Ahí está Germán, en la esquina, ofreciendo sus servicios de limpiador de zapatos: _Déjeme y le limpio los zapatos, señor. Don, ¿le limpio los zapatos? -dice insistentemente ante la indiferencia de las personas. Lleva parado ahí todo el día y aun no ha tenido ni un cliente. La gente pasa y lo mira, si acaso con desdén o miedo. Y es que Germán estuvo en un retén para adolescentes por haber robado comida en un supermercado.

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En esa época Germán pasaba los días con sus compinches, unos muchachos del barrio que habían dejado la escuela. No había comida en su casa, tampoco dinero. Su madre y hermanitos permanecían mareados del hambre, con la piel pegada a los huesos. Por eso cuando los amigos le dijeron para entrar al supermercado y agarrar comida, se armó de valor y lo hizo. Después vino la policía, el castigo y el arrepentimiento. Su madre lloraba cada vez que iba a verlo y Germán le prometió que no volvería hacerlo.

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Después de salir del retén y quiso volver a la escuela, no lo aceptaron. Aunque no era un mal estudiante y le faltaba poco para culminar el ciclo básico, los del colegio no vieron prudente que los demás estudiantes lo tuvieran como compañero. Germán le dijo a su mamá que no importaba, aunque se estaba muriendo de rabia por dentro:
_Mejor, mamá, así busco trabajo para ayudarte -le había dicho Germán con un entusiasmo que no llegaba a ser real.

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Pero en cada lugar que buscó trabajo, también fue rechazado, especialmente después que se enteraban de lo que había hecho. Pero Germán ve a sus hermanitos y a su madre, flacos, hambrientos, y sale a ver qué hace. Por eso está allí, bajo el sol inclemente, sintiendo como le gruñe el estómago:
_¡Limpio zapatos, limpio zapatos! -grita Germán casi pidiendo auxilio, mientras la gente pasa por su lado indiferente. Entonces Germán piensa en sus compinches, esos que le han dicho para volver a encontrase porque tienen para él un trabajito.

_Piqsels

A circle difficult to break

There is Germán, on the corner, offering his services as a shoe shiner:
_Let me and I'll clean your shoes, sir. Don, shall I clean your shoes? -he says insistently to the indifference of the people. He's been standing there all day and still hasn't had a single customer. People pass by and look at him, with disdain or fear, if anything. Germán was in a checkpoint for teenagers for having stolen food from a supermarket.

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At that time Germán spent his days with his buddies, some boys from the neighborhood who had dropped out of school. There was no food in his house, no money either. His mother and siblings remained dizzy from hunger, their skin sticking to their bones. So when his friends told him to go to the supermarket and get stealing food, he plucked up the courage and did it. Then came the police, punishment and repentance. His mother cried every time she went to see him and Germán promised her he would never do it again.

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After he got out of the checkpoint and wanted to return to school, he was not accepted. Although he was not a bad student and he was not far from completing the basic cycle, the school did not see it prudent for the other students to have him as a classmate. Germán told his mother that it didn't matter, even though he was dying of rage inside:
_Better, mom, so I look for a job to help you," Germán had told her with an enthusiasm that was not quite real.

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But in every place he looked for work, he was also rejected, especially after they found out what he had done. But Germán sees his little brothers and his mother, skinny, hungry, and he goes out to see what he's doing. So he stands there in the hot sun, feeling his stomach growl:
_I clean shoes, I clean shoes! -Germán shouts almost begging for help, while people pass by him indifferently. Then Germán thinks of his buddies, those who have told him to meet again because they have a little job for him.

HASTA UNA PRÓXIMA HISTORIA, AMIGOS