“Teopisca Boys,” 1st Runner-Up, National Geographic Traveler Travel Writing Contest

I don't enter a lot of writing contests, mostly because many charge a fee to enter and since I am truly a down-on-my-luck writer, I can't afford to. But I entered this one, both because there was no fee and it was sponsored by a legitimate organization - National Geographic Traveler magazine. I was pleased to be named First Runner-Up, even though it comes with no financial award.

You can find my essay on the contest Web site at:

http://www.travelwritercontest.com/essays2.html

I have also posted it here, along with the photo I took of Rico.

“Teopisca Boys”

First Runner-Up: Christine Steele
Goucher College

A boy with a leather messenger bag slung over his shoulders rode into town on a too-big, black bicycle. He eyed me as he climbed off and leaned it up against an iron fence. I was standing in the zócalo of a village in southern Mexico. Rico strode over full of eleven-year-old curiosity and asked where I was from.

An outline of Che is spray painted on the leg of his jeans. I ask about him. Revolucioniario, he says. Héroe. Do I know him? Yes, I nod.

Rico politely tries to sell me a bag of tortillas and when I decline, seems just as content to ask me questions. How many brothers and sisters do I have? Do I have a husband? Niños? My Spanish is enough to carry me, so we chat as his friends look on. Before I know it I am surrounded by a circle of boys. Each has a bag of something to sell. Rico has tortillas, a dozen to bag, made fresh that morning by his mother. The others have cookies, candies, sweets, all homemade. I start asking their names, how old they are, why they are not in school, where is their mama and papa, where am I, what is the name of this village? Rico takes my notebook and pen and writes in neat letters: Ciudad Teopisca chiapas. Ricardo, 11, Jovani, 12, Daniel, 11, and Jorge, 6, tell me they go to school from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. Mornings they sell food in the square to help their familias. Rico let me take his picture standing stoic but proud, holding his bag of tortillas. A solemn, dark-eyed boy, who has had to work too hard and grow up too fast. The same for all the Teopisca boys. I wonder what Che would say.