From one migrant to another

Javier was a thin, athletic looking 30 years old, with a faint mustache and long black hair. He was originally from Guanajuato. He told me perhaps the most heartwarming story that I have heard during my time interviewing. Javier and two companions had been walking for five days. There was blood under the skin of his feet. There were snakes, rattlers and scorpions all around them as they tried to sleep. They saw a highway in the distance and decided to walk along it. One of the companions said, “don’t be afraid of the police,” just walk normal. Soon, a guy in a truck pulled up alongside them and asked if they were hungry. They said “yeah,” and the man gave them 3 burritos, one for each person. The man was also from Mexico and asked if they had been walking in the desert. He then offered the group a ride. When they got to Phoenix he asked them what they needed. They said they were fine and that the ride was more than enough help, but he insisted and gave each of them $10. The man, named Lucio said that he first came here as a migrant and wanted to help them. I will admit I was surprised to hear this, expecting Javier to tell me about being kidnapped.

Javier said that some months later he was waiting in the parking lot of the Home Depot when a man in a truck pulled up looking for three people to help him move. Two people were already in the truck when he started staring at Javier. The man called out to Javier, “do I know you?”



A gunshot rang out nearby, something big. Javier stopped and asked, “What was that?” I shrugged, not wanting a distraction from the story.



Javier told me that he also did not recognize the man at first, but Lucio said, “I gave you up and your friends a ride in the desert.” Lucio made the other workers get out of the truck and they went to pick up Javier's friend that had also been in the desert. They brought some sodas and food along. Javier told me that they had a great time moving furniture, talking and joking around. They worked for five hours and when they were done Lucio pulled out a hundred dollar bill to pay them. Javier and his friend did not want to accept his money and tried to leave, but Lucio followed them out in his truck and blocked their path. He said that they had to accept the money or he would be offended. Lucio gave them both a big hug and finally they accepted the money but made plans to come back the following afternoon to hang out.



Javier and his friend decided that they should use all that money to buy steaks, food and beer for a carne asada. They spent the whole day drinking and eating. Javier said that by the end of the night all three of them started to cry about how much they meant to each other. From then on Javier and Lucio have been great friends. Javier comes to play with Lucio's kids on a regular basis. One of Lucio’s kids was burned severely when she was young so she has medical problems. Javier said that he likes to bring her ice-cream when she is feeling bad. He told me that he has not gotten the chance to call Lucio and his wife Mirele since he got deported. Javier told me that they are the closest thing to a family that he has since his mother died two years ago.



It is amazing to see what people will do for one another despite the pressure not to get involved. It was a big risk for Lucio to help them but he did it anyway out of the kindness of his heart and made a great friendship out of it. I have a tendency to get cynical and depressed about human nature after listening to so much suffering, but a story like this goes to show you how important it is to keep doing this work and realize that you will never understand or be able to predict everything.