They are my favorite part of this country. This war is a temporary job for me, I will leave here and go back home, they have known it their whole life. They are surrounded by ugliness and hate yet their smiles never cease to brighten my day. I watch them work all day in hot dusty fields. I watch them herd their goats around obstacles of concertina wire and blown up cars. They come running to wave at us as we drive by. I like them all...even the rock throwers.
While I might cuss them every now and then, and sometimes maybe toss a rock back their way, they still make me laugh. I can't take it too personal anyway. I've thrown a few rocks in my day and our trucks are the closest things to trains these kids have.
While little American boys and girls sit in their air conditioned homes and watch cartoons they work from sunrise till sunset. I respect them. They are hard workers and their little calloused hands show it.
Despite all the hard work and grown up problems they have, kids are still kids.
And kids crack me up...
When they aren't workin they're hustling, usually us. They try to sell us stuff we give them. They steal food and water off of our moving trucks. I don't get mad, I get impressed. They are doing what they can to eat and I respect that. Don't let their smiles fool you, they are starving.
Notice the bright red color in their hands. They haven't been fingerpainting, its a symptom of malnutrition.
This little girl left with a piece of my heart, I'll never forget her. She came up to my truck trying to get some water for her baby brother. As soon as she put on the puppy dog eyes my heart melted, she was a pro. I wanted to give her everything I had, but I knew as soon as I did my truck would be surrounded by a swarm of hungry children. Thats how it works. If any other kids saw the hand off they would be all over us. They would probably fight each other for anything that got tossed out and a crowd around the truck wouldn't have been safe for them or us. I had to wait.
I managed to sneak her a candy bar and she quickly stuffed it in her shirt, like I said, this girl was a pro. I started snapping pictures and she was joined by a couple more. They came and went as they realized I wasn't giving anything out. Recognize the boy on the right?
Once the other kids came around she dropped the puppy dog eyes and switched to a different game.
We were making faces back and forth. Like I said, kids are kids no matter where you're at.
While watching the group that came and went from around my truck I realized that this girl was top dog. I didn't have to worry about anybody taking anything from her. She ran things around here. When she ran off the others and it was just her and her baby brother I handed her a bottle of water. I was sad that it was all I could give her. As the little girl walked away I sat thinking about those little red hands reaching up for the bottle. The look of thanks in her big brown puppy dog eyes will be with me forever.
The future of this country rests in their red calloused hands.
I pray that they may build themselves a better life.
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