Raphael continues to narrate and he begins the chapter by telling us about a young boy who is a couple of years younger than him, who is called Rat by the others. His name is Jun-Jun but because he had lived with the rats for so long and had begun to look like them, people began to call him Rat.
Raphael explains that he has no family in the area because he came from somewhere else and he says that if it wasn’t for the mission school, he would have been dead long ago. The boys make their way down towards where Rat lives and they can hear the rats moving among the trash.
They call down to him to ask if they can come down and he explains that the boy lives in a hole below all the trash. They find him at the bottom of a ladder staring at them with frightened eyes and he is described as having ‘big broken teeth sticking out of his mouth.’ The boys tell him that they need a favour and he agrees immediately, without asking what it is. Raphael explains that Rat likes him because he talked to him when they were working and unlike the other kids, he didn’t make fun of him or throw things at him.
When he sees that it is a handbag, he tells them that it won’t last long, as the rats will eat through it. When they explain what it is, Rat tells them that they’re crazy and that they should take the money that is being offered. We see how cynical Gardo is when he tells Rat that the police won’t hand over the money and if they did, he says that Raphael would never be able to keep it, hinting that he would be robbed or attacked. This shows how Gardo’s mind works and he uses this cynicism to stay alive.
Raphael agrees to give Rat 50 Pesos to hold the bag in his place and he takes a look at the contents of the bag and they discuss the mysterious Jose Angelico. When Rat sees the key, he tells the boys that it isn’t a house key. He tells them that he knows what it is but he wants 100 Pesos before he reveals to them what the key is for. Raphael agrees to give him the money and he tells them that the key is for a locker at Central Station and that Jose Angelico must have left something there. The pace of the story picks up as Raphael tells us that his heart beat faster and faster and the chapter ends with Rat offering to take them to the station right away.
Questions:
- Describe ‘Rat’ and where he lives. Do you feel sorry for him? Explain why.
- What does Raphael want Rat to do? Why has he picked Rat for this job?
- Why do you think Rat agrees to help the boys? What lesson can you learn from this?
- How much do the boys pay Rat? Why do you think they agree to give him more than the initial offer?
- Rat tells them what the key is for? What is the author doing here to keep us interested?