The Mango

 

            The sun beat down on the back of Calvin’s neck. Sweat poured off him as he gazed longingly at the fruit stand. A juicy mango would be so refreshing right about now. His stomach grumbled. When had he last eaten? Yesterday morning? He had to get one of those mangoes.

            The market was busy this afternoon. Everyone was preparing for their evening meal. Calvin strolled among the crowd with his hands in his oversized pockets. He tried to appear nonchalant when he glanced at the other stalls. His threadbare shirt stuck to his sweaty back as his heart pounded in his chest. He was nearing the fruit stall, and his mouth started to water.

            The large group that was crowded around the fruit vendor didn’t even notice when Calvin joined them. Everyone was jostling each other, trying to get the owner’s attention. Soon Calvin was standing right next to the tray of mangoes. He leaned over them, pretending to study the apples in the tray beside it. Quick as a flash, he grabbed a mango and stuffed it into his pocket. He stayed a few moments more, then slowly strolled away, his baggy pants hiding the contents of his pocket.

            Trying to keep his breathing even, Calvin waited until he was two streets away before he finally ducked into a darkened alley and took off running to his hiding place. Once there, he took a big juicy bite of the mango and delighted in the explosion of juice and flavor. It took a surprisingly short time before the mango was gone. He gnawed on the giant seed until there was nothing left to get out of it.

            Calvin felt refreshed after the mango, although he was still hungry. Maybe he could go back for a loaf of bread or perhaps even some rice. Determined to find something else to eat, he stepped out from his hiding place and was immediately met by a man holding a wicked-looking knife. Calvin recognized him as a royal guard and turned to flee.

            He didn’t get very far before another royal guard stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Good evening, young man.” This guard held up a long sword as he towered over Calvin.

            Calvin’s heart raced as he thought of any way to escape. “Uh, good evening.” The other guard came up behind him, closing off any escape route.

            The guard with the sword sheathed his blade and smiled at Calvin. “You’re wanted at the palace, son.”

            Calvin’s mouth went dry. “It was only a mango!” he shouted hurriedly. “I never took anything else! I was starving!”

            “Don’t worry about that. We’ve taken care of it,” the knife man said behind him.

            The two men escorted a terrified Calvin as they walked through the city toward the palace. How was he ever going to get out of this? His eyes darted all around, looking for anything or anyone that might help him. No one paid attention to a poor boy in the company of royal guards. Soon they were standing outside the palace gates.

            The big guard called for the gates to open and the three of them stepped through. Gloom settled over Calvin as the gates closed behind them. He expected to be taken down to the dungeons, but he was surprised when they entered the palace proper. They passed through several hallways and doors until he felt hopelessly lost. The décor became more and more elegant until finally, they stood in front of an ornate door and the knife guard knocked.

            “Come in,” a girl’s voice said from within.

            The door opened and Calvin felt himself thrust inside. His breath caught as he recognized Princess Jade Ali standing before him. He fell into a clumsy bow and said, “Your highness.”

            The princess walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Are you Calvin?” she asked kindly.

            “Y-yes, your highness,” he answered nervously.

            The princess sighed in relief and said, “I’ve been looking for you for months!”

            Calvin raised his head just enough to see the smile covering Jade’s face. She had been looking for him? Why?

            Noticing his confusion, Princess Jade said, “I believe that you are my brother.”

            Dumbfounded, Calvin could only answer, “What?”

            “You’ve been living on the streets your whole life, right? Who were your parents?”

            Seeing only kindness in Jade’s eyes, Calvin answered truthfully. “I never knew my parents, but my Uncle Rafe raised me. We got along okay until Rafe disappeared last year.” He paused. “I don’t know what happened to him, but I’ve been on my own ever since.”

            Jade’s kind face flashed angrily when Calvin mentioned Rafe. “The man you knew as Uncle Rafe was actually Rafael, a healer who used to work here at the palace. You and I are twins. When we were born, Rafael stole you and completely disappeared. Our parents did everything they could to find you, but you were gone. I, myself, never knew of your existence until Rafael unexpectedly showed up here at the palace, trying to get his old job back.” She shook her head slowly. “Father saw through his lies of wanting a fresh start. He threw Rafael into prison. We still might not have known that you were alive if Rafael hadn’t bragged to the other prisoners about how he had stolen you from right under the king’s nose. Well, as soon as we learned that you were still alive, the royal guards began searching everywhere for you.” She smiled, and Calvin noticed a twinkle in her eye. “Your true name is Jasper Calvin Ali. Would you like to meet your parents?”

            Calvin felt as if he had just been run over by a herd of elephants. Was he really a prince? He thought back to how he had lived with Uncle Rafe. The man hadn’t been unkind to him as long as he stayed out of his way. A bubble of happiness started deep inside Calvin. Looking up at Princess Jade, the bubble grew until it burst from him, covering his face in a grin. “Yes, please!”

            Jade grabbed Calvin’s hand, and together they went to meet their parents. Calvin was nervous, but he realized that he would never have to go hungry again. The grin on his face got wider.