Here the Whole Time(14)

I think when they’re nine, kids don’t hold adults’ hands anymore. But to my astonishment, Eddie nods and holds out his hand to me.



If you think spending the day surrounded by kids painting canvases and creating Play-Doh figurines is an easy task, you are completely mistaken. These kids are little devils who scream the whole time and run around in every direction, and it’s impossible to get one second of peace in the classroom. But every time a student calls my mom over to show her the piece they’ve created, I can see in her smile that the effort is well worth it.

Some kids get here, stay for half an hour, and then leave, whereas some spend the whole day at the center. Eddie is the type who spends the day here. From the moment we walked out of the bathroom, he hasn’t left my side. He walked around the classroom introducing me to his friends, and all of them seemed fascinated, as if Eddie had made the most incredible discovery of all time.

“Who could imagine you’d be so good with kids, huh, Felipe?” my mom remarks when she sees me sitting in a circle with Eddie and three other children. “Want me to bring my son every week?” she asks them.

And they all start yelling excitedly, jumping on me.

Caio is doing well, too. He has a group of older kids building sculptures with Play-Doh, Popsicle sticks, and paint. Surrounded by so many people, the two of us haven’t been alone for a single moment, but we’ve exchanged laughs whenever a kid says something funny.

By the end of the afternoon, I’m dead tired. We organize a little gallery in the classroom with the paintings and sculptures by all the students, then start saying our goodbyes to the kids, who begin to trickle out. Some are still ambling around the hallways because they simply have nowhere to go.

Caio and I help my mom clean up the classroom before we leave, and when we get to the front entrance, I hear Eddie call my name.

“Mr. Felipe! Hold on!” He comes rushing down the hallway, and when he finally reaches us, he needs a moment to catch his breath.

“I made this for you!” He hands me a piece of paper. It’s a makeshift envelope with something written in a kid’s handwriting.

From: Jo?o Eduardo

To: Mr. Felipe

When I unfold the envelope, my smile feels too big to fit on my face.

“Do you like it, mister?” Eddie asks, standing on the tips of his toes so he can see the paper in my hand.

It’s a drawing of me in a Batman costume, flying in a blue sky full of clouds. Technically, Batman can’t fly, but of course I’m not about to tell him that. I love the drawing, anyway. I’m still fat in Eddie’s version of me, but my arms are strong and muscular. It’s one of the coolest things anyone has ever made for me.

“I think it’s awesome, Eddie! Thank you so much. I’ll keep it forever!” I say, patting his head.

He lets out a laugh that rings happily in my ears, and I feel like I should give him something in exchange for the drawing.

I shove my hand in my jacket pocket and find a chocolate bar. I have no idea how long it has been lost in there, but even so, it seems good enough to eat.

“Do you like chocolate?” I ask, handing him the half-melted bar.

“Yay! Thanks!” He starts unwrapping the candy excitedly.

“Don’t tell anyone else, but you were my favorite. I’ll come back another day so we can draw some more, deal?”

Eddie gives me a thumbs-up and says something I can’t make out because he’s chewing. Then he turns around and runs off. I fold my gift back into its envelope and put it in my pocket where the chocolate bar was, and when I look at my mom, she’s all emotional.

“This is why I come back every week,” she whispers in my ear as she, Caio, and I walk to the bus stop.



When we get home, we’re all exhausted. The first thing I do is run to my room and hang my present up on the wall. I have a mural made up of my favorite superhero posters over my desk, and the drawing of me as Batman just claimed its space. To be honest, I don’t even care about Batman that much, but this drawing is awesome.

In case you’re wondering (which you probably aren’t), these are my top three favorite superheroes of all time:

Green Lantern, because he has a ring that can turn him into ANYTHING—literally—and to me, that’s the coolest superpower ever. This, obviously, doesn’t take into account the movie starring Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern, because that movie was one of the worst things ever created by mankind, right after Chicken & Waffles Lay’s.

Robin, who’s technically a sidekick and doesn’t have any superpowers, but I love him and this is my list.

Aquaman, because he’s the closest a superhero can get to being a mermaid.



We eat leftover pizza together in the living room, but today the TV is off. We’re all too worn-out to look for the remote.

“Caio, don’t even think about telling your mother that I let you eat pizza two days in a row, do you hear me?” my mom says.

Caio promises he can keep it a secret and, when he finishes his slice, excuses himself to go shower.

I’m alone in the living room with my mom, and she rests her head on my shoulder.

“I loved spending the day with you, son. You did so well!” She steals an olive from my slice of pizza. “I’ve never seen Jo?o Eduardo so happy. He’s always been a quiet kid who won’t talk to anybody. I thought it was so strange when I saw him run into the classroom with you in tow.”