“When you were born, I felt safe because from the terrace of the house – we were three blocks from the river – I could see the planes patrolling” mami tells Reyna. Every afternoon the American Mission aviators would zoom over. It was a way to let the Germans know that there was no opening here for them. One night, in Puerto Colombia, a half hour from Barranquilla, some boys went there to go into the sea and they found on the beach piles of empty beer cans. German beer and cigarette butts. Puerto Colombia was very strategic, the seaport that led to the mouth of the Magdelena River and the center of the country. Then someone reported a German submarine further up shore. The Germans were trying to get a foothold here but the American Mission had its battleships guarding the Bay of Cartagena. We had a blackout every night and it became dangerous to go out at night. Instead of the dances in the country club that were usually very late in the evening, there were the té-dansantes in the afternoon or the almuerzos bailables. Since it was dangerous to go to the beach, we went more to the country clubs. Luckily abuelito was a member of three clubs. Reyna was taken out to the terrace and mami felt safe because every morning she could see the planes land that guarded the coast.