Chaves [High Speed]

"It'll still be here tomorrow," Don Ramón grumbled. "Tonight, you sleep on my floor. And that mangy dog too. But just this once! Don't get used to it."

"Hey, Chaves!" Quico would shout from his balcony, holding up a shiny red apple. "You want this? Say 'Uncle Quico is the smartest and handsomest boy in the world.'" chaves

Then there was Chiquinha, the girl from apartment 8. She was smarter than all of them, with pigtails and a disarming smile that made Chaves’s ears turn red. He would never admit it, but his favorite game was "accidentally" kicking his ball onto her doorstep just so she would come out. She never scolded him. She would just pick up the ball, dust it off, and toss it back. "You're silly, Chaves," she'd say, and to him, it was the sweetest sound in the world. "It'll still be here tomorrow," Don Ramón grumbled

Suddenly, a pounding came on the side of the barrel. "Chaves! Open up!" It was Don Ramón's voice, hoarse with worry. Then Quico’s. Then Chiquinha’s. But just this once

He smiled his half-smile, closed his eyes, and for the first time in a long time, he wasn't hungry. He was home.

He wasn't just the boy who lived in the barrel.