The park people

“I have never seen one as big as that”, I thought to myself as Barry started rolling another joint for himself. The deafening noise was a sweet music to Barry’s ears. To me it was just another expensive car flashing by, showing off. Barry understood the language of the engines, the valves, the transmission. His eyes and his head were glued to the powerful red vehicle that kept on sliding under the stormy sky. The orange sand was swirling around us while the wind was picking up, and the palm trees were shaking their branches making the sound that I am sure some medical expert somewhere in the world would describe as therapeutic, but I'm sure Barry would disagree. Lazy afternoon in the park for me, another very long day for Barry. Being a homeless in Moraira was such an irony. Being homeless in the land of empty and beautiful properties, those white and beige walls, pristine swimming pools, dirty swimming pools, beautiful plants and trees giving shade to nobody. It was a poetic justice when Barry moved into one of them, starting his squatting years.

We go to the park and we smoke and drink. We go to the bar and watch Only fools and horses on the mobile. The park is in Moraira, and Moraira is in Spain. As strange as it may seem Barry belongs here, he is one of the landmarks for many of us.

“If I had a lot of money, I would build a community centre for the kids. I look around the park, groups of youngsters sitting around, it’s gonna be so hard for them. The society makes no effort, while the parents let the society and the street educate their young ones. The street and the park give lessons every day, all day. You can not be late and there is no homework. Everyone can teach but few will learn. The society doesn't try, there is so much potential, these kids are so sharp, razor sharp. There are potential scientists here, potential researchers, potential artists that will change the world, people who will get out of the park and help make this world a better place. Or just people who will get other kids out of the park. To start the migration. Maybe the most important migration in the history of the human kind.