688: The Out Crowd
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A quick warning, there are curse words that are unbeeped in today's episode of the show. If you prefer a beeped version, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife.org. Darwin's Nine. And he's a kid who... I don't know, people just give him stuff. When he met my co-worker Aviva, he was playing with a soccer ball somebody gave him. Eating a taco somebody else gave him. Darwin's mom was explaining all this. Can you just describe what just happened? I have no idea she says. A man, as you're talking about that, people just give him things, walk by and give you. How much should he give you? Yes. Wow, Diaz pesos. Ten pesos. Y porque te díos. Why do I give you that Aviva Assum? Darwin gives a little shrug like, "Huh? What can I say?" Because he thought I was asking for a coin. His mom says, "He was just sitting there, eating." You're like king of the camp. Yes, I am the king of the camp, he says. As Aviva sits there with Darwin's mom Elizabeth, he runs off for 15, 20 minutes at a time, and then returns with cash. Five dollars. She hugs him. Darwin runs to their tent to pull out all the money he saved in show of Aviva. $279. A huge wad of cash, which, for context, they're living in a makeshift tent camp in Matamoros, Mexico, right over the border from Brownsville, Texas, and I mean like immediately on the other side. Nestled against the US and Rio Grande and the customs office, you can see the big red arches at the border station and so close. Over 2,500 people living here hoping to get asylum in the US. Darwin and his mom came here from Honduras. $279 bucks here is huge. Most people, even the migrants who came with a little money saved, have been here so long they spend it all. Our family sends us money, as mom says. Lots of families do that. But he brings in so much more than they send. Aviva then follows Darwin as he walks from the tents to the long line of cars that's waiting at the border to cross into the United States. He's a happy looking kid with neatly cut hair and a big smile, really cute. Darwin gives a fist bump to the fruit stand guy, claps the man selling corn on the back to say hello. Nods to the half dozen other vendors working the line. Remember, he's nine. When we asked one woman in the camp about him, she was like, "Oh, I'll tear him on to the earthquake." He goes a finger in the air asking for one coin. He says, "That's smooth. Ask for a coin and then hopefully they'll give you more than a coin." In fact, a car with three women waves him over and the woman in the passenger seat rolls down her window and hands him a dollar. Gracias. La Vondilla. Thanks. Bless you. Are you Cuban, you asked her? It's Cuban. La Vondilla. La Vondilla. La Vondilla. She says, "I knew it. From your accent." She's like, "Right. You thought I was from Cuba." And they laugh. Woman asks his name and he tells her. She says she likes his hair. I like your hair, he says. He reaches out to stroke her hair. It's straight and blonde. I like your hair because it's pretty, he says. She laughs and claps her hands. Look at what a flirt he ended up being. Oh, my God. You have a girlfriend?
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