Practice paper 7

Grecia Roldan

Charly, the Guy from the Slums

The slums of Buenos Aires city, a place most people avoided to look at or made
as if they didn’t exist. An image many considered an eyesore but a painful one.
The slum was full of dilapidated houses piled up one over the other or even,
houses made of metal sheet and nylon situated in the waste ground. Some houses
did not even have electricity, natural gas or sewage system. The flies over the
rotten rubbish thrown as well as sewage going through the streets of the
neighbourhood gave off stink odour and produced diseases which were easily
spread in the community. Hospitals ended up crowded especially with old people
and children who got sick of swamp fever or asthma. In winter, the freezing cold
beat people harshly without pity as well as heatwaves in summer, having no
respite for a second from this harsh living conditions. There were people wandering
with watery eyes and sorrowful faces begging for money or food and children bare
feet scampering around the neighbourhood but with a smile on their faces as if
they did not notice what was going on around them. Rarely, the families had dinner
if possible, in the light of a candle in the cramped and dimly lit room. Nights
seemed endless as Police always visited some people’s houses or guys drinking in
the corner listening to music or even, consuming drugs. What about education?
Although most of the children did not attend school, there was one guy who was
always interested in books. His name was Charly and he grew up in the slums of
Buenos Aires with his mother and his father. Since he was a child, he was a
passionate for reading whatever he had at hand. His ambition for knowledge and
the hope that motivated him for a better tomorrow were greater than difficulties and
the mocks he might ever receive.

Despite the harsh surrounding, he did not miss any class. He went to school
every day by foot or sometimes by bus when possible if he had money to pay the
ticket. He carried a few school objects in a sack. He wore faded t-shirts her
mother’s boss used to give them, Boca Club cap, a pair of old trainers he had
found in the rubbish dump when he used to go with his father to collect plastic or
cardboard. They later sold these materials for a few pennies to buy some bread.
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Grecia Roldan

His father, during the day, worked hard as a brick layer but at nights he also
sold these recycled materials. His mother also worked to supply her family’s needs.
She worked as a housecleaner in resident neighbourhoods. Her hands were rather
tough full of callus and chapped from scrubbing wealthy people’s floors who
normally mistreated her. Once, her boss told her that she had no rights to demand
a rise because she was a simple servant who had to clean her filth.

Although both worked day and night, money was never enough because
both were paid very low salaries compared to the number of hours they worked.
From time to time, his mother came back home almost shuffling and tired cause
her days were very long mopping the floor, cooking lunch, cleaning mirrors, taking
care of boss’ children. Sometimes, Charly could see her exhaustion in her watery
eyes while she told him: - “Charly, today my boss did not pay me so I don’t have
money to buy your materials for school. It’s better you don’t go tomorrow”.

“Mom, it’s all right but are you ok?” but she only sighed and went to sleep. So,
Charly said: “mom, I can quit school if you want me to work full time so that you do
not get so tired and we can have a bit more money”

“No! don't even think of that ok? Tomorrow you won’t go. But the next days you
will! Don’t worry. You have to study. It is the only source it will improve your life
then. I will find a solution or I will ask another boss for an advance”

However, his father did not think the same as his mother: - “you better help
us at least washing cars in the downtown, selling disposable tissues or flowers, or
ask for hand-out though some people won’t give you a cent. I don’t know. You are
12 years old. I think it’s time you work and leave school because school has
nothing for you. It’s a lie ‘cause only the people who can afford it can go. That is
not for you. You have to accept it. This is the life we got. No way”. Charly’s father
turned older and even, he wasted his low wages buying alcohol every night instead
of buying food. When he got drunk, he usually lost his temper and started to insult
and beat his wife blaming her and his son for his life in misery.
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Grecia Roldan

So, Charly’s mind started to be bombed by thoughts and feelings of anguish

and desperation. As he grew up, he felt the need to help his parents, especially his
mother. He thought “But How? Doing the same? is it there any other alternative? Is
there something better I can do to get my parents out from here? This is unfair, we
don’t deserve this kind of life. This is not life at all. One day we have a portion to
eat but who knows if we have the next day?” He seriously thought about the
possibility of working. By the age of 13, he decided to work washing cars or
juggling half day in the street corners where there were traffic lights. Although
sometimes there were endless tails of cars, people did not pay him much or even,
many did not collaborate.

Charly also had some friends whom he grew up in the slum but as they were
teens, they started to do shady business like selling and consuming drugs. They
told Charly they did not find job anywhere because of their way of dressing as a
“villero” and wearing tattoos and the fact that they lived in the slums did not help
them. They said they “worked” at nights stealing shops and selling cocaine to earn
money so as to survive. But Charly did not think that was the solution to misery
damaging health and making illegal business. He thought there must be something
else to be done as his mother always said.

By 17 years old, he was about to finish secondary school even though it was
not easy. An accountancy teacher asked each student what would they do after
school. Most of them told they would work but Charly chose to work and study as
well. “What are you going to study?” the teacher asked Charly.

“Medicine and I will work half day”. In complete amazement, the teacher’s
eyebrows lifted and he asked: - “what? You? How? Do you think this is easy?
you’re kidding!” But Charly bowed his head and remained silent. His father also
continued to tell him that he would never achieve his dream of becoming a doctor
to help people from the slums.

After many years going to school by foot and getting up very early 6am to
arrive at school on time, Charly finished secondary school and decided to follow
her mother’s advice. He remembered her saying “My Dear, never give up on your
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Grecia Roldan

dreams, never stop studying. I’m sure you will get it someday”. With that in mind,
Charly enrolled in Medicine faculty of Buenos Aires university. He spent hours and
hours reading and studying as well as working, juggling in the streets or washing
cars to afford his studies since his father did not support him. After one of the
lessons, a classmate invited him to the buffet but Charly said “I don’t have money,
it’s better you go alone”, his classmate said “never mind, I’ll pay for you”. While
eating a sandwich, his classmate said “hey Charly, do you think you will be able to
achieve your dream? Charly answered: - “err, yeah, why?”. His classmate said
“because you do not have money to pay copies not even for a candy. And also,
you don’t have enough time to study” but Charly told him “money is always a
problem for me but I don’t think it’s impossible. You saw it. I got an A in my first
exam”. his classmate said “yeah, and I got a C, isn’t it unfair?” Charly: “why”
“cause you’re a poor guy and I’m not! My father payed a lot of money to a private
teacher to prepare me to study this long course and look! You must have failed”

It was 11 o’clock in a cold and dark night when Charly left university after a
long day. He walked slowly under the drizzle along the streets. His tears slided
down his cheeks though he remained silent. In an attack of fury, he throwed his
sack away and he sat on the kerb with his arms folded and his head on them. He
wept without solace. “I´m a stupid poor guy. It’s true. Me? How could I get a
degree? That’s not for me. Papa and the accountancy teacher were right”. He
arrived at home strightly to bed, his swollen eyes reflected the sorrow in his heart.

The next day, his mother woke him up a usual very early but he did not get
up. She said “Why don’t you get up dear? What’s going on?” he answered “I will
never get a degree. People are right, I never will.” His mother hugged him strongly
and cried with him. “Don’t say that. You’re brave, strong and intelligent. Don’t pay
attention to people’s comments. They do not know you. Come on get up! And go”

While walking to work, inside, he thought “this is not the life I want for me
and my family, this is not home at all. One day, I will achieve my degree and many
people will have noticed they were wrong. One day, I will be a doctor to help my
people. One day, I’ll get my family out of this misery and give them a better life.
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Grecia Roldan

Nobody will stop the guy from the slums”. Charly continued studying and working
even harder convinced he could make his dream come true: The life he once
imagined outside the slums but always coming back to help people in need. He did
not want to be rich but to worthily live. He studied and studied despite people’s
prejudices and social conditions.