Look, mom, he’s just like me, he says. When she turns around and sees the two of them together, she falls to her knees in tears. I knew it, she whispers. What she reveals will leave you speechless. But how is that possible? You’re just like me, Manuel exclaims, his voice shaking with amazement, as he stares at the boy in front of him. The little millionaire blinks several times, trying to believe what he was seeing.
There, just a few steps away, stood a boy who looked exactly like him. They had the same deep blue eyes, the same delicate features, the same golden tint of hair. For a moment, Manuel thought he was standing in front of a mirror.
But it was real. In front of him stood a boy, just like him. The boy standing opposite him also looked at him paralyzed, as if he had seen a ghost.
The resemblance was absurd, frightening, inexplicable. However, despite the fact that their features were identical, something set them apart. Manuel looked closely at the boy and noticed his dirty and torn clothes, his disheveled hair, and his skin, burnt by the sun, torn by street life.
And the smell was different. While the little millionaire exuded the scent of expensive perfume, the boy in front of him smelled strongly of abandonment and daily struggle. For a few minutes, they simply looked at each other, as if time had stopped.
Then Manuel carefully took a step forward. The street boy instinctively stepped back, but was stopped by the millionaire’s soft voice. Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you, Manuel said, trying to inspire confidence.
The homeless boy was silent for a while. His eyes expressed distrust. Manuel asked with curiosity and kindness, What is your name? There was no answer for a few seconds until finally the boy said in a hoarse, quiet voice, Pablo, my name is Pablo.
A dazzling smile lit up Manuel’s face. He extended his hand, a gesture that conveyed rare sincerity. I’m Manuel.
Very pleased to meet you, Pablo, he said with excitement. Pablo looked at the boy’s outstretched hand with doubt. No one usually greeted him.
A smile or a friendly gesture was rare for him. The other children tried to avoid him, calling him dirty and smelly. But Manuel didn’t seem to care what clothes he wore or how he smelled.
After a moment of confusion, Pablo extended his hand, accepting Manuel’s greeting. Feeling the handshake, Manuel felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if this boy was part of his life in some inexplicable way. Where do you live? Manuel asked, eager to know more.
Pablo opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a woman’s voice, commanding and concerned, rang out from the street. Manuel, where are you? It was Adriana, the boy’s mother. The little millionaire smiled excitedly.
Come on, Pablo, my mother must see you. She’ll be surprised when she sees how much alike we are, he said, turning to call Pablo. But when he heard footsteps approaching, the homeless boy panicked.
Without thinking, he turned around and ran down the street. Wait, don’t go, Manuel shouted and took a few steps. But it was too late.
Pablo had disappeared into the alleys. The next moment, Adriana approached. Her face was filled with worry.
She found her son on the sidewalk. He was looking in the direction Pablo had disappeared. Oh my God, Manuel, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, she said, barely catching her breath.
Manuel turned around. His heart was still beating fast. I just went out for some air, Mom, he replied, trying to explain.
You know I don’t like it when you go out alone, Adriana said, adjusting her son’s clothes. I didn’t go out alone. I was just sitting here on the sidewalk, her son assured her.
Adriana took a deep breath and gave in. OK, but let’s go inside. It’s time to cut the cake and sing happy birthday.
Your father’s waiting for you. Manuel winced. Do I really have to go? He asked with displeasure.
Of course, honey, it’s your father’s birthday, Adriana replied, trying to smile. The truth was that Manuel, despite his young age, no longer had warm feelings for his father. There was an invisible wall between them, built on mistrust and disappointment.
Still not wanting to upset his mother, the boy followed her back to the party hall. But before entering, he stole a glance outside, looking for any sign of Pablo. As they walked, Adriana commented.
There was someone else there. I thought I heard you talking to someone before I found you. Manuel opened his mouth to tell them about this unusual encounter, but he was interrupted.
Hey, where have you been? Everyone’s waiting for you, said Alfonso, Manuel’s father, appearing before them with a furrowed brow. The boy simply hung his head, swallowing the urge to tell them what had happened. And so the party continued, forced smiles, automatic applause, flashes of cameras.
Manuel participated in everything mechanically, but his thoughts were far away, returning to that magical moment when he met Pablo, that boy so similar and at the same time so different from him. Later back at the mansion, Manuel walked along the luxurious corridors to his room. The setting was every kid’s dream, portable video games, toys scattered everywhere.
He fell onto the soft bed, hugging the pillow and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. The image of Pablo wouldn’t leave his mind. How could there be someone like him? Where did he live? Why were his clothes dirty and torn? What had happened to him that he ended up in such a state? Meanwhile, miles away, Pablo was curled up on pieces of cardboard on the cold sidewalk of an alley.
His eyes were looking up at the starry sky, but his thoughts were spinning around that strange encounter. How could there be another like him? A boy who had everything and yet had nothing? And without even knowing it, both boys shared the same thought from that day on. Would they ever see each other again? Night had fallen, covering every street, every house, and every soul with a dark, silent, and cold blanket.