Little A

Last night I was home working on my computer when I heard someone whistling loudly and yelling. I assumed it was J. because he has left all of his belongings here temporarily. I went to the gate and instead was surprised to find @lejandro's little brother A. He just stopped by to say hi, carrying his puppy and with J's bird on his shoulder.

Little A has been here for at least 4 months now. He came with their 2 sisters around Easter for a visit and never left. He and A are supposed to go back to Mexxico City any day but that keeps stretching on and on because @lejandro isn't making much money these days. For awhile they lived with @merica in an apartment (the one I looked at), but then they started living with J. in hotels. But they can't really afford that so it appears they stay in a hotel for awhile, run up the bill, and then skip out. Little A is left on his own a lot of the time and either goes to the beach or just watches TV. When the sisters were here, they'd all hang out more like a family, but he told me last night that lately they don't do much and he's bored.

Little A told me he's been smoking for 7 years. And I know before he came here he'd been in drug rehab and his girlfriend had gotten pregnant and eventually had an abortion. He says he wants to get a job working in a chicken place when he gets back to Mexxico City and rent an apartment on his own or with a girl. He's 14.

Last night, I invited him in and gave the bird some apple, the puppy some cat food soaked in milk, the 5 cats their dinner, and made sandwiches for Little A and myself. I'm trying not to come on too strong in telling him how to live his life. It's funny to realize that I'd probably be kind of strict and somewhat conservative mother. I just feel that kids need strong boundaries and a sense of what's right and wrong when they're young. And it kills me that no one is providing that for him. @lejandro left home when he was 14, having left school at 13 too. I'm so afraid that Little A is following right in his footsteps and no one in the family is trying to stop it. I had proposed teaching Little A English and I think I should continue to offer that as a small way to give him some structure in his life. And if during the little time I spend with him, I can give him some sort of guidance, that is the best I can do.