one of the saddest things i've ever seen

Today it is pouring (joy) and I was so rooting for my 8am student to cancel but of course today he didn't and I was late and he was on time. I'm not a big fan of him since he always gives me the impression he'd rather be anywhere else but in class, so I spent the morning exhausted and irritated.

So today I decided to take the bonde (cable car) to Santa Teresa since I had time to get there, so I got on and waited for it to get going. The scene that took place is the following.

A little black kid, maybe about 7 or 8, was jumping around the car, swinging himself along the outside of the car to sit himself down in different seats. He was wearing huge black shorts and a oversized tee-shirt, but they looked clean and put together so I wasn't sure if he was a street kid or not. But he was familiar and I think he might be one of the homeless kids that occasionally stops by the ballet studio in Santa Teresa.

First he sat next to me, but then spotted a more interesting prospect in front of me. There was a family, tourists from the south of Brazil, two young parents and a little boy of about 5 or 6. The dad had a huge ridiculous camera with which he was snapping cheesy photos of his son playing with wooden trains. The little street kid was fascinated by the trains and asked to play with them. The little boy didn't want to give up his toy, but the parents were so sweet to him and let the street kid play with the trains, and chatted with him like he was an old friend. The street kid noticed the mom's shirt, and said, "My mom has a shirt like this." He started to trace some of the patterns with his finger on the lady's back, which seemed to throw her off a bit, but she let him. She could tell this kid had no idea about social norms or anything of the sort.

So then the couple's little boy said to the homeless kid, "Where's your dad?" A shadow passed over the homeless kid's face. "Ele sumiu," he said wistfully. He's gone. "Morreu?" "Did he die?" the other kid asked. His dad hushed him, saying you couldn't ask things like that, it wasn't nice. "No, he didn't die. He just disappeared," the homeless kid said. "Esta por ai," the mom tried to explain. He's somewhere. Her son: "Well, I think he'll come back. He'll come back for sure. He's just..." and then he went on this whole rambling explanation of where the dad was, until his mother hushed him.

The homeless kid didn't seem to be fazed, and kept chatting with the family. "You're from the South, right?" "Smart kid!" the dad said.

Then the street car started and we rolled over the tracks up to Lapa. And then in a moment of silence, the homeless kid thrust himself at the mom, hugging her from behind. The mom was really taken aback, but could tell how desperately love-starved this kid was, and patted him gently. He continued this throughout the trip up to Santa Teresa, pulling back to talk or play with the trains, and then nestling his head on the woman's shoulder and snuggling up against her back, trying to hug her. I could barely watch it was so heartbreaking, but the lady was so nice to the little boy, and let him hug her, all the way up the windy hills, until I got off at my stop.

Comments

[carin]

you are making me weeeepy!!

I couldn't watch this happen... I'd want to take the kid home...

XXX

[david]

Excellent writing. There is a long-term career somewhere for you with this. Think about it.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Good job.

[lenore glickhouse]

I was just on the phone with your dad and he told me to read this (I've been crazy busy and haven't checked in for a week or so). He is so proud of you and the story is vivid - and so sad.
Keep it up. And stay dry!!!
By the way, I met Sarah Chianese the other day (Rebecca's sister) who told me her daughter also studied at Tappan Zee. I told her who you were and how I knew about the school. The world is a very small place, as you've proven.
XO-
L.

[jon]

You do realize the irony of complaining about the weather and students and then jumping straight to talking about a poor homeless kid with no family or money?

PS, why does mom have facebook??? I miss when only college kids could get it.