Nervous. A mama's boy, he didn't know if he could handle a month away from home.
Food was not in abundance. It was before cell phones, so we had to use a satellite phone. Kids only had one phone home a week, for 5 minutes.
Under the Cuban moonlight, with no lights around us, Edgar and I had a "heart-to-heart" talk.
He was homesick. He wanted to see his mom. His brother. He wanted to go home.
I told him that I would put him on a plane first thing in the morning. Although there was no way I was going to be able to do that, as there were very limited flights from Cuba to LA at the time (about once a week).
I told him that he could do it. That I believed in him. That I would show up for him. That I would be his "big brother" while he was away from his real big brother, who he LOVED.
He opened up.
He laughed,
he danced,
he played.
He was a kid in a foreign land. But he knew he had family by his side that would never give up on him.
I loved that kid.
All kids are special.
But Edgar was especially special.
My heart aches for his big brother, his angelic mother and all his friends and family.
He will be forever missed.
I am reminded to continue to...
Believe in young people.
Invest in young people.
Mentor young people.
Teach young people.
Learn from young people.
Listen to young people.
Support young people.
Inspire young people.
Follow young people.
RIP Barboza