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RICARDO

the excuse they were looking for – so I shook hands with him. Nothing happened.

‘What is your name?’ he asked.

‘Thomas,’ I told him again.

‘Thomas, my name is Ricardo,’ he shook my hand a second time and smiled like we were meeting at a party. I was more than a bit confused by this man's strange behaviour.

‘Pleased to meet you, Ricardo,’ I said respectfully. I didn't know whether I should also shake hands with his friends. They were both still staring at me, although not with the same hostility as before. I decided not to take the chance.

‘You see. We hate gringos here. My friends thought you were from the States. If you had been American, they might have killed you, you know? We hate the United States. Where are you from in England? London?’

I named the northern town where I'd grown up.

‘Oh, that's near to London, is it?’ he asked.

‘Yeah. Quite close to London.’ London is usually the only English city anyone in South America has ever heard of, so I always said I lived nearby in order to avoid explanations that only make things more complicated.

Ricardo then started becoming quite friendly. I stayed alert, but I sensed that any danger had passed and tried to keep the conversation going. Maybe he could tell me where I could get some more food.

‘You speak very good English,’ I complimented him. ‘Where did you learn to speak so well?’

‘In New York. I'm from New York.’

‘In America? But then you are American? Why don't they kill you then?’ I blurted out, without thinking. Ricardo's face suddenly became serious and I immediately regretted saying anything.

‘No. I am Bolivian. I am not American,’ he responded angrily. ‘I have a Bolivian passport. I also have an American passport, so sometimes I am American, but nobody knows that, so you don't say anything. OK?’

‘OK. Sorry! I'm very sorry,’ I apologised, but he was still very agitated and I readied myself in case he was going to hit me.

‘That's OK, inglés.’ Just as quickly, his angry expression was replaced by a friendly smile. ‘No hay problema, my friend. So, how do you like your new home?’