Aisha Rodriguez
Appearances
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
At 12 years old, being a girl meant being one of the boys. It meant hitting the courts and hitting the books. You can never catch me slacking. And part of this meant having this big group of guy friends to protect me, even though I was a good foot taller than most of them, a better ball player than half of them. You know, we really, we stayed together, and they had my back.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And part of this was, we thought we ran the streets, but we ran student council. And we didn't really know nothing more than the school in the schoolyard. But one day, things changed, and we wanted to expand the horizons, go to another ballpark. And, you know, part of this was going out later and farther.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And being the girl of my family was difficult in this sense, because I was always home, getting my work together, you know, keep it together, because you're the youngest girl. And I told my mom, like, oh, mommy, mommy, can I please go with Marisol, Nelisa, Jessica? And really, I was with Justin, Kevin, Jeremy. But somehow I got out, and I was so happy.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And we're at this new park, a couple blocks further than the last one, and we're thinking like, yo, we run these streets, man. But it's starting to get later and later, and I'm realizing like, oh man, I lied. I'm going to get in trouble. My mom doesn't know where I'm at, who I'm with. There was nothing worse than getting in trouble. So I tell my friends, let's start heading home.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
You know, it's late. It's 9 p.m., middle of the night. And because they're 12, too, they're like, yeah, Aisha, let's go. So we're walking home. And the way it works is that I live the farthest from the park. And each avenue, a different friend lives. So we're dropping off one by one. And it ends up me, Justin, and Kevin. And I'm starting really to panic. Like, I'm lying. I'm late.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
I'm supposed to be home already. I'm going to get in trouble. I'm going to die. Like, it's it. And as I'm starting to have this panic attack, my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket. And I take it out. And it says mom, who I should mention is my grandma. And I call her mom. And I pick up ready. Like, oh, mommy, mommy, I'm on my way home. And she stops me. And she goes, Aisha, don't come home.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And the call drops. And I'm really starting to think, man, the world is over as I know it. And little did I know I was right. So I take the phone back out, and I dial my house, and I'm ready with the same spiel, and I tell her, like, Mommy, Mommy, I'm on my way home. She stops me again and goes, Aisha, don't come home. Someone got raped in the elevator. And the call drops yet again.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And here, I'm starting to get real scared. And I'm thinking, man, that could have been me if I was home on time, doing the right thing. If I was there, that could have been me. And my two friends look at me kind of worried and ask me what happened. And when I tell them, they look at me like, that's what you're scared of? And this was when I realized I'm the girl of the group.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
Like, they can only protect me so much. But they walk me home, and my grandma comes down to take over this protector role, and she's ready. She got her bata, chancletas, y to. And she also, she's also there, like, she's just ready, and she holds something out, and it's a metal turkey baster. And she goes, Aisha, protect yourself. So I take it, not really sure what I'm supposed to do with that.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And we go to the deli, you know, the sus illegal one that's always doing something wrong, but it's your fam, so it's okay. And when we tell him what happens, he also looks at me like, man, that could have been you. He reaches down, takes something out, and he holds it out, and it's a switchblade. And he tells me, protect yourself. So now I got a switchblade in one hand, turkey baste in the other.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And I kind of just shoved both of them in my pockets, like, yo, what's more sus than this? And I'm still really panicking, like, man, I'm going to get in trouble. There's cops everywhere. And I didn't want to run the streets like this. But I go home, and I'm still thinking, like, this could have been me. And I'm starting to realize there's a world bigger than just getting in trouble.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
And fast forward, I'm in school, and I'm thinking I'm bad, and I'm telling my friends, like, yo, I got a switchblade, you know, like, I'm boss. And my teacher starts to overhear, and she goes, Aisha, what was that? And I tell her, like, oh, I have a switchblade. And she gives me the same look, like something's about to happen, and I'm scared, I'm going to get in trouble.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
I always do the right thing, but I get in trouble. And she stops me, and she goes, Aisha, if you ever have to, go for the eyes of the jugular. And I'm thinking, damn, I can get my straw in my Capri Sun. How am I supposed to defend myself?
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Big Reveal
But after this moment, I started to realize being a girl meant taking that turkey base there, taking that switchblade, taking literally anything in front of you to protect yourself, because the world won't do it for you. Thank you.