First impressions

First impressions are always tricky especially with kids. All they know going in is that you're an unfamiliar person and they'll seize on any superficial characteristic to easily identify you. Sometimes that means they'll label you as "strange." It could be something about your appearance or your voice, but it's usually nothing that a little familiarity can't overcome. I would reserve judgment on what the auntie told the boy about not talking with you. If she's telling him not to worry about "strange people," she probably thought she was just taking your side by telling the boy not to "bother" you. The basic assumption among most adults is that no "normal" person would want to be bothered by a kid.