Tag Archives: writing

Pedrito’s Diary, Day 11

February 1, 2025

When we heard the dinner announcement through the megaphone in the evening, we formed our line quickly. It looked like everyone was ready to eat. We saw Mr. Matias and walked toward his table as he instructed us earlier in the day. “Hello there, Gabriel and Gabriel’s big brothers,” he said and padded our little friend’s head. Just then, a big big dog appeared from behind Mr. Matias. Gabriel jumped up and moved fast away from the table. I, too, was scared but stood where I was so that my little friend wouldn’t be more afraid. “This is Daisy. She is a big dog but unless you scare her, she won’t do anything to you. She is very gentle. I adopted her as a pup for my son when he was 5.”

“What kind of a dog is she, Mr. Matias?” Diego asked. “Golden Retriever,” answered the guard, then asked us, “Do you want to pat her? But only on the head.” Alejandro, Diego and me carefully patted Daisy. She just looked at us without moving a bit. Then I felt a pull on my pajamas. It was Gabriel. He was no longer hiding behind my back but rather was now right by my side. Softly, he asked me, “Can I also pat Daisy?” Mr. Matias heard him, held the dog’s leash a little tighter, and told Gabriel to go over to him. Daisy reacted very different to Gabriel, she rubbed her head against his little body. First, Gabriel looked afraid, but then saw that Daisy was totally gentle with him. “Can I please give her a hug, Mr. Matias?” A smile appeared on the guard’s face when he answered, “Of course! Go ahead! She’d like it.”

Gabriel looked at each one of us older boys, as if he needed our okay. We all gave him a thumbs up. He hugged Daisy for so long that we thought he had a family dog waiting for him at home.

© hülya n. yılmaz, February 10, 2025

Pedrito’s Diary, Day 10

Friday, January 31, 2025

With his little hand, my new friend, Gabriel, signaled to me to bend down. Before I bent down to his eye level, I noticed that he had twisted his legs. “Brother Pedrito, I have to pee.” (This beautiful little boy with huge brown eyes had started calling each of us by our names but always adding “brother” to them.) I knew exactly what to do anymore. I held his hand and walked him toward the back gates. I told him, “Gabriel, it won’t be easy at first but then you will get used to it. Just remember that there will be a very bad smell.” He looked at me and just nodded his head.

The same man who gave us food and blanket earlier this morning was at the back of the hangar this time. I saw his name badge, Matias. “Mr. Matias, Sir, this is Gabriel. He needs to pee.” The man’s reply was friendly: “I remember the two of you. Come on, little guy, I’ll show you where you must go.” Just like Alejandro had waited for me on my first walk to the boulder, now it was my turn to make Gabriel feel alright.

When Gabriel returned with Mr. Matias by his side, he thanked him 3 times. Maybe his Mama and Papa taught him to do that. I also thanked the guard. “Gabriel,” he said, “I will be at one of the tables in the front this evening, giving out food. Make sure to come to me if you go there alone. You need to eat what you get not to get sick. OK?” “Okay,” answered Gabriel, and thanked the guard 3 more times.

Having passed his peeing outside test, Gabriel looked very relaxed, almost happy. “Mr. Matias is very nice. He helped me get to a big rock outside. He then turned around. I peed all by myself.” We all applauded Gabriel, “Bravo! You now are a member of our group, The 6 Brothers Club.”

Gabriel giggled for at least a few minutes. His little face lit up. He was beaming with pride. “When I am with Mama and Papa again, I am going to tell them right away! They will be so proud of me.”

© hülya n. yılmaz, February 9, 2025

Pedrito’s Diary, Day 9

Thursday, January 30, 2025

All 5 of us were sitting in our corner and waiting to hear the megaphone in the afternoon as that man said. I heard someone crying by the wall corner right behind us. I got up and walked toward where the cry was coming from. A little boy had crouched down, with his back against the wall, and he was sobbing. I sat down on the floor right next to him and asked him: “Why are you crying?” He looked up at me and said nothing at first. His face was wet with tears, and his nose was running. I asked him again why he was crying. “I am hungry,” he said very quietly. “Didn’t you pick up your food?” I asked. “No. When I was at the table, all was gone. I was scared of the men. I didn’t ask.”

I jumped up and went to my spot. I picked up my banana and my slice of bread, then rushed to the little boy. “Here, eat these.” He thanked me and started to eat both right away. I waited until he was finished eating, then asked him: “What’s your name?” “Gabriel,” he said. “Oh, wow! I have a little sister whose name is Gabriela. Do you have any sisters or brothers?” “No,” he said, “only Mama and Papa.” He started to cry again, and murmured, “I miss them so much.” I, too, was very sad because I also missed Mama, Papa and Gabriela so very much. To distract him, I asked him how old he was. “Four.” “Gabriel, you know what? My sister is exactly your age!” I then asked him when he was brought here. “Yesterday.”

“Gabriel, where is your blanket?” By now, he had stopped crying. “I don’t have one.” He was obviously too scared to ask for one in the food line yesterday, his first day here. “Come with me,” I told him, held his hand and took him to one of the tables up front where we picked up our food and blanket yesterday evening. “Sir, this is Gabriel. He couldn’t pick up his blanket last night. Could you please give him one?” The man looked at us both and asked: “Is this your brother?” “No, Sir. He is here all by himself. Please, Sir!” The man left his chair and disappeared behind a door near the tables. After a short while, he reappeared with a blanket in his hand. “Here you go.” We both thanked him many times. Then turned around and got back to our corner.

I introduced him to my dear friends, the brothers. Each of them first greeted Gabriel enthusiastically, then told him their names and how old they were. I saw a faint smile on Gabriel’s face. He looked up at me, said “Thank you!” and hugged me with his little arms. I so needed a hug. I hugged him back and whispered to his ear, just like Alejandro did for me, “Everything is going to be alright.”

© hülya n. yılmaz, February 7, 2025

Pedrito’s Diary, Day 8

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

I don’t know when I fell asleep last night. I only know that I was very tired and cold. The last thing I remember is that I had stopped sobbing and got under the blanket. I didn’t need to use it to cover up my cries.

Today was my 8th day here. I wondered how long I was going to mark the days. Just then, Alejandro spoke to me: “Pedrito, we have to form our lines quickly.” All five of us had settled close to one another in one corner of the hangar. I learned their ages yesterday: Alejandro was 14, Diego, 13, Jose, 12, and Jesu, 10. I also learned that their sister, Lucette, and Jesu were twins. Once I knew this, I understood better why Jesu was quiet most of the time. He probably was missing his twin sister in a different way than his older brothers.

I wasn’t as scared as I was on my first day here. These kind brothers made me feel safe. Also, because we were doing everything together, my anxiety was not as overwhelming as before.

We formed our line, just like yesterday, and picked up our food. Once each of us had their banana and bread, we went back to our corner fast. I put my food aside. I thought, if I didn’t eat anything, I wouldn’t need to go to the boulder outside. I saw how Jesu put his food aside also.

There was an announcement on the megaphone after some time had passed: “This afternoon, food will be delivered to this building. When it’s here, each of you will come over where I stand now, and open the crates. You will NOT take anything! NOT ONE SINGLE THING! Any of you who attempts to pick out anything will be PUNISHED SEVERELY!”

Now, we all became very scared.

© hülya n. yılmaz, February 6, 2025