Risky Business

Poyo shared his secret with me. I was actually surprised that Poyo opened up to me since we barely knew each other. In the moment, I felt like a priest listening to an anguished sinner's plea for forgiveness. I didn't judge his trespasses, nor did I suggest that he recite the Lord's prayer or ten Hail Marys for forgiveness. I felt bad for him. It seemed to me that he wanted a different life, but he wasn't blessed with what most people take for granted.

Poyo has been mired in developmental courses at the college. He started his educational journey here in the lowest levels of English and Math because his placement test scores were abysmally low. In general, many cases exist here where students have placed into remedial classes simply because they pulled an "abacadaba" on the test so they could make it go away, or they simply don't take computerized tests well. Poyo, on the other hand, really has low skills in math and english despite having graduated from high school--albeit an alternative school that the local school district developed to graduate the most troubled teens in the city.

During his first semester, he withdrew from his Intermediate Writing class and recorded an F in Basic Reading. This didn't come to me as a surprise since all of his text messages tended to be incoherent. The following term, as a result of attending many tutoring sessions, Poyo pulled off a C in Basic Reading and a D in Writing. He was thrilled when I told him he passed both classes. It seemed like a gorilla was taken off of his shoulders.

Me: Good job, man. You did it!
Poyo: I know. You don't understand how hard I tried. The D isn't good, you know, but least I don't have to take that class again.
Me: Exactly! You have to do some reading outside of class to improve your comprehension and writing. That doesn't happen on its own. Do you read at all?
Poyo: Yeh. I read the newspaper, but I zone out a lot when I read. Got a lot on my mind.
Me: Like what?
Poyo: Just life, man. Always somethin'. I'm tryin to get a job and stuff, but it's hard to find one, you know?
Me: Where are you looking?
Poyo: Well, I'm posed to be workin at a factory. Me and my boy is going down for interviews and stuff. It pays real good. I hope I get it.
Me: What do you do in the meantime for money? How are you getting by?
Poyo: I'm only tellin' you this because you seem cool. I'm not proud of it or nothin. I make some moves here and there.
Me: Moves like what?
Poyo: I sell trees. Been doin it for awhile, and I'm tryin to stop. I really am. Nobody's tryin to hire me though.