This is the letter I wrote to Robyn, Robert's daughter
:
Hi Robyn,
thank you for your letters. Robert is a big loss for me and I really regret not to have dedicated much time in talking with him in the last times. I knew him as a funny man with a strong faith in what he believed and a great love for his family and you were what he cared the most, he was very proud of you. The last time I talked with him by phone it was a pain for me, I didn't know what to say to a friend that had no chance to live. We often talked about religion, he was a true believer and I am exactly the contrary so what I said to him was that we perpetuate through our children and he managed to grow you up well and without making you miss anything, so he had noting to regret. We also joked that he could even start cooking meth like in Breaking Bad, things like that. He was a man with a great fantasy and a a big heart. He accepted me in his house as a guest even if I'm someone so different from what was in his world and I really appreciated that. In my life, I had big problems with my family and my father. People like me instinctively search the figure of the father in someone and for me Robert was like a father, for a limited time. I cried a lot when it was time to leave, it was seriously a great pain. And now he's gone forever. I like to think that he found what he believed to find after life, because he was a good man that had a difficult life.
When I knew of his cancer, I bought the tickets to go there and visit him, unfortunately the American embassy refused the Visa to my girlfriend because she is Polish and we're not married. I can't leave her alone in Italy, not in this moment anyway, so I had to give up and that was very very bad...
Dear Robyn, sure you're my friend: I remember very well the time spent with you, your father and your mother and I felt part of the family, thank you for that. You're what remains to me of Robert, so I really appreciate if we keep in contact, and remember that if you need something, I'm here, that is what I said to Robert.
Last time Robert talked about you, you were working in Tampa (nice place), I hope that things are going well and I also hope that your mother is ok and both of you do not have many problems now that Robert is no more with you.
A hug and take care
Davide