Both Student. Both Teacher.

Virginia Vallejo (Columbia 1949) and Pablo Escobar (Columbia 1949-1993) were lovers for four years (1983-1987). He a drug lord of the Medellin cartel with a modest background. She a journalist and TV anchor(wo)man from the upper class.

Yesterday I finished reading her book 'Amando a Pablo, odiando a Escobar' (2007) in a Dutch translation 'Ik was de vrouw van Escobar' (2017). I wanted to read about the story behind their love. Her story. Her images. What she says and what not. Her details.

For me this quote is the key to the book (page 305-306). Ana Bolena Meza: "Virginia, you were the greatest star of this country [Columbia] and the Narcos ended your career and your good name. I am just a humble actress who wants to make her living with hard work. Say to that Gaviria that I don't want, for any gold, to live your life, certainly not because I see how the media treats you. Say that woman as me despise man like them. That I prefer to die rather than being touched by the dirty hands of a Narcos." Who is who? Pablo's nephew Gustavo Gaviria was fallen in love with actress Ana Bolena Meza. Gustavo asked Virginia to arrange a meeting with Ana. Ana refused to meet.

Why did Virginia fall in love with Pablo? Pablo built 2,500 houses for the poor of Medellin. Pablo saved her life. Both were student and teacher.  Mutual attracted to their huge intelligence. Magic. Attraction and rejection. Pablo fell for Virginia's beauty. Virginia fell for Pablo's insight and predictive ability. They had an equal relationship. Virginia always refused the sugar daddy side of Pablo. She wanted his love not his money. Later she asked Pablo for money (for education and investment in a company) then he refused because Virginia was the only woman in his life that did love him for free. He wanted to maintain that dream.

They talked a lot about the "inheritance" of Pablo. He wanted the world, via the only woman who really knew him, to know who he really was. A psychological and historical accurate portrait. 

Nice read. No book for sensitive souls.

P.S. The Spanish title translated into English 'Love Pablo. Hate Escobar', covers the content of their relationship better. Better than the Dutch title translated into English 'I was the woman of Escobar'.