Children of the City by Amadis Ma.

 Guerrero
Summary

Victor is an eight-year-old boy with a loving father and a strict mother. His father was
involved in a company menace because of unjust salaries and compensations. He was later
involved in a strike that later led him to his death. He was shot by a police officer when a
commotion happened during the strike. Victor’s mom grieved greatly and so did Victor. His
mom became inattentive to Victor and started dating another man that was the complete
opposite of his father. Victor’s mom left him to his uncle.
Victor’s life turned upside down since his father’s death. His uncle, Tio Pedring, gave
him a job of being a newspaper boy. He met Nacio, another newspaper boy. Despite their
differences, they instantly became friends. Victor was doing well in his job and was
somewhat already contented with his life.
Until one day, Nacio died. He was hit by a car during work. Victor yet again faced the
pain of losing a loved one. Nacio’s death made Victor distant.
Unlike the other newspaper boys, Victor didn’t have any vices. He didn’t smoke and
he doesn’t say curse words. This difference made the others irritated so they decided to
beat him up. He got tired of being pushed around and he decided to fight back. He left the
place and told himself he’ll never go back there again but as he was roaming the streets at
night, he saw a policeman beating a homeless man with his stick. He decided to go back
the next day and to his confusion, they treated him as if nothing happened the other night.
He was offered another cigarette and this time he accepted it as a sign of his acceptance to
be controlled by the system.
Victor, his last defenses down, leaned forward and wearily accepted the cigarette,
while around them swirled the life of the city: this city, flushed with triumphant charity
campaigns, where workers were made to sign statements certifying they received the
minimum wage, where millionaire politicians received Holy Communion every Sunday,
where mothers taught their sons and daughters the art of begging, where orphans and
children from broken homes slept on pavements and under darkened bridges, and where
best friends fell out and betrayed one another.