We Were Here

Three days pass after Miguel discovers the theft of the petty cash envelope. He provides food by using the leftover money in his pocket and the change that Rondell gave him from the funds given to him for the diner. The pair are largely silent and they continue walking north on the beach. Rondell waits for the entire second day prior to asking about when they might eat something, and Miguel steals some supplies from a local supermarket. Rondell thinks that they will board a passing bus, but Miguel tells him that they “gotta walk it this time, Rondo” (288). Rondell accepts this unquestioningly, leading Miguel to wonder why the other boy trusts him so much. Miguel isn’t suffering from hunger; in fact, his stomach feels sick when he attempts to eat. They sleep on the beach, and Miguel can’t imagine how he will tell Rondell that he has “let the guy down” (289) by having their money stolen.

They walk all the way to a town called Cardiff-by-the-Sea before “Rondell ask[s] about food” (290). Miguel gives him all the remaining bread and oranges in his backpack, but Rondell is still hungry. Miguel contemplates their situation, noticing that their jeans are muddy and their shoes are ripped; he comes to the realization that they look homeless, and, in fact, they are. He is conflicted between his desire to care for Rondell, and the fact that he was unable to eat the food that was stolen because of guilt. He approaches a taco truck with their remaining change and asks for “as much food as this buys me, man” (291). Miguel returns with a bag filled with various items and gives almost everything to Rondell. Rondell is curious about why Miguel isn’t eating.

That evening, while camping at the beach, Miguel tells Rondell that the petty cash is gone, stating “I messed up […] Let somebody take it” (293). Rondell asks if that’s why Miguel hasn’t been hungry. When Miguel apologizes, Rondell emphatically insists that “It ain’t nobody’s fault” (293), and expresses his belief that Miguel and God will figure out a way for them to survive. Unable to feel the same innocent sense of faith, Miguel feels so guilty that he tries not to cry. He is sure that things will be worse by the next morning.

Miguel neglects his journal for eleven days but attributes this to the fact that he and Rondell have been “truly hungry” (295). He reflects that while his family was poor when he grew up in Stockton, there was always food in the house. He describes physical symptoms associated with hunger: lightheadedness, stomach pains, and dizziness. Nonetheless, Rondell never complains, nor does he blame Miguel for losing their money. He is able to survive on leftover food that he finds in dumpsters, but Miguel is nauseated and cannot do this. Both boys are tired and weak, so they have not made progress walking north. 

Miguel notes that the conversation between himself and Rondell takes interesting turns as their hunger increases. One night, they spend hours debating whether Wile E. Coyote or The Road Runner was deserving of being voted the best Looney Tunes character. Rondell defends the Coyote, while Miguel ultimately favors Speedy Gonzalez. Miguel writes that “sometimes when you’re that hungry you just get on these stupid topics and talk about ‘em for days and days” (298).

Sometimes, the boys will just lay on the sand. Despite his physical hunger, Miguel has developed an intense interest in pretty girls, and spends time watching them on the beach. He fantasizes about a romance on the beach with one of them. 

Miguel’s hunger depletes his energy to the point where he is unable to read his next book: The Stranger, by Albert Camus. He is unable to focus enough to write in his journal, either. He says that his “mind isn’t working right” (300). He has tried to write about Diego’s physical resemblance to their father and a dream about his mother having a new boyfriend, but is unable to focus enough to complete his thoughts. He has developed a new plan for himself and Rondell, revolving around a boy who will allow them to make free copies at Kinkos, and Miguel’s idea of an imaginary basketball team.

Miguel creates a handout requesting help for the (imaginary) basketball team that he invented, and copies it at Kinkos. Armed with these brochures and clip boards, the two boys split up in shopping malls and parking lots and solicit funds from passersby. A few hours later, they have collected enough money to pay for a meal at McDonalds. While he feels somewhat guilty about the fraud involved, Miguel rationalizes that he gives people the opportunity to feel good about themselves for having donated money to “scrubby-looking minority kids with their basketball team” (302). Additionally, Miguel is very gratified by watching the joy with which Rondell eats.

The boys continue to make money with their scheme and are now strong enough to continue their northbound journey on the coast. Miguel realizes that Rondell collects twice as much money as he does, and he watches him interacting with an older lady one day to learn his technique. Essentially, he realizes that Rondell is merely being himself: guileless, essentially innocent , and “smiling all big and goofy” (304).

The boys are collecting enough money to eat, but not to pay back the funds owed the Lighthouse for the petty cash that Miguel stole. When an elderly Mexican man who “didn’t look like he had much” (305) gives Miguel a dollar bill, Miguel actually bows in gratitude. The man reminds him of Miguel’s grandfather. 

Miguel tells Rondell that they’re going to take a bus up to Fresno in a few days, and Rondell accepts this decision unquestioningly. Miguel is touched by the other boy’s faith and ability to live in the moment. He notes that “on the other hand, I get stuck on the past. Especially on my life in Stockton” (306). Miguel recalls that Mong had observed Miguel’s tendency towards self-punishment and rumination; conversely, he feels that somebody has to plan for the future of himself and Rondell.

Miguel tells Rondell that if a scientist could combine their two tendencies toward unquestioning faith and cynical planning, they would have a perfect balance. While Miguel tends to chide Rondell’s unquestioning belief in God, Rondell retorts with an unexpected response regarding his decision to return to the US from Mexico. He tells Miguel he has given up his dream of fishing in Mexico in order to reunite with him because “I had to make sure you was okay, Mexico. […] Wasn’t God who told me I had to do it neither […] It was me. Rondell” (308).

Upon their return to Santa Monica Beach, Miguel makes a collect call to Jaden. He explains that a girl he met had stolen the money that they had hoped to repay the Lighthouse, and Jaden responds that Les has told him that the boys could earn money by doing odd jobs at the group home upon their return. Miguel asks questions about daily events at the group home, and is intrigued by his own curiosity about the place. Nonetheless, Miguel is reluctant to return without the money. He fears that he and Rondell will be arrested for theft and sentenced to jail rather than a group residence. 

As the pair continue their walk up the beach, they realize that they are standing in front of the blue beach house where Mong spent vacations with his father as a child. They find a large rock upon which Mong had written “MONG WAS HERE” (313). Miguel kneels in front of the rock and remembers the dead boy; Rondell weeps silently. When Miguel announces that he is going for a swim in the ocean, Rondell becomes agitated and tackles him, explaining “I’s supposed to make sure you okay” (315). Assured that Miguel is not making a suicide attempt, Rondell releases his friend to swim.

Miguel is exhilarated by the swim, noting that “I never felt so awake […] [o]r alive” (316). Rondell walks into the ocean, as well. Miguel reflects about how lucky he is to swim around in “Mong’s ocean” (317). Miguel feels that this was the best day he has experienced in months, despite all the remaining obstacles that exist. Miguel gets a lump in his throat after he and Rondell write their names on the rock below Mong’s name.