alice. |
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What now? She lives 3,000 miles away! Well, to make a long story short, here begins what I could have never imagined. I have to believe that "fate" has a lot of power. I was finishing high school, and she was in America! I had no doubt that a very strong feeling had taken over me.I suggested to Stella that I could volunteer to serve in the army to satisfy my national obligation, because NO ONE left Portugal without serving in the armed forces. Her response was swift and clear: NEVER! "If something happens to you, I don't want that in my conscience!" So, what now? Her father suggested "Try to come over for a visit, then we'll see what happens." Well, that certainly sounded like a crazy idea. The government would never give me permission to go abroad. Somehow, we decided to try, but not believing it could happen. My parents spoke to 4 different people who could "pull strings" and so I applied for a military license. To my amazement, I obtained it with no obstacles. My father, however, was interrogated by the PIDE, secret police, but all went well. Given my age, 19, I needed that military license to apply for a passport. Two weeks after turning in my application for the passport I received a phone call telling me that it had been rejected. I was devastated, even though I never truly believed I would succeed. However, a few days later, the governement agency called back saying that ... "somehow" my passport had been approved and it was ready to be picked up. It seems that one (or more) of those family friends who could "pull strings" had succeeded! This seemed like a dream, but I still had another hurdle to overcome. I still needed a visa from the American Embassy, and they were not known for giving visas that easily. From America, Mr. and Mrs. Leite sent an "official" letter inviting me to spend Christmas with them, and they would be financially responsible for me. On November 15, 1964, I entered the American Embassy, alone, feeling like a fool, but, without giving me any trouble, I was issued a visa to visit the U.S.A. My family was incredulous! They were supportive, but never believed I would succeed. Call it fate or not, my life was about to change forever. I was about to embark into a romantic adventure, and what a trip that turned out to be! I had found my soulmate, the love of my life. On June 26, 1965 we were married and so began a life full of love and happiness. |
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December 1st, 1964 |
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