Night Falls Early

Night falls early this time of year. A bit of darkness and some cold air isn’t enough to prevent Dembele, left, Mamadou, center, and Mauro, right, from meeting at the beach in Barcelona to exercise and catch up with each other. They’re three of a group of friends who’ve been through harder days and nights. Spending five days in a small boat to cross from West Africa to refuge in the Canary Islands or saying goodbye for the last time to your dying mother make that cold wind in Barcelona bite a little less. 

Dembele and Mamadou come from Mali, while Mauro is from Uruguay. They communicate in Spanish and with the easy camaraderie that comes from having overcome similar challenges, whether it’s putting in the time and effort to become strong enough to do 25 pull-ups or emigrating to a foreign country to create a new life.

From “Into Dust,” my ongoing project about a group of friends who have emigrated to Spain against great odds.