Chapter 2 – Raphael (continued)
Raphael begins to tell his story about the world turning upside down when he and Gardo were up on one of the crane belts, where they were not allowed to go. They’re not allowed up as it’s dangerous and he tells us that a boy lost an arm trying to get close to the new trash this way.
He introduces Gardo and explains who they are like brothers even though they are not related. They were born on the same day seven hours apart. It is clear that Gardo is the leader and Raphael tells us that he can be mean sometimes, but says that it could be because of the amount of beatings he has taken and the fact that he had to grow up faster.
Raphael then tells us about a bag that he finds among the trash. In the bag he finds a wallet, a map and a key. He also discovers 1100 Pesos, which is a lot of money for a boy like Raphael. He puts it into context when he says a full chicken is 180 Pesos. He says a prayer when he finds it and immediately gives Gardo 500 Pesos. They also discover an ID card, which belonged to man named Jose Angelico along with two pictures of a little girl who was aged seven or eight. The boys continue to work as if nothing has happened so they don’t draw attention towards themselves.
Questions:
- How do we know that Raphael and Gardo are close friends? PQE
- Why do you think Gardo is mean?
- Describe what the boys found.
- How do you think they felt when they found it?
- Has the author used a sense of mystery again? Explain your answer.