The Tale of Three Boys

Friday 11th October 2024

THE TALE OF THREE BOYS

The tale of three boys has come from reflecting on the past week's tragic events and how the lives of three boys illustrate the various elements of our work here in Guatemala.

 

BOY 1 – ALEX

Alex's childhood was marred by fear and uncertainty.  He was often afraid to walk to school past the gangs and contract killers that ruled his neighbourhood.  He shared a modest room with his grandmother and two sisters, as both his parents were incarcerated and unlikely to return until Alex reached his late teens. This small room, nestled on the third floor of a long-abandoned building, was his only concept of home, secured through his grandmother's resourcefulness.

Their precarious living conditions frequently led Alex and his sisters to the streets at night, inadvertently forming an attachment to a life that was fraught with danger.  Then, one day, the Street Kids Direct (SKD) team approached them, inviting the children into engaging activities and, subsequently, the mentoring programme at the centre.

Alex thrived at the centre, taking on an active role and relishing the sense of community and support. But as he grew older, the lure of the local gang became more challenging to resist.  Yet, despite the temptations, Alex made a courageous decision to turn away from that path.  His rejection of the gang allowed him to start anew, find work, and aim to build a future for himself.

Upon hearing the devastating news of José's death, Alex joined his sisters and SKD team members in mourning his friend's loss.  During this difficult time, Duncan spoke with Alex about his choices to carve out a new path for himself.  Duncan expressed hope that Alex would find happiness and fulfilment after enduring years of poverty and countless challenges to survive.

As Alex sat next to his sister and José's sister's boyfriend at the funeral reception, the unimaginable occurred. Two gunmen burst into the gathering, aiming at Alex's circle of friends. They shot one of his friends dead, then tragically turned the gun on the boy's mother before firing at Alex and his friend Bryan.

At the time of writing this, both Alex and Bryan linger in a delicate state—stable yet critical—within the walls of the general hospital.  Once more, Alex finds himself at a crossroads, his life precariously perched between hope and despair.  His family clings to faith, praying tirelessly for his recovery and dreaming that he will emerge from this harrowing ordeal.  They hold onto the vision he shared with Duncan—a life renewed, filled with the promise of happiness and fulfilment he so earnestly wanted before his friend José was gunned down in the streets.

 

BOY 2 – JOSÉ

From an early age, life had stacked the odds against José. After the tragic murder of his parents, he and his younger sister, Karla, were sent to live with their grandparents in La Terminal, Guatemala City. The transition was a difficult one. As they struggled with their grief, they were thrust into the harsh environment of La Terminal, where their grandparents ran a bar that stayed open from dawn until the early hours of the next day.

The absence of consistent parental care and adult supervision made their gradual drift to street life almost inevitable. José and Karla soon found themselves slipping away from education and the familiar networks that once provided stability. When I first met them, it was evident they were lost and desperately needed support, structure, and love.

The mentoring programme became a beacon of hope for them, offering an environment of care and compassion they enjoyed during their early years with us (photo right). Unfortunately, José began to distance himself and made choices that led him away from the programme's nurturing environment. This path eventually saw him placed in a government children's home, but he soon ran away and ended up back in La Terminal.

Upon his return, José seemed changed. He had acquired street skills that both opened new doors and deepened his feelings of abandonment and loss. His pathway diverged from the safety and support he once experienced to a more feral lifestyle.

On Monday, September 30th, José made the fateful decision to cross the road to a fast-food restaurant opposite the bar where his grandfather worked and where he lived with his sister Karla. Tragically, within moments, he was gunned down, shot six times, and succumbed quickly to his injuries. The motive behind his murder remains unknown, yet it's another case that will likely go uninvestigated by police, who often avoid involvement in extrajudicial killings in La Terminal.

Having recently turned 17, José was known to be a generally quiet and polite boy. Burying him last Friday dealt a bitter blow to those of us who endeavoured tirelessly to embrace him with love and guide him toward a brighter and more promising future.

 

BOY 3 – MOSES

Last Sunday, I spent the day celebrating Moses's 17th birthday (article photo above). It was a joyful occasion that began at church. Then we went out to shop for a new pair of trainers and shared a hearty lunch. But amidst the laughter and festivities, a sombre task awaited me. I had to share the heartbreaking news that José, one of Moses's friends from the mentoring centre, had been killed and that another friend, Alex, was fighting for his life in the hospital.

The news hit Moses hard. Together, we flipped through photos of the funeral and reminisced over snapshots of José from happier days, full of life and joy at the mentoring centre. It was clear Moses needed a moment to absorb everything. As he silently reflected, his eyes moved from the plate of meat he had been enjoying to meet mine. At that moment, he expressed deep sadness and heartfelt gratitude for having been afforded a different path—a chance to break free from a fate that his friends could not escape.

"Did I ever tell you I was almost killed in La Terminal?" Moses remarked, pushing around the last piece of meat on his plate. His question caught me off guard, though I was aware of several harrowing situations he had faced, including the time his friend was shot in the head while Moses crossed the road to buy him a soft drink.

Moses's journey closely paralleled José's, as both had grown up facing the same daunting challenges. Knowing the rugged roads Alex and José traversed, Moses could easily have walked a similar path.

As Moses recalled his past, his gaze became intense, and he rubbed his hands together anxiously. He recounted a memory from years ago when he worked in La Terminal and sat with three boys, observing the world pass by. "For some reason," he continued, "I just stood up and walked across to the other side of the road."

At that very moment, two men on a motorbike sped by, one spraying his friends with bullets from a semi-Uzi. Frozen in disbelief, Moses eventually ran back, only to find all three of his friends had been killed.

"It could have been me!" he said, repeating the phrase he had uttered earlier when I informed him about José's tragic fate.

Moses continues to flourish in the mentoring programme and excels at the New Life Children’s Home in Guatemala—a haven of love, support, care, and protection. Seeing how the programme has positively influenced his life, steering him toward better choices and brighter outcomes, is heartening.

Reflecting on the differing paths of these three boys—each starting from similar backgrounds but ending with such varied destinies—underscores the profound impact of guidance and opportunity. The tragic events of the past week have only strengthened our determination to persevere, to never give up on these children, and to offer them every chance to shape a hopeful future while time is still on their side.