Alfonso Lacayo & Christian Garland: HighSchoolSLAM Favorites

Summary

Episode Summary: Alfonso Lacayo & Christian Garland: HighSchoolSLAM Favorites

Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Moth, host Dan Kennedy introduces two heartfelt and personal stories from high school students Alfonso Lacayo and Christian Garland. Both narratives delve deep into themes of trust, forgiveness, and personal growth, offering listeners authentic and relatable experiences that resonate on an emotional level.

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Alfonso Lacayo: The Unfortunate Haircut

Timestamp: 03:08 - 08:06

Alfonso Lacayo begins his story in fourth grade, eagerly preparing for the upcoming school year with new supplies, clothes, and trendy Jordan sneakers. However, amidst his excitement, Alfonso neglects a crucial aspect of his appearance—his hair. Recognizing his unruly hair, his friends, sister, and even his corny mom urge him to get a haircut before school starts.

Seeking a solution, Alfonso turns to his older cousin, who offers to cut his hair for free. Naively trusting his cousin's goodwill, Alfonso agrees, unaware of the impending chaos. The haircut takes place in a dimly lit garage with an old, rusty lamp providing the only light—setting the stage for a botched haircut.

Notable Quotes:

• “I didn’t really know better, like, nobody was there to say, stop. This guy is not a licensed barber.”
  (Timestamp: 04:00)

• “I couldn’t believe what I saw, guys. My hairline was back here, and this was all shining. Like, I had, like, this windshield thing going on.”
  (Timestamp: 06:30)

The aftermath of the haircut is both comical and embarrassing. Upon seeing his reflection, Alfonso's hairline is uneven and overly shiny, resembling a "windshield." This disastrous haircut leads to weeks of teasing and laughter from peers, deeply impacting Alfonso's self-esteem.

Key Takeaways:

• Trust and Its Consequences: Alfonso's misplaced trust in his cousin highlights the importance of seeking help from reliable and qualified individuals.

• Self-Acceptance: The story underscores the challenges of accepting oneself amidst external judgments and the journey toward self-confidence.

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Christian Garland: Repaying a Promise

Timestamp: 08:31 - 14:17

Christian Garland shares a poignant story from his childhood, rooted in his strong familial and religious background. As a preacher's kid, Christian idolizes his grandfather, a minister who becomes his best friend and confidant. Driven by a desire to possess what his friends have, Christian succumbs to temptation and steals $200 from his grandfather to buy larger sneakers.

The theft leads to a severe confrontation where his grandfather expresses profound disappointment but also lays down a promise—that Christian will repay the money one day. This incident leaves a lasting scar on their relationship, with trust seemingly irreparably broken.

Notable Quotes:

• “He was screaming at my uncle. He was like, why would you steal my money? ... Christians like, ‘What am I gonna do?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, cousin, why have you wronged me this way?’”
  (Timestamp: 09:45)

• “I just repaid you. And we started crying, hugging. ‘Oh, I love you.’ ‘I love you, too, Granddad.’”
  (Timestamp: 13:00)

Years later, Christian fulfills his promise by earning money as a drummer and repaying the $200. He takes his grandfather out to dinner, presenting the money to mend their fractured relationship. This gesture not only restores his grandfather's trust but also brings closure to Christian, especially poignant as his grandfather passes away shortly after.

Key Takeaways:

• Redemption and Forgiveness: Christian's journey from wrongdoing to redemption highlights the power of sincere apologies and actions in healing broken relationships.

• Integrity and Responsibility: The story emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and the long-term value of maintaining personal integrity.

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Conclusion

Alfonso Lacayo and Christian Garland's stories encapsulate the quintessential high school experiences of navigating trust, dealing with consequences, and seeking redemption. Through their candid and emotionally charged narratives, they offer listeners valuable insights into the complexities of growing up and the enduring impact of our choices on relationships and self-perception. These stories not only entertain but also serve as meaningful reflections on personal growth and the human condition.

Transcript

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[Dan Kennedy]

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. Today we're bringing you two stories from our Moth education program. Both were told at our first high school Grand Slam, which was last December. And we had it at housing works here in New York City. It was hosted by Baratunde Thurston. And the first story you're gonna hear is by Alfonso Lucayo. The theme of the night is face to face.

