During the following ten years, I regularly visited Mexico City. I got to know different gangs of street children. They received me with curiosity. In the beginning some were suspicious, but they came to accept me. Others became my friends, like El Gordo and El Muletas, who always helped each other. El Muletas couldn't walk without his crutches and because they were often stolen, El Gordo would carry El Muletas for days until they got hold of a new pair. Manuel was the leader of a gang; he made everyone do what he wanted. They murdered a man for almost nothing. Manuel was intelligent and knew how to manipulate the other children. He was a father-figure.
After Cuyo accidentally broke a bottle of thinner, Gallina accused him of doing it on purpose and picked a fight.