[Alfonso Lucayo]

Okay, so I'm in fourth grade, going to fifth grade, and it's the end of the summer, and I'm getting ready for school. And I got my school supplies, my school clothes, my super cool new lunchbox, the new J's on my feet, you know, the new Jordan sneakers. I'm set. There's only really one thing I'm missing. And you know how, like, when you're a kid, you don't really care how your hair looks? Like, you don't really take care of hair. Like, you don't really comb it or wash it. Or maybe that's just me. Or maybe that's just me. So at the end of the summer, my hair was kind of just like this thing on my head, and it was terrible. It was revolting. Like, it was. Nobody wanted to look at it. And so everywhere I'm going, my friends are like, yo, Alfonso, you need a haircut. My sister is telling me, you need a haircut. You know, my mom's kind of corny. She said, I'm gonna get you a haircut before you go to school because you look like a fool. You know? That's what she said. And so one day, and I'm kind of just like, yeah, you know, I agree. I need a haircut. So one day I go to my cousin's house, and it's my older, older, older cousin and my other cousin around my age. And so I'm sitting there, I'm playing video games with my other cousin around my age. And while I'm playing video games, I kind of notice my older cousin kind of staring at my hair. And all of a sudden he says, you know, I could cut your hair, right? For free. And I'm like, really?

[Christian Garland]

Really?

[Alfonso Lucayo]

Because that'd be great. My mom's been trying to. She said, I need a haircut before I go back to school, so this be awesome. And so nobody. I didn't really know better, like, nobody was there to say, stop. This guy is not a licensed barber. He's not qualified to cut hair. This Is not what he does. It's just not. And so my cousin takes me to the backyard, to the garage. And the garage is dark, and there's not really much light except for this old, rusty lamp. And you know how, like, in the movies when they find some ancient artifact and there's the dust on it, and they blow in it, and the dust flies away? That was that lamp. That was it. So my cousin, you know, starts cutting my hair. There was no mirrors either, you know. You know how, like. You know how, like, when you go to the barbershop, there's those giant mirrors, so while you're getting your hair cut, you could kind of look up and check, you know? I like that. That's nice, you know? So my cousins cut my hair for, like, 25, 30 minutes. And all of a sudden, he stops, and he's proud of his work. He's like, bang. There you go. I got you, little man.

[Christian Garland]

Give me that high five.

[Alfonso Lucayo]

Got you. And I get up, you know, I'm like, okay, now I'm ready for school, you know, I want to go play video games with my cousin now. And so I knew there was something wrong. I knew there was something wrong because as soon as I stepped foot into the house, my other cousin around my age looks at me and starts dying, crying, laughing all over the place hysterically. And I like jokes, you know, I want to know what's funny, too. So I go to the bathroom, and I come face to face with the mirror. I couldn't believe what I saw, guys. My hairline was back here, and this was all shining. Like, I had, like, this windshield thing going on. Like, if you look closely enough into my forehead, you can see your own reflection in it. It was crazy. It was just glistening. And I was kind of crazy when I was a kid. So I started bugging out all over the place. You know, I'm screaming everywhere.

[Christian Garland]

Why?

[Alfonso Lucayo]

What am I gonna do? Oh, my God, cousin, why have you wronged me this way? How am I supposed to go to school?

[Christian Garland]

What am I gonna do?

[Alfonso Lucayo]

So later on, I get dropped off at my house, and I see my mom, and she looks at me, and she kind of just, like, shrugs it off, you know? She's like, oh, well, you know, I told you I was gonna get you a haircut. Should have waited. Now you're gonna look funny. And so that's what happened. I looked funny for the first two to three weeks of school. People laughed and made jokes. And I don't know if y'all could tell. I keeps it fre so basically, I trusted my cousin once, and I will never trust him again for anything.

[Dan Kennedy]

Alfonso Lacayo is a senior theater major at Dreamyard Preparatory School in the Bronx. He's been participating in the moth education program at his school since the spring of 2000, 2013. Now, the next story you're going to hear was told on the same night as Alfonso's story. It's by Christian Garland. Here's Christian.

[Christian Garland]

So I'm going to let y'all know now, I'm a preacher's kid. I grew up in the church. I swear, I've only missed, like, two Sundays out of my whole 16 years of life. And my grandfather, he was a minister. So, you know, he was my best friend. He was my. He was like the person I could talk to about anything and everything. So when I was growing up, I'm about 9, 10, I wanted to be the friend that had anything everybody else had. But I always wanted to have something better than everybody else. I was the friend that, like, if you got the new video game, I had that video game in another one that was just about to come out that you ain't know about. So, you know, one day my friend came outside, he had these ugly sneakers on. I suppose I should mention at the time, my grandfather, he was a big dude. He wasn't small. He was like six, three, wore like a size 13 sneaker. And so I used to walk around in his shoes like it was cool. I thought big feet was cold. So, you know, I was like, yo, bro, I got those, man. That ain't nothing. I got those already. He was like, all right, prove it. I didn't have them. So my grandfather. My grandfather being a minister or whatever, he gets the money out of the collection plate. So I knew where he put the money. It's not what you all think. I lied. It's exactly what you thought. So I told him I got the sneakers, went upstairs, I took the money. I did. And it was like $200. And I went on 3rd Avenue in the Bronx. I went inside, looked at the guy with a straight face. I want the biggest size you. And so I got the sneakers, and I go home. And my grandfather, he's going off. He found out. He was like, he's screaming at my uncle. He's like, why would you steal my money? My uncle's like, I didn't touch your money. I don't know what you're talking about. So I walk in, he's going off, and I froze. I was like, oh, he mad. And he was like, Christian come in. I was like, huh? He was like, where'd you get them sneakers? Funny story. I went in your briefcase, got the money. Yeah. He was like, how much money did you take? I said, about $200. What about $200? Why, you crazy, boy? He was screaming, and he said some very hard words. He was like, I will never be able to trust you again. But one day you're going to repay me for the money you took. I don't know how, I don't know when, but you're gonna repay me. I cried. It was terrible. Fast forward a couple of years. About, like, two, three years ago, I started. I should let y'all know, I'm a drummer. I played the drums on the radio for Al Sharpton. On the radio, 9:00. And so, yeah, he paid me good. That's. You ever had that thought where you start thinking about something and then your mind goes somewhere else? That's where I was like. I remember Grandpa said I'm gonna repay him. So me, I didn't get McDonald's for two weeks in a row. So I got the money to pay him back. So I put it in the envelope. I take him out to dinner at his favorite place, Crown Donut, on 161st street, next to Yankee Stadium. At first, he was skeptical. He said, you got somebody pregnant. I was only 13. I don't know what he was talking about. I was like, no, of course not. That would be absurd. So we got our food, and I had on a coat. It was cold. It was like the end of October, early November. And so I took it out of my side pocket inside, you know, the little pocket inside. Took it out, put it on the table. It's there. And he looked in. He was like, what's this? I said, you said I was gonna repay you, and you didn't know how, but I just repaid you. And we started crying, hugging. Oh, I love you. I love you, too, Granddad. The waitress came. She started crying because she thought it was her tip. And, you know, I just. I'm just glad that I got a chance to fulfill what my grandfather said and got to pay him back and earn his trust back from him. Because he said, you know what? You surprised me. I'm proud of you. I trust you again. And that was the last thing he told me. Because two weeks after that, he died. And I did the same thing y'all did.

[IFC Films Advertiser]

Aw.

[Christian Garland]

Until I found out he didn't get to spend the money. I was mad at my grandma. Cause I knew she had the money. I didn't know what she did with it. And so a couple of days go by, we made the funeral arrangements. I still ain't know where the money went. I got up and I went to go view the body and my grandma, she stopped me, she said, you see that suit and them shoes he got on? I'm like, yeah. She said, your money paid for that. And the expression on my face was like, I was so proud that number one, I got my trust back from my grandpa. And he was stunting in the suit and shoes I bought him. Thank you.

[Dan Kennedy]

Christian Garland is a senior Theater major at Dreamyard Preparatory School in the Bronx. He's been a part of the Moth Story Slam at his school since the fall of 2013 and he is very excited to be taking part in the Grand Slam. Hey. Also, a quick shout out to Katherine McCarthy and Michaela Bly for working with the kids on these stories and producing these shows. Great work. Hey. Quick announcement for our listeners in la. The Moth main Stage is returning to Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 23rd. For tickets and for a list of all of our upcoming tour stops, just visit them off.org Our podcast host, Dan.

[IFC Films Advertiser]

Kennedy is a writer and performer living in New York and author of the new novel American Spirit. Available now.

[Dan Kennedy]

Thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast Audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. The Moth Podcast and the Radio Hour are presented by prx, the Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more [e-mail